The chorus of recrimination, second-guessing, blame, indictment and accusation has been deafening. The results of the 2024 election are there for all of us to see and digest. To our collective credit, this time around we were spared the spectacle of a tantrum-throwing loser refusing to accept the verdict of the electorate. It might have been otherwise if Donald Trump had lost again.

As we search for reasons for his victory, it seems that these are among the most prominent:

1. The effect of inflation on American households.
2. The failure of the Democrats to connect their working class history and platform to the majority of working class voters.
3. The specter of immigrant hordes invading our country, and changing the face of it.
4. The elitism associated with Democrats is reflected in the stark divide of college-educated voters from others who see themselves as victims.
5. Gender and race bias, which worked to defeat a woman of color.
6. The unpopularity of the incumbent.
7. The unusually short campaign calendar for the vice president.
8. Appeals to gender-based fears.
9. Exploiting resentment and anger over joy and inclusion.

These, among others, and in no particular order, are advanced to rationalize the election of a twice impeached, convicted felon who faced sentencing for his crimes, a huge civil penalty for sexual assault and indictments in two criminal prosecutions, one for stealing government documents, and the other for encouraging, if not inciting an insurrection against our government.

This litany doesn’t even speak to the convictions of Trump’s colleagues and former Cabinet members. Just pausing to consider the extent and depth of the immorality and corruption associated with this resume suggests that something deeply disquieting has happened in this country.

Although the current economic climate, in the minds of many, was decisive, I am reminded of the observations of Thomas Frank in his 2004 book “What’s the Matter With Kansas?”

Frank sought to explain the confounding disconnect between the working-class vote supporting a candidate whose party platform espoused economic policies at odds with working-class interests, even though the other party’s platform was more closely aligned with working-class interests. In the context of today’s politics, why is it that a working class voter would believe that a party guided by a billionaire like Elon Musk, and which advocates for tax cuts for the wealthiest and corporations, would have any compassion for their circumstances? Such an alignment is more than counterintuitive; it is irrational.

The answer to this apparently misguided alliance will be of critical importance to the Democrats. On the surface, it is perfectly understandable that the impact of inflation would drive many voters to oppose the party in power. The Biden administration, for better or worse, was perceived (and framed by the GOP) as the culprit. A vote for change and against the status quo might improve the financial circumstances of the ordinary American. That much makes sense.

Beneath that superficial analysis, however, is the reality that the change sought is not the change supported by the Republican Party. Extending tax credits for the wealthy, lowering corporate tax rates and imposing inflationary tariffs represent everything, in theory, that working class voters would oppose. So, what gives? Were such voters sold a bill of goods through effective messaging? Were they unaware of, or unmindful of the influence of Musk in Trump world’s economic agenda? Or were they dismissive of the significance that economic policy has on their lives?

It is undeniable that right-wing media was wildly successful in conflating the apparent cause of inflation with Democratic programs, ignoring the economic agenda of a Trump administration. It is equally undeniable that the Harris campaign was incapable of countering this narrative and exposing the true economic agenda of its opponent. The result was that many working class voters ignored the underlying economic philosophy of the Republican Party and voted viscerally on kitchen-table realities.

In the context of this vacuum, the party could gin up the anger and resentment inspired by immigration policies, confusion about gender, racial issues, public education and women’s health issues.
Democrats failed to connect adequately with working-class voters to gain their support for policies more closely aligned with their interests than the Republican platform. That much is clear. For that, they must assume responsibility and take steps to reverse this irrationality, rather than simply take for granted that people will look beyond the barrage of misinformation.

Democrats are blamed for the mess, and blowing up the resulting order is preferable to sustaining it. As the next years reveal the truth about the agenda of this incoming administration, let us hope that our imperfect union can prevail.