How the Dems Got Their Groove Back
Trump was coasting toward a landslide victory. Then Kamala Harris flipped the script, and now he's fighting for his political life.
This post is by contributor Johan Pregmo.
A few weeks ago, I was despairing of the future of liberalism and democracy in the USA. As a Swede, it might seem like I have no dog in this fight, but a Trump presidency could have dire consequences for Europe — his hostility toward NATO and the possibility of capitulating to the whims of Russia foremost among them.
Politics are a little bit like the chaos of old-fashioned battlefields, where a sure victory could potentially turn into a disastrous defeat at any moment because of some completely unforeseeable misstep or stroke of bad luck. And the current reversal of fortunes in the battle over the 2024 election is the latest example. Vice President Kamala Harris completely flipping the script on former President Donald Trump was not on my bingo card, but here we are.
As every corner of the globe now knows, back in June, Biden had a calamitous debate against Trump. The polls told the story well enough. Biden was old, low energy, and came across as weak compared to an energetic Trump.
Not long after, the Supreme Court delivered a ruling granting the president immunity for “official acts”, greatly expanding the president’s authority and potential ability to commit crimes. Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s Handmaid’s Tale-like plan to dramatically shove the US toward theocratic fascism, loomed large. Trump himself declared he would only be a dictator on “day one.”
There’s little ambiguity about whether Trump, who already tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power once, could, with a greater understanding of the levers of government, and surrounded by dedicated loyalists, do far worse the second time around. And who could challenge him? Biden was floundering and the Democrats offered no viable alternative worth giving up the advantages of incumbency. A landslide Trump victory seemed inexorable. Or so I thought.
When Kamala Harris first came onto my radar during the 2020 Democratic primaries, her irritating demeanor, shallow appeals to identity politics, and lack of genuine charisma did not impress me. Had you told then that me she would be the one to re-energize and galvanize the Democratic base, I would not have believed you. But then again, I never thought Biden would be more than a feckless moderate and wet noodle. In reality, his accomplishments, including pandemic relief, a child tax credit, backing Ukraine without directly involving the US, and a sweeping infrastructure bill, to name a few, have been far bolder than anyone expected. When Biden stepped aside and endorsed Kamala, I had mixed feelings. He was clearly too old and enfeebled to meaningfully challenge Donald Trump, but could Kamala really do it?
It turns out that not only could she step up, but she also completely turned the tables on Donald Trump. The polls show Harris climbing higher and higher — as of the time of writing, she’s leading by four percent. The Dems, who a month ago looked like the Washington Generals facing down the Harlem Globetrotters, now find themselves in a tight race. Moreover, where once the Democratic base was demoralized and resigned, now there is a sense of energy, joy, and hope. Beneath the surface was a vast reservoir of latent energy brewing, a large swell of people dissatisfied with having to choose between Trump and Biden. Kamala offers an alternative.
In a perfectly timed drop-out, the old man managed an absolute political masterstroke. Perhaps by accident, but a masterstroke nonetheless. Previously having focused all their energy on attacking Biden’s age and cognitive decline, the political right has scrambled to find an effective response to Kamala. Now, it is Trump who is the aging, incoherent, bumbling fool. The right-wing response has been increasingly deranged, ranging from baseless sexist accusations about Harris having slept her way to the top, to the suggestion that she’s not really black. Just as desperate are the attacks on her vice presidential pick, Tim Walz, whose 24-year military career (compared to Donald “bone spur” Trump’s zero) is absurdly deemed “stolen valor.” Lacking any substance and entirely unprepared to run a campaign against a non-corpse, the GOP, in its flailing, has acquitted itself in a manner that might be applauded on 4Chan, but with the public, not so much.
What I find most encouraging is the Harris campaign’s clever political instincts. Trump’s lack of principles and beliefs has left the door open for Harris to seize on the simple, effective message of liberal patriotism. Somehow, the Republicans have ceded “America is good” and “I believe in America” to the Dems. 20 years ago, that would have been unthinkable. Harris saw an opportunity, and seized it. She has also wisely taken a firm line against protestors attempting to derail her over Palestine and hammered the ethos of a realistic, moderate, sane politics where extremists are not welcome.
Another example is the brilliance of simply calling the populist right “weird.” Driven by Walz, this elegant tactic deflates the image of Trump and company as frightening and intimidating, instead portraying them as odd and distasteful. The “weird” meme has spread like wildfire across the Internet, and the political right is absolutely losing its mind over it. Suddenly, the “fuck your feelings” crowd is discovering what it’s like to have their feelings hurt. But after eight long years of calling the most milquetoast liberals satanic communist pedophiles, you’d need an electron microscope to see the violin I’m playing for MAGA nation. In yet another incredible reversal, the left has finally learned to meme.
The 2024 election is no longer Trump’s to lose. Is Harris my ideal candidate? No, but so far, she’s hitting all the right notes. Suddenly the left is the positive, energetic, and hip side, while the right is out of touch and increasingly extreme, with a candidate in clear mental decline and a VP pick whose charisma makes Jeb Bush look like Barack Obama. I could never have expected such a shocking turn of events in a manner of weeks, but boy am I here for it.
See also: “The Political Hurricane Is Just Getting Started”
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This aged like milk.
Can't say I like Harris and her California liberal politics. But I'll take her over 4 more years of Trumpian shitposting.