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What Went Wrong for Democrats?
The 2024 election was a difficult lesson. What are the takeaways?
In the wake of 2024's election devastation, the Democratic Party faces a harsh reckoning. Despite massive campaign spending, incumbency, strategic advantages, and media support, Donald Trump prevailed, securing both the presidency and, for the first time, the popular vote.
Democrats, media pundits, and political analysts are left bereft, asking: how could this happen again?
The Democratic campaign, led by VP Kamala Harris following President Joe Biden’s late departure from the race, suffered from numerous issues. For many Americans, inflation and rising interest rates under the Biden administration overshadowed any accomplishments touted by the Democrats.
As political commentator Keith Naughton noted in The Hill, “results matter more than personalities,” and the financial struggles that plagued middle- and low-income voters drove them toward a candidate who acknowledged their economic concerns.
Voters who felt economically squeezed — by higher costs for essentials and skyrocketing financing rates on homes and vehicles — found little comfort in Harris’s campaign. Her strategy often focused more on Trump’s personal flaws and less on concrete plans to address Americans’ struggles with inflation, housing, and healthcare.