It was a fierce “red wave” that would never surface in 2022.
It was a scathing rebuke of the toxic Democratic Party “brand.”
It was a sharp shift to the political right, fueled by working-class people angry about inflation, rising prices and rising housing costs, and by people worried about lax criminal justice and unchecked immigration.
It was a rejection of the global elites, government elites, commentators, and the mainstream media that were seen as their cheerleaders and foreign contacts abroad.
It was a complete repudiation of rational, liberal culture, from safe spaces to identity politics.
It was essentially a “Floridianization” of the United States.
When history is written, the 2024 presidential election will likely be remembered as such.
Donald Trump campaigned on personal grievances from his first three years in the White House and memories of a strong economy, but won the Electoral College and sealed his presidency. He also became the first Republican candidate to win the popular vote. He became the first convicted felon to become the next president of the United States in 20 years.
His Republican colleagues appear to have won majorities in both chambers, gaining at least four seats in the Senate and holding on to what appeared to be narrow seats in the House.
While there were some small legitimate rants about Kamala Harris’ message and strategy that quarterbacks might take Wednesday morning, the vice president essentially took the lead from Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race to In the short 107 days leading up to the election, he waged a strong and disciplined election campaign. day.
Harris has revived hopes among Democrats in most polls conducted from late July to August, and has been able to improve on President Joe Biden’s slumping approval ratings by moving on par with or even ahead of Trump. and succeeded in partially overcoming his personal unpopularity.
But her inability to completely dissociate herself from Biden’s record and explain how she would act differently has left her tied to the unpopular Democratic incumbent. .
Of course, many voters were motivated by the Trump campaign’s doom and gloom image of America as a dystopian nation with rising food and gas prices, rampant crime, unchecked mass immigration, and seemingly no borders. It cannot be overlooked that this is highly likely. safety.
As in most elections, voters prioritized their own well-being and the struggle to make ends meet over lofty ideals and Democratic-led appeals to “preserve democracy.”
According to Jeff Stein, washington postwealthier and more educated voters rallied to Harris’ side. At the same time, people without college degrees and from low-income families also flocked to Mr. Trump.
In 2020, Trump won voters with incomes of $100,000 or more by 12 points, but lost voters with incomes of $50,000 to $100,000 by 15 points and voters with incomes less than $50,000 by 10 points. . By comparison, he lost wealthy voters by 9 percentage points, but won narrowly among voters earning less than $100,000 a year.
President Trump and his Republican allies also ran $215 million worth of ads attacking Democrats over transgender people, repeatedly slamming red-hot panic. For more on issues of trans participation in sports and gender-affirming care for young people, press the button.
The majority of Americans are hostile to the idea of transgender identity. According to Pew Research CenterSix in 10 Americans believe that a person cannot change their gender from the one assigned at birth (although a similar majority do not discriminate against transgender individuals in employment or housing). (even though I don’t believe in it).
So it’s no surprise that anti-trans sentiment motivates some voters to support Trump and the Republican Party. According to AP voting castabout half of all voters (including 8 in 10 President Trump voters) said support for transgender rights in government and society has gone too far. specific There were no policies or positions that were considered “too far.”
It is certain that at least some voters were motivated to choose Trump solely because of Harris’ gender and race, pointing to the underlying misogyny and racism already prevalent in American society. I am doing it.
But a much larger group of Trump supporters, including many who voted for Biden four years ago, seemed excited by the prospect of expressing their distaste for the current administration’s policies.
According to CNN exit polls, 31% of voters feel the economy is the most important issue, and 51% of voters told exit polling firm Edison Research that they trust Trump more than Harris to handle the economy. The answer was yes.
said Melissa Deckman, political scientist and chief executive of the Public Religion Research Institute. ReutersAlthough most Americans felt they were experiencing financial hardship,[t]Harris’ campaign didn’t always do a good job of explaining how her policies would help the middle class, or at least that message didn’t resonate with many voters. ”
In the end, Mr. Trump not only enjoyed his usual support from white voters, but was also able to unite a broad base of support, increasing his support among young men, Latinos, and black men. While he has rallied the nation around the issue of improving economic prospects and lowering prices, he has touted right-wing MAGA “culture war” issues, putting Democratic “elites” on issues that affect ordinary Americans. He was made into a condescending scolding person with no understanding or interest.
In essence, he became a middle finger to the political status quo and establishment figures who felt misunderstood and abandoned by them.
LGBTQ advocates see themselves as one of the groups dubbed “enemies within” by the president-elect, and more than 20 states have passed laws restricting LGBTQ visibility and freedom. This loss is extremely painful for those who have seen this happen.
Expressed concern that the U.S. Supreme Court, which has guaranteed a near-permanent Republican majority for decades, will issue rulings that further embolden state and congressional leaders to impose additional restrictions. Some people do.
But the movement’s leaders called on their followers to remain calm, patient and clear-minded as they recommit themselves to the fight for equality.
“We know Our community is scared, angry and anxious about what will happen next to them and their families,” Human Rights Campaign President Kelly Robinson said in a statement.
“[T]There is no question that we will face many more challenges in the coming years as part of the fight for full LGBTQ+ equality. But our ancestors taught us that resilience is our superpower. Don’t get me wrong. We are not going backwards. And we will continue to show up, no matter what, for each other and for the march toward progress. ”
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
