In the aftermath of the stunning 2024 US presidential election that saw incumbent President Donald Trump secure a second term over Democratic challenger Kamala Harris, those who worked tirelessly on Harris’s campaign are left grappling with difficult questions. As a volunteer on the Harris phone bank, I spent countless hours speaking with voters, hoping to persuade them to choose the former Vice President over the controversial sitting president. Yet despite our best efforts, Trump emerged victorious once again. Through my conversations with voters, I gained valuable insights into the reasons behind Harris’s defeat.
The Economy Takes Center Stage
One of the most prominent themes that emerged from my discussions with voters was a laser-focus on economic issues. While the US experienced strong growth and historically low unemployment under the Biden-Harris administration, the Trump campaign proved adept at countering this narrative. Small business owners frequently expressed concerns about rising everyday costs, such as gas and food prices, rendering any attempts to highlight broader economic successes largely ineffective.
Democrats tried to tell the story of average wages being higher and unemployment being at an historic low, but people just seemed to believe Trump more often than they believed Harris and Tim Walz.
– A Harris campaign volunteer
The challenge of convincing voters that their personal economic struggles were part of larger global trends often fell flat. Instead, many appeared to find Trump’s messaging on the economy more compelling, even in the face of conflicting data.
Perceptions of Harris as a Candidate
Another significant factor in the election outcome centered on voter perceptions of Kamala Harris herself. While many admired her historic role as the first woman and person of color to serve as Vice President, the Trump campaign’s attacks on her record and character clearly resonated with a substantial portion of the electorate.
Voters I spoke with frequently referred to Harris using loaded terms like “communist,” “clueless,” and “soft on crime,” echoing rhetoric straight from the Trump playbook. Remarkably, the Republican campaign managed to paint Harris as simultaneously too lenient and excessively tough on criminal justice issues, capitalizing on her complex record as San Francisco District Attorney.
Quite remarkably, the Trump campaign successfully branded Harris as both a communist – lax on law and order – and simultaneously too tough on crime.
– A Harris campaign volunteer
The Gender Factor
Perhaps most disheartening was the persistent undercurrent of sexism that surfaced in many conversations. Despite her extensive qualifications and experience, a troubling number of voters, including women, expressed doubts about Harris’s ability to lead the nation as its first female president.
Time and again, voters, very often women themselves, told me that they just didn’t think that “America is ready for a female president”. People said they couldn’t “see her in the chair” and asked if I “really thought a woman could run the country”.
– A Harris campaign volunteer
While some could be persuaded to reconsider their biases, gender remained a substantial barrier for the Harris campaign, one that proved insurmountable in the end.
The Trump Factor
Ultimately, the deciding factor in the 2024 election may well have been Donald Trump himself. Despite his numerous controversies, inflammatory rhetoric, and even an unprecedented insurrection attempt, Trump’s hold on a significant portion of the American electorate remained unshakable.
For reasons that I’m sure will be studied for decades, when he speaks, people listen. When he speaks, people believe him.
– A Harris campaign volunteer
Trump’s ability to connect with voters on a visceral level, to tap into their fears and grievances, and to convince them of his version of reality, proved to be his greatest political asset. No amount of fact-checking, policy discussions, or appeals to decency seemed capable of diminishing his appeal among his base.
Lessons for the Future
As Democrats regroup and reflect on their 2024 defeat, it is crucial to understand the complex web of factors that contributed to the outcome. Economic anxieties, effective opposition messaging, entrenched gender biases, and the singular phenomenon of Donald Trump all played significant roles in shaping voter preferences.
Moving forward, the party will need to grapple with these challenges head-on, crafting strategies to address the concerns of everyday Americans, combat misinformation, confront systemic inequalities, and offer a compelling vision for the nation’s future. Only by learning from the hard lessons of 2024 can Democrats hope to rebuild and ultimately reclaim the White House.
As for those of us who poured our hearts into the Harris campaign, the pain of defeat is all too real. Yet we must not lose sight of the importance of our efforts, nor the urgency of the work that lies ahead. The battle for the soul of our democracy continues, and it falls to all of us to keep fighting for the values we hold dear.
