SMITH: Democrats have only themselves to blame
Now that the U.S. has decided its next president, it is time for the Democratic Party to reflect on the various factors that caused them to lose. Now, there are major factors in this loss, but a few of them stand out like a sore thumb.
One notable potential reason why Vice President Kamala Harris lost to President-elect Donald J. Trump was the late start of her campaign.
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. refused to drop out of the election until July. Due to this, Harris had a limited timeframe to run a proper presidential campaign before election day.
On top of this, Harris could not establish herself as a separate candidate from Biden and his policies. This is of note, as Biden has an approval rating of only 38.6 percent due to people's dissatisfaction with inflation and high border crossings.
Considering Biden's low approval rating, the Democratic Party ignored these issues which mattered to many voters, especially younger voters.
Younger voters valued the economy more than abortion, which was an important part of Harris's campaign. As the economy and immigration were issues that U.S. citizens viewed Biden's administration as failing to properly address, it is reasonable to say that Harris should have emphasized those issues more than abortion.
These issues were a major factor in shifting voting demographics between the 2020 and 2024 elections. There has been a prominent increase in young Republican voters across multiple races and ethnicities.
For young white men and women, there has been an 11 and 6 percent increase, respectively. For young Black men and women, there was a 20 and 6 percent increase, respectively. Young Latino men had a 13 percent swing toward the Republican Party, while young Latino women had a 9 percent swing. The Republican Party was also up 1 percent for the youth of all other races.
Looking at this data, Trump especially improved in the young male vote, as evident in the percentage increases across races and ethnicities. This revelation highlights another huge failure on the Harris campaign's part: The failure to appeal to young men.
Since one of the big issues that Harris ran on was abortion, it may have given men the perspective that they were not being prioritized. Additionally, comments of Democrats such as those of former President Barack Obama, who criticized young men for not voting for Harris, most likely did not bode well for young male voters.
Meanwhile, Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance used the strategy of going on multiple male podcasts, such as "The Joe Rogan Experience," to appeal to their majority male audience.
It is possible that male voters felt more welcomed by Republicans, as they acknowledged and validated them more than Democrats.
Not to mention, men across the U.S. are in crisis. Men are more likely to commit suicide, they are going to college at lower rates than women, they are 14 times more likely to be incarcerated and the list goes on.
Another important thing to mention is the need for men to have proper role models to help develop their identity and a sense of belonging, especially those in crisis. The Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement can appeal to men, as it fosters like-mindedness, making men feel like they belong to something. Additionally, Trump and Vance's appeals to masculinity can fulfill the need for male role models.
Considering all of these factors, it is easy, in retrospect, to see how the Democrats lost the presidential election. But just because the Republicans won the election does not mean we should be blaming voters, especially in the context of calling people who voted for Trump fascists, sexists or racists. Instead, that blame should be placed on the Democratic Party.
It is easy for many on the Left to associate people who voted for Trump with morally reprehensible traits, but this is a dangerous and false assumption that will only strengthen the political divide between the left and right. Many people come from different walks of life, which influence their perspectives, policy leanings and vote.
Whether you voted for Trump or not, he is going to be the nation's 47th president, and the best thing that we can do as a nation going forward is to stay unified and hope that Trump serves his presidency in the interest of the American people.
David Smith is a senior in the School of Arts and Sciences, majoring in journalism and media studies and minoring in psychology. Smith's column, "David's Diary," runs on alternate Thursdays.
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