Here we are now, aghast and uncertain, with the body politic outstretched upon the autopsy table. It’s rightful to fear that Donald Trump’s re-ascendance into the Oval Office, with practically unchecked power granted to him by his party and the Supreme Court, is the death knell for democratic values. Hopefully, though, it will also signal the death knell for how the Democrats go about politics.
This is not to dismiss the racism, sexism, and bigotry that have allowed for this moment. The Trump campaign struck fear into the electorate with racist memes, claims about an “invasion” and “migrant crime” that were largely fictitious, and constant misogynistic attacks on Harris.
Trump’s second coming was also aided by multiple propaganda networks—Fox, OANN, Newsmax, Salem Media Group—and by a mainstream media that, while perceived as liberal, gave both an inordinate amount of airtime to Trump and created false equivalencies in its attempt to appear “balanced.”
Jacquelyn Martin/AP Images
These are real problems and should not be dismissed. But the very existence of these factors should tell Democrats that it’s time to stop praying at the altar of American Exceptionalism and usher in new ways of communicating with the American people that doesn’t assume the electorate is both righteous and well-informed.
In other words, Dems need to learn to fight, beginning with battling the biggest prejudice of all in this country—one worse, even, than the prejudices against women and minorities when it comes to electability—being called a liberal.
An endless drumbeat by conservatives has succeeded in making “liberal” a dirty word. And because of that, Democrats have run from it as if it’s on fire. Studies have shown the U.S. is a much more conservative country than most democratic nations—while conservatives have moved way out to the right, Democrats have gone to the middle, leaving no true liberal party.
The best encapsulation of where the Kamala Harris campaign went wrong this election was during the candidate’s interview with Bret Baier, when asked about the southern border. Baier claimed 6 million migrants had come into the country under President Joe Biden when the actual number was 2.5 million. He demanded an apology for those murdered by undocumented immigrants.
Harris started her answer by saying, “I agree with you.” Instead, she should’ve hit back. She should’ve lambasted him for exploiting those murdered. She should’ve said, “Bret, you’re engaging in racist tropes. These people are not terrorists; they’re people in danger seeking better lives who often work 12 hours a day doing our laundry, preparing our food, and taking care of our children. Sixty-nine percent of them were considered essential workers during the pandemic. You’re going to deport all of them? That’s just cruel and stupid.”
Yes, she should’ve said “stupid.” Democrats have to stop being afraid of being confrontational. They should do what Republicans often do—take strong positions and say, “That’s what we stand for and that’s it.” Stop worrying about alienating people and start thinking about how to win them over. That’s true leadership.
Legalizing prostitution, universal health care, committing to green energy, getting rid of “workfare”—all should be obvious liberal positions. But Democrats flee them.
You want a message that will resonate? Go after government. Go after the Constitution. Talk about how ridiculous the Electoral College and the Senate and lifetime appointments for Supreme Court justices all are.
Most importantly, change your language. The biggest mistake Democrats make is in trying to gauge the American electorate and attempting to craft their messages accordingly. You’ll win more Americans over by being genuine than being measured. Democrats talk like robots with algorithms fed by polls. Toss that out. We need more Democrats who sound like Jimmy Hoffa and Huey Long. We need ones who echo FDR’s line welcoming the hatred of his opponents.
The key to defeating Trump was not to appear more poised and hope Americans appreciated the contrast; it was to attack him as a silver-spoon candidate of the elites. Harris and the Democrats went for dignified when they should’ve been indignant.
If you want to win the American people over, start by confronting them. Because they’ll respect a Democrat more who fights for liberal positions they disagree with than one who tries to convince them they’re actually not really a liberal. Go into Mississippi and face voters there. Have courage.
Harris was a respectable candidate, and infinitely preferable to Trump, who has no redeemable qualities whatsoever. But she was too careful and too boring, and that’s the truth. Democrats must learn to be exciting again; to have some wit, some will power, and some guts.
Ross Rosenfeld is a political writer from Long Island. You can follow him on Twitter/X and his Substack.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
