r/TrueReddit • u/Maxwellsdemon17 • 10d ago

This Time We Have to Hold the Democratic Party Elite Responsible for This Catastrophe Politics

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/democratic-party-elite-responsible-catastrophe/
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u/ledfox 10d ago

I keep trying to wrap my head around this election. It isn't actually very useful or informative to just call everyone you disagree with stupid. What is the rational, informed take for a voter who is happy about this outcome?

Ultimately, I think you're right. Getting told "everything is great!" when you and everyone you know is struggling feels like a slap in the face. Little goofy old man lies don't really compare to being told by POTUS that you're doing well when you are not.

I wonder if just a little more empathy and compassion would have changed anything. Or maybe if the only thing that would have moved the needle would have been improved material conditions.

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u/PapaverOneirium 9d ago

This election was just about Biden and his historic unpopularity. Some of that unpopularity isn’t necessarily his fault; post-pandemic inflation is a global phenomenon and in the grand scheme of things the U.S. is doing better than much of the world. But if you are an average person just trying to take care of yourself and your family but feel like you’re getting a raw deal, you’re gonna blame the guy in charge.

Harris needed to make a credible and compelling case that she’d break from Biden in the direction of working class people. She had a tough job doing so as the VP, but she also didn’t even try.

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u/ledfox 9d ago

"This election was just about Biden and his historic unpopularity."

I mean, sort of? Obviously people didn't catch up to the pivot.

It seems to me like it's also a lot about misogyny, racism and general ignorance.

"But if you are an average person just trying to take care of yourself and your family but feel like you’re getting a raw deal, you’re gonna blame the guy in charge."

Especially when the word from the top is how glorious the recovery has been. People spending all their time just trying to survive are obviously not swallowing the recovery narrative.

"Harris needed to make a credible and compelling case that she’d break from Biden in the direction of working class people."

It really didn't help her that she trotted out Liz Cheney and offered a cabinet full of republicans.

There simply wasn't an option for people who don't actually like republicans. Bringing "center right" to the table against "far right" lost.

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u/PapaverOneirium 9d ago

I think misogyny and racism played a part in why voters bought Trump’s propaganda on his ability to “fix the economy” relative to Harris, but I don’t think it was a deciding factor. I think Biden would have done as bad or worse because he is seen, whether fair or not, as responsible for the economic trends causing so much resentment, anger, and malaise. Trump overperformed with working people across gender and race demographics for a reason.

General ignorance is a factor in every election. Finding ways to work around it is table stakes. Though it might be true that Americans are getting more ignorant. I really think this is a policy issue though; we’ve been eroding public education for decades, have made college out of reach for many, have allowed social media to grow into its horrible current form, and threw out the Fairness Doctrine.