Why Harris’s Defeat in Presidential Elections Doesn’t Define Us
Since Kamala Harris lost in the presidential elections, the national conversation has become a landscape of blame, with fingers pointed across every platform in what feels like a digitized civil conflict.
We diminish ourselves when we attempt to lay blame on specific groups for Kamala Harris’s election loss. Some suggest it was the result of Muslim voters, while others claim immigrants or white men. None of these assumptions are correct. Harris lost because she failed to embody the core democratic values that we demand and cherish as Americans.
Harris’s presidential nomination did not come from a democratic process. There was no midterm vote placing her name on a ballot. When Americans discuss fascism as a uniquely Republican issue, they overlook the ways in which the Democratic Party has also sustained this system.
Kamala Harris had the opportunity to enter this election with a powerful stance, distancing herself from President Biden’s actions. She could have advocated for an arms embargo and presented a vision that went beyond the fear-based rhetoric the Democratic Party has leaned on since 2009. Unfortunately, Harris offered no significant policy or character distinction from Biden—someone already projected to lose.
The Democratic Party had a choice: they could have distanced themselves from AIPAC, an influence entrenched in party history since 1978 under the Carter administration’s foray into Middle Eastern affairs.
So, where do we go from here? Can we afford to remain passive as fascist ideologies grow within our society? As a platform dedicated to amplifying marginalized voices, we believe hope lies within people—not politicians. True change will come from ground-level activism, working alongside the new generations to build community.
The grief we feel now is deep and immeasurable, as we brace for the potential loss of rights and freedoms. But this is precisely the time to turn that grief into action. We urge you to connect with local organizations—whether political groups, Palestinian liberation advocates, domestic violence shelters, or public libraries.
Engagement in political and social change goes beyond casting a ballot. It requires consistent involvement in our communities—daily, weekly, and monthly. Only through collective action can we create a movement that defends and protects those we hold dear.
