11/18/2024
(I sent this into the _New York Times_, of course they didn’t print it — too bitter. I believe what I said, however.)
As we come up on two weeks from election day, the autopsies are being conducted. There is a broad consensus that Democrats lost connection with working class America; that Democrats were seen as out of touch elites; that Democrats have taken identity politics too far; that Democrats got to far out on cultural issues, particularly trans men in woman’s sports; that Democrats have alienated men; that Democrats cannot compete with the conservative media ecosystem; that Harris was a weak candidate; and perhaps most importantly that the economy was perceived as so bad that the incumbent party was doomed and that no Democrat could have won this time.
All of this is true, but it is not the reason that Kamala Harris lost.
It is not even the case that Kamala Harris lost because American voters exercised felony bad judgment in electing a clearly immoral, criminal, incompetent president, though that is also true. Americans have elected the wrong man before, witness James Buchanan.
The reason that Kamala Harris lost is because a majority of American citizens betrayed the United States of America.
We all have the right to expect that American citizens would not vote for a man that tried to overthrow the results of an election through both conspiracy and violence. The essence of American democracy is that the losers accept the results of that election. Donald Trump violated that foundational principle and has successfully escaped accounting for his actions aided by a Republican dominated Senate and Supreme Court.
Now a majority of American voters have not just accepted this, but rewarded Donald Trump for his actions. A powerful taboo has been broken. Aside from letting Donald Trump get away with his crimes, there is an even more compelling question to be answered: Do you think that this will be the last time this happens?
I think that we all know the answer to that question.
Every American who voted against Donald Trump had the right to expect that every other American would vote against a man who did not accept the results of an election and tried to overthrow this results. Those who voted against Donald Trump were betrayed by those who voted for him, and American democracy was likewise betrayed.
Our collective democratic birthright was sold for a pottage of cheaper grocery prices, which will not be seen anyways.
Traitors.(I sent this into the _New York Times_, of course they didn’t print it — too bitter. I believe what I said, however.)
As we come up on two weeks from election day, the autopsies are being conducted. There is a broad consensus that Democrats lost connection with working class America; that Democrats were seen as out of touch elites; that Democrats have taken identity politics too far; that Democrats got to far out on cultural issues, particularly trans men in woman’s sports; that Democrats have alienated men; that Democrats cannot compete with the conservative media ecosystem; that Harris was a weak candidate; and perhaps most importantly that the economy was perceived as so bad that the incumbent party was doomed and that no Democrat could have won this time.
All of this is true, but it is not the reason that Kamala Harris lost.
It is not even the case that Kamala Harris lost because American voters exercised felony bad judgment in electing a clearly immoral, criminal, incompetent president, though that is also true. Americans have elected the wrong man before, witness James Buchanan.
The reason that Kamala Harris lost is because a majority of American citizens betrayed the United States of America.
We all have the right to expect that American citizens would not vote for a man that tried to overthrow the results of an election through both conspiracy and violence. The essence of American democracy is that the losers accept the results of that election. Donald Trump violated that foundational principle and has successfully escaped accounting for his actions aided by a Republican dominated Senate and Supreme Court.
Now a majority of American voters have not just accepted this, but rewarded Donald Trump for his actions. A powerful taboo has been broken. Aside from letting Donald Trump get away with his crimes, there is an even more compelling question to be answered: Do you think that this will be the last time this happens?
I think that we all know the answer to that question.
Every American who voted against Donald Trump had the right to expect that every other American would vote against a man who did not accept the results of an election and tried to overthrow this results. Those who voted against Donald Trump were betrayed by those who voted for him, and American democracy was likewise betrayed.
Our collective democratic birthright was sold for a pottage of cheaper grocery prices, which will not be seen anyways.
Traitors.
Hendrix's Eccentric Commentary 
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