We have all seen the news: Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States, and along with his success, Republicans now hold a majority in the Senate. As states continue to count results, they will likely control the House in the coming days. Despite the endorsements from high-profile celebrities and CEOs over the past few weeks, Vice President Harris failed to prevail.
I was surprised to see the results of this election, especially among young voters. A CNN exit poll measured a +13 point advantage for Harris compared to Biden's more impressive +24 point advantage in 2020 among voters aged 18 to 29. With endorsements from the likes of Taylor Swift and Eminem, I sure believed that Harris would have more success among young voters than her predecessor. It seems the opposite was the case.
The Intention vs. The Impact
The Vice President's inclusion of guest speakers and performances in her rallies seemed practical at first glance. Just over the past week leading up to election day, she invited performances from Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Ricky Martin, all with the intention of gaining the young vote. On top of that, endorsements from billionaires such as Mark Cuban, Bill Gates, and Michael Bloomberg were bound to have a significant influence. In theory, these endorsements would sway undecided voters to vote for the Vice President, but I believe the Democrats are missing something undeniable:
The Elite: a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society.
Did the Democrats forget that these endorsements came from the top one percent? The people who will benefit regardless of the results? To me, it seems evident that they missed the warning signs and delved deep into a world of endorsements that only wasted their time. First of all, these people have no idea what it's like to be your average working-class American, hard-working immigrant, or suburban mom. Plus, it gave the Republicans talking points and reasons to attack the Harris campaign.
As silly as it seems, Democrats were hit with backlash after a performance from Megan Thee Stallion at a rally in July. Just look at this quote posted on The Express Tribune from internet personality Savanah Hernandez: "After people started leaving 10 minutes into Kamala's speech, I would say there's some validity to the rumors that people were there mainly for the celebrity appearances." Here's the reality. When you invite celebrities to hype up your rallies, it does not help, but rather, in Kamala's case, it only made room for the Republicans to attack her.
Moving Forward
The results are in, and it's time for the Democrat party to recognize their faults and move on if they seek to win in 2028. Ultimately, I believe there needs to be a change in the campaigning and political strategy of Democratic candidates. While I find myself on the opposite side of the political spectrum from Bernie Sanders, his Twitter response to the election says it best: "It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them."
Let's be real: a working-class American trying to make an honest living will not be convinced to vote for Vice President Harris because of a high-profile endorsement.
As a conservative, I am surprised to see where the country stands today, and I encourage a change in the Democrats' strategy. While celebrities and CEOs are well known, they are not the be-all and end-all of connecting with the American people. We saw it; every state in the nation trended more Republican. I see a continuation of this trend in 2028 if the Democrats don't find better strategies to connect with the average American.
Photo Credit: Annie Mulligan | AP
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