Given the way things are unfolding, it’s never going to be easy Kamala Harris. Many Democrats in the party are convinced that it saved the campaign from a worse outcome. To be beautiful, he wore something true to his height: she won the debate. She never won, certainly not with those who mattered most.
The US election triggered a terrifying deja vu moment for those of us who watched the 2019 UK general election from behind our couches, hands over our eyes. The Democrats lost votes with almost everyone, almost everywhere, but, like Labor in the “red wall”, most dramatically with the traditional voter turnout: the type of work, low pay, not graduates. And, like Labor back in 2019, losing that connection with the core voter didn’t happen overnight.
Working with the DC-based Progressive Institute, we conducted post-election polling and focus groups with past Democratic voters who voted for Trump on November 5th. Desperate change has stripped the nation of its work. Undoubtedly, this was a change in the election: any candidate not offering a change in the electorate demanded, became a plebeian election. Asked how voters felt about the results on November 6, they were “relieved”“ We have heard the word often.
Change focuses too much on two issues: inflation and immigration. Trump enjoyed a clear lead on both sides. Sure, Harris had some popular policies (anti-price cuts, tax cuts, help for first-time buyers and small businesses), but these appeared to be the star of the campaign, with voters concluding that she was out of touch and too focused. on “awake” results.
Among working-class voters, 53% agreed that the Dems “went too far” in pushing the doctrine “Woke up.” he was a man.
Liberal Americans were led to vote with these sentiments – especially since they loved their country. As many as 66% of Americans say they are the greatest country in the world, up to 71% of workers vote. The Liberals were the only dissenting group. What is this for mercy? Voters expressed it in terms of putting US interests before others – it also meant recognizing that change was necessary and being prepared to act. As one old man put it: “If you are not advocating change, you are not godly.”
Hungry for that change, voters wanted a shake-up in the way both government and the economy operate. Just 2% said the system needed no change, while 70% believed the country was heading in the wrong direction. Democrats didn’t seem to hear this – some even interpreted Harris’ pledge to “protect democracy” as “protecting the state”. On the other hand, Trump’s appetite for disruption, combined with his disdain for sacred cows on Capitol Hill, seemed to promise change that would once actually deliver voters for the working class.
Are there things Harry could have done differently for the campaign? Of course. The happy looks of the celebrities were tin-oto for the electorate feeling anxious, pessimistic, even scared. But what is troubling Democrats now is the sense of the party – not just the candidates or the campaign – when the 2020 election is about to be dissolved by the voters who depend on its electoral success: millions of working Americans pay taxes. do what you already feel is not fair. Democrats can only win by putting them “voting hero” they will fall back into the middle of their state. The same is true of Labor in 2024 and it is true for centrist parties elsewhere. This, of course, requires correction, which must begin now.
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With Democrats pulling the trigger, without an immediate leadership race to provide direction, local leaders are ready to step up, flex their muscles and challenge Trump. Change requires strong leaders – even more so when voters feel vulnerable. The campaign gave Trump a 28% lead in power. Described as a “powerhouse”, he was likened to “a smooth whiskey – it gives you straight”, while Harris was “a watered down cocktail”. They were pictured in the car, it was a “stupid dump truck owning the road, not to be charged” while it was a “thin Kia”. GRAVEL, that a mixed-race woman has taken tantalizingly close to the top job in the political world, was just not obvious to voters. Having absolute clarity of conviction is essential for tomorrow’s candidates to apply – and show what they need to start doing today.
This is, of course, familiar to those of us who have worked to distance labor from what is expected to be a disastrous disaster in 2019. It remains to be seen if Democrats will embrace the change of party as forcefully and forcefully as necessary. Keir Starmer He did it four years ago.
But we must prevent the thinking of the new Labor administration as well. Labor must continue to change its powerful message in government, reflecting the anti-establishment style that now exists on both sides of the Atlantic. He is prepared – even enthusiastic – about old, tired institutions, disrupting rather than defending them. He needs to solidify his narrative and plan to reform the government and the economy, so that he can truly repay the heroic voters who delivered his success in the elections in July. This work started last week with the launch of Starmer’s Planning for Change with his power he is extolled for the betterment of men, but much remains to be done.
Deborah Mattinson is Keir Starmer’s former director of war. Claire Ainsley was the executive director of the project from 2020-2022