Norris McDonald | Biden’s Gaza and poverty failures cost Harris the election

The 2024 United States election delivered a shocking result: Donald ‘the convicted’ Trump has returned to the White House after a decisive victory, securing all seven key swing states necessary for his win.

Kamala Harris, despite a hope-driven, extremely brave effort – entering the race late and sincerely trying very hard – failed to rally the strong, decisive political support needed to defeat Trump.

So, what went wrong?

Harris’ defeat can largely be attributed to a series of failures within the Democratic Party, particularly under ‘Fuzzy Brain’ Joe Biden’s leadership.

BIDEN’S FOREIGN POLICY AND VOTER ALIENATION

One key issue that alienated voters – especially younger progressives – was Biden’s unwavering support for Israel amid the escalating violence in Gaza.

Despite widespread international condemnation, Biden continued to send military aid to Israel, a decision that left many Americans feeling that the administration prioritised foreign conflicts over pressing domestic issues.

For many, particularly in marginalised communities, this focus on foreign wars over social welfare highlighted troubling priorities. As the Biden administration allocated resources to military operations abroad, voters in struggling communities felt neglected.

This failure to prioritise critical issues like healthcare, poverty, and homelessness contributed to a growing sense of disillusionment.

As the conflict in Gaza intensified just days before the election, the Biden administration’s stance further alienated younger voters. Gen Z had hoped for an end to Israel’s Zionist genocidal war in Gaza, which had caused a severe humanitarian disaster for Palestinians.

But there was no shift in the Biden administration’s policy. Indeed, even a few days before the November 5, 2024, presidential election, they were rushing arms and American planes to Israel.

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S WORKING-CLASS SELLOUT

Senator Bernie Sanders has long warned that the Democratic Party’s abandonment of the working class and its support for Israel’s war in Gaza would lead to electoral losses.

In this crucial 2024 presidential election, he was proven right.

With millions of Americans living paycheck to paycheck and facing severe economic hardship, the Democratic Party’s failure to address these issues played a major role in Harris’ defeat.

It was a clear betrayal – a sellout of the 2020 working class and middle class domestic policy agenda on which Joe Biden and the Democratic Party had campaigned. Harris, as the sitting vice president, was inexorably tied to the disastrous war and domestic policy failures of ‘Fuzzy Brain’ Joe Biden.

It wasn’t just that working-class voters felt ignored; they saw a lack of action on issues directly affecting their lives. While foreign wars took priority, domestic issues like raising the federal minimum wage, addressing homelessness, and expanding healthcare were sidelined.

As Sanders has said, “It should come as no surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned the working class has found that the working class has abandoned them.”

This was especially evident in key battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, where working-class voters were crucial to Democratic success.

A MISSED OPPORTUNITY: RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE

Consider the issue of the federal minimum wage. The Democratic did not fight for the US$15 per hour minimum wage. This championed by Sanders and many progressives could have alleviated economic hardship for millions.

Since 2012, some 13 states have adopted this US$15 per hour minimum wage. And this includes conservative states such as Florida and Virgina.

Billions of dollars were allocated to military conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, while the US ignored domestic issues like eradicating homelessness which economists say could have been eradicated by spending a mere US$20 billion.

This misallocation of resources served to eroded trust among voters who felt increasingly abandoned by the Democratic Party.

TRUMP’S POLITICAL RESURGENCE

The failure to address crucial social issues like homelessness, healthcare, and wage inequality created a vacuum that Donald Trump was able to exploit. While Trump’s unpopularity among many voters should have worked in the Democrats’ favour, Harris and the party failed to offer a compelling alternative.

The policies of the Biden administration – especially its emphasis on foreign wars over domestic concerns – alienated millions of potential Democratic voters.

Harris’ loss in key Democratic strongholds like Michigan and Pennsylvania wasn’t due to a lack of effort on her part but rather the party’s failure to address the real needs of working-class voters.

THE GLOBAL SHIFT AND ITS DOMESTIC IMPLICATIONS

In the meantime, while the US focused on foreign conflicts, a global shift was under way. Countries in the Global South are increasingly turning away from Western dominance and seeking greater economic independence.

The rise of BRICS reflects the new tendency to move away from America’s ‘One Don’ bullyism.

With the Biden administration prioritising wars and military spending, systemic issues such as mass migration, global poverty, and economic inequality were largely ignored.

A WAKE-UP CALL FOR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

My dear friends, the 2024 election was a wake-up call for the Democratic Party. Voters demanded real changes when they elected Joe Biden in the 2020 election, but, in my opinion, they got nothing for their efforts.

All they got was lyrics: sweet empty talk even as their lives got worse.

Kamala Harris’ defeat is a stark reminder, therefore, that there are serious political consequences for this perceived Democratic Party’s sellout of working-class Americans.

The Democratic Party must therefore shift its focus from serving the interests of the wealthy elite, the war profiteers, and the military-industrial complex. This loss to Trump, in an election they should have won, is a true wake up call to get rid of the corporate-loving, sellout old guards.

“We want action, not a Bagga Mouth,” the American voters resoundingly told the Democrats.

Trump’s return to power, therefore, is an ominous sign that many more brutal setbacks may await the spineless, warmongering Democratic Party.

Finally, this US election offers a pointed lesson for political leaders in other parts of the world. As Gen-Z and other voters grow more politically active and sophisticated, political parties without a clear agenda may find themselves being kicked to the kerb: solidly dumped by voters who they were counting on to give them undeserved political power.

That is the ‘bitta’ truth.

Norris McDonald is an economic journalist, political analyst, and respiratory therapist. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and miaminorris@yahoo.com.