The November 5, 2024 presidential election is over. The shock wave shook. Indeed, it was historic in multiple ways. Oh, well. Here we are in a brand-new America. So, what happened?
Here are twelve thoughts on the election.
1. What if Kamala Wore a Dress?
She did not define her politics. Tailored pant suits are nice, comfortable, neat, and chic with pearls. But sometimes, a lady wears a dress. You say it’s a minor item, but not really. Think about it. Kamala Harris should have worn a dress sometimes. She is stunning, and sometimes her image should say, “I am a woman.” And the audience would have said she’s pretty. America likes pretty women. The fashion reporters never talked about Kamala’s clothes. It was a mistake for a woman in the public eye not to wear a dress. Why? Because she is pretty. She should have become a fashionista. Image prevails.
2.The Democrats didn’t vote.
Ten million Democrats didn’t go to the polls. Why?
3. America is a Racist Society.
America is a sexist society. She was both. When Trump went to NABJ, a Black media conference, he raised the question, “Are you Black or are you Indian?”. She never spoke of her Jamaican father. He was hidden. Black America rose to the proud moment but without a message. The questioning of her identity was an opportunity for her brilliant Jamaican father to come forth.
4.Trump played to the core of America’s racism with fear tactics.
Donald Trump spoke the standard language to his supporters, from the rural community to the suburbs to urban streets. He captured every demographic from the truck driver to the young man. He told women I will care for you, even if you don’t want me to. He was a macho man and survived an assassination attempt, Superman style. America loves such a winner. Think of the movies. He was the dominant character, the John Wayne of politics.
5.Was Archie Bucker Running for President?
He was the guy who would say anything, running for President. He knew no filter. He insulted. He was offensive. He was questionable. He was outrageous, but you remembered what he said. He had a different daily message, from racist statements to quirky stunts, to frying French fries at McDonald’s to the dedication of the dump truck. He used the media for his marketing promotions. He marketed gold gym shoes and the Bible with the Constitution enclosed. He sold watches. The press never challenged him. They reported him. He used social media. He used untraditional media. He used niche media. Think of the Joe Rogan Experience. The podcast reached 34 million; the interview was 3 hours long. You knew where he stood. He exhibited leadership. He refused the second debate. He declined the interview with 60 Minutes. He knew his strengths, but he also realized his weaknesses. He constantly said, “Make America Great Again”. It was a generic message with no explanation. What does it mean, “You’ll never have to vote again.” He continually told and sold the macho man story with a red or blue tie. He was the consequential “White Male.”
6. Trump’s Plan—Project 2025.
Where was the Kamala plan? The press allowed Trump to lie. He denied his involvement whenever challenged, and the press accepted his lies. Kamala was held to a different standard as she expounded polite political ideology.
7. Kamala only had 107 days to mount a national campaign.
Kamala did a magnificent job. But the reality is time was against her. Trump has been running for President for two years. Biden bowed out of the campaign too late. Kamala did not have a chance to define herself fully. She ran a magnificent campaign. It just wasn’t long enough.
8. Kamala was outstanding with fundraising.
Kamala made history with the most fundraising ever in such a short time. She raised a billion dollars in a month. The money paid for major staged events. She paid $152 million in ads. Some of the ads explained Trump’s position better than they explained Kamala’s. Where was the consistent, persistent, strong message? Where was the presidential message? She did not make the “pivot” when asked how she differs from Biden on “The View. “ This was an opportunity for her to define the Kamala presidency.
9. The Democrats missed the mark with the commoner.
Senator Bernie Sanders has pointed this out wisely. The stars on stage were good for TV. Great events. But the stars are for entertainment and product endorsements, not necessarily to persuade voters. They spoke to the good of the history in the making with a woman to be President. But they did not explain why you should vote for Kamala.
Bruce Springsteen was the best celebrity endorsement. He spoke from his heart at a diner with rolled-up sleeves, explaining why Kamala was the best candidate for the America he sings about. He captured the moment’s sensibility and addressed “whiteness.”
Oprah was preachy. Michelle Obama did it best. She laid it out. Sir Barack Obama scolded Black men for not supporting Kamala, but he gave no reason for Kamala. The rich, the famous, the celebrity, the elite spoke to whom? The audience cannot afford your ticket and is not invited to your party. Where was the school teacher? Where was the bus driver? Where was the truck driver? Where was the entrepreneur? Where was the bartender? Where was the college student?
10.Saturday Night Live was a mistake.
It was cute. It was the girl next door having fun, but it was not presidential. Where was the leadership? The image was wrong. It’s fun and cute but isn’t suitable for a president.
11. The Chicago Tribune reports, “The Harris campaign spent months hiring 2500 workers and opening 358 offices.“
The weekend before the election, 90,000 Democratic volunteers knocked on 3 million doors. This is John F. Kennedy campaigning for sure. Suppose you would have taken those 2,500 workers on social media four hours a day. That’s the new knock on the door. Knocking on the doors is a target for a zip code. Social media is targeted to a demographic. Trump targeted young men, Latinos, Blacks, and Whites. He went to where the audience got its news. Think different.
12. The case of the Transgender.
Kamala said, “Every transgender inmate in the prison system would have access.” Well, now, transgenderism might not bother me but is that the best way to use the tax dollar? Trump emphasized the economy. It’s about the economy, stupid, as political analyst James Carville might say. And finally, the pollsters missed it. The race was not as tight as they predicted. Because they, too, missed the commoner.
Finally, Kamala’s loss shows that America must still prepare for a woman president. Hillary Clinton was the most qualified candidate for the position. Kamala faced a convicted felon, a sex offender, a liar, a cheat, and then some. In both campaigns, the men won because the women did not vote for them. The “enemy within” is the woman who does not vote for herself. Is this behavior out of fear or out of privilege? How do we overcome that?
And where do we go from here? Do we face an autocratic, dictatorial government with Trump? Does he end the war? Do we prepare for a new economy? Will we vote again? Do we unite? Do we return to being the real America we know, or do we change?
