When the rapper formerly known as Childish Gambino caught the ears of wider, and therefore, Whiter, America with his 2018 hit ‘This is America’ it gave the restless nation pause. However, in the wake of two attempts by the Democratic Party to send women to the White House, we must ask ourselves whether or not this is America.
Beyond a shotgunned campaign full of floundering flubs and smash hits, Kamala Harris may represent one of two things in American politics as we begin the second quarter of the 21st century: an abject refusal to engage in further liberal social change – even symbolically – for America, or a failure of the Democratic Party leadership to actively maintain their voter blocs due to ineptitude when compared to the Republican Party.
The average American is suffering at the hands of the widest wealth gap in American history, which is brought upon them by the reasonable culmination of free market capitalist practices. A good capitalist would not leave any capital, income, money, etc. to the average American besides what is necessary to keep them satiated and sedated. We are a nation of good capitalists. Prices are creeping higher, and will creep everywhere we turn. The ‘market’ won’t regulate itself to save a life. (Netflix is even squeezing its viewers for ad-free viewing, what’s the point of Netflix, then? Rahh!)
Unfortunately, the ‘new generation’ (80->60) of Dem leadership is so entrenched and unfeeling toward the simple realities of American life they can’t even pretend to care effectively anymore.
After the election, it became magically apparent to Harris-Walz voters that there were holes in the ship of her campaign from the very beginning. Biden shouldn’t have run in 2024. I’d venture to say he shouldn’t have run in 2020, but that’s neither here nor there. The late start made it impossible for Harris to appropriately hit the trail, especially when keeping largely the same platform & advisor core as her boss, Joe ‘Brandon’. President Biden represented yet another attempt by the Democratic Party to appeal to the ‘center’, to ‘moderates’, and to Republicans. Democrats are not good at being Republicans. Shocker…
Many of my friends have heard me say things along the lines of, ‘never underestimate how racist America is.’ However, as one insightful freshman in Multi reminded me, it is also a country of misogynists. Unfortunately, these factors aren’t the end-all-be-all, as other women of colour in much more precarious positions managed to win their races. Of course, a presidential campaign is vastly different from a congressional one, but there is something in the air.
Kamala Harris failed to effectively distinguish herself from Biden as her hands were tied as being part of the administration would mean dirtying her face with any substantial critique of Biden. Joe didn’t really win America over, he won off the back of an uNpReCeDeNtEd pandemic (mismanagement). The Donkey Dudes have been floundering politically for at least a decade. Why?
The Democrats have refused to properly engage with two of their largest blocs: working class people and the youth. We have seen the powerful Teamsters Union forsake the party because the party forsook them and other good policies for American workers in favour of lining the pockets of their own corporate sponsors and donors.
The Dems have also failed to keep up with the shift in youth opinions on a variety of social issues. Ineffective messaging concerning the LGBTQIA+ community’s rights to exist, outright rejection of the protestors of the Black Lives Matter movement’s demands, and becoming ardent supporters of ‘Israel’s right to defend itself’ irrespective of the ongoing genocide in Gaza alienated at worst or disenchanted millions. When you refuse to follow the lead of your voters, they will ‘betray’ you, which was on full display in places like Michigan whose high Arab & Muslim populations voted third party in droves as protest.
The Dems have tried again and again to appeal to the center, to Republicans, and have failed, totally. It’s time to remember the last thing that really gave the young people hope, that fights for workers, and puts people over profit. It’s time for the Democratic Party to go back to being progressive, or possibly the ‘radical left’ they are accused of being. Despite parliamentary government being distinct from that of our own, European democracies are feeling many of the same struggles as us. In France, the left-wing New Popular Front energised the youth and they beat back the right wing National Rally. In the UK the same happened as Labour won big in a rejection of decades of Tory conservatism.
The sweeping failure of the Democratic party to combat what has been described as ‘fascist’ is telling. They courted those who don’t mind or are amenable to the rhetoric, policies, and effects of the ideology that birthed one of the most horrific tragedies in living memory. That is not how you win over the most educated, liberal, and historically aware generation of voters ever.
The media war was also drastically distinct as even the liberal bastions like CNN & MSNBC aren’t reaching the American in ways that Fox and Joe Rogan are. Media consumption patterns have changed and the Dems don’t have a horse in the race that can even hope to compete at messaging effectively through the news, far less on the pulpit.
To dine with fascists is to dine with Death – it may not mean yours yet, but Death eventually comes for us all. Going right is a dead end for too many, try turning left where others have found life.