Emotions are still running high over the results of the 47th US presidential election. For millions of Americans (and even non-Americans), it felt like a lot was on the line.
There is much to consider when reflecting on the choice that American voters faced. Those who lean Democrat advocated the stance of "anyone but Donald Trump," citing his character, sexual assault charges, racist comments, and refusal of a peaceful transfer of power as evidence that he was unfit for office. Meanwhile, those who lean Republican pointed to the Biden administration's failure to address the needs of the working class, the alleged cover-up of President Joe Biden's deteriorating mental health, and the decision to appoint Vice President Kamala Harris without giving Democratic constituents a chance to vote for their candidate.
The list of issues could go on. According to NBC exit polls, voters' top concerns were democracy (34%), the economy (31%), abortion (14%), immigration (11%), and foreign policy at a mere 4%. This suggests that the Israel-Hamas war and the threat of a nuclear Iran had little influence over this election; instead, a wide array of other factors drove the results.
One of the most striking aspects of this election was the shift among groups that traditionally voted Democrat. Many are discussing the significant movement of votes among Arab, Latino, and Black Americans, and unsurprisingly, the same shift can be seen among Jewish Americans. PEW research shows that 70% of American Jews typically vote Democrat, but an exit poll from the Orthodox Union and Honan Group indicated a serious split in the Jewish vote in states like Pennsylvania: 48% for Harris vs. 41% for Trump. The anti-Israel fanaticism of the far left and the Democrats' failure to distance themselves from these elements contributed heavily to this erosion of Jewish support.
The actions of the far left influenced the election results and worked in favor of Trump and his supporters. As Representative Ritchie Torres aptly wrote, the far left "managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Jews from the Democratic Party with absurdities like 'Defund the Police,' 'From the River to the Sea,' and 'Latinx.'" It's a clear summary of the demographic shift. Despite claims that Jews control those in power, American Jews are too small a minority to have influenced the election significantly.
The far left is often described as a minority that doesn't represent the values of Democrats and classic liberals. Yet in this election, the party neglected the working class in favor of woke jargon and performative activism. Democrats used identity politics and moral superiority messaging to speak to moderates and their former base, who didn't buy what the party was selling.
Anyone attributing the election outcome to white supremacy, patriarchy, and misogyny is missing the point, using these as a convenient way to avoid discussing pressing political issues. The overuse of these terms by the far left has stripped them of the power to inspire change.
Most Americans who feel economically worse off than they were four years ago hold Biden and Harris accountable. Democrats who refuse to acknowledge this will continue to lose to Republicans, who have positioned themselves as the party of the working class and distanced themselves from the far left. While there are certainly issues within the Republican Party, the silent majority of Americans appear fed up with identity politics. For Democrats to win back support, they'll need to distance themselves from "woke" activists and return to a common-sense message that resonates with working-class Americans.
America has grown weary of the far left, and it seems there is more to lose politically by pandering to these activists and keyboard warriors, who hold more sway on X, Twitch, and TikTok than in the real world. The working class is simply not buying the ivory-towered ideas that the far left is promoting.
