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The Democratic pundits and their allies who control the party from the top will find fault with the voters and their choices, not with the poor decisions they themselves made.
My reaction to Donald Trump’s recent victory was very different than the one I had when he was first elected in 2016. Back then, I was deeply upset about how it was that we had elected a narcissistic, misogynistic, xenophobic, inciter of violence. And I was anxious about what his presidency would portend for our future.
This year was different. Though still deeply distressed about what Trump’s reentry to the White House would mean for women, immigrants, the future of health care, labor rights and the environment, my overriding emotion was anger. Anger at the Democrat’s political campaigns and consultants who brought us this disaster. And anger at the collapse of the political parties as vibrant organizations that once brought people together, empowered them, and were responsive to their needs.
There was a time when it meant something to be a member of the Democratic or Republican parties. There was a structure to the party from the local to the national level. People belonged, went to meetings. and were proud of their association. Today, for most Americans, being a Democrat or a Republican means being on lists that get emails, text messages, direct mail, phone calls, or targeted social media messages. Most of these are asking for money. There is no organization, no sense of belonging, and no real opportunity to make your voice heard.
One problem with the political consultant class isn’t just the power they wield, it’s the judgements they make, and to whom they are ultimately answerable. It’s not to the political parties, or the voters. It’s to the donors who are paying their tab.
The parties, which once represented voters and empowered them, are now fundraising vehicles that amass billions of dollars each election cycle. These dollars go to consultant groups who use the money to raise more money to pay for advertising, conduct polling to shape messaging either to define and promote their candidates or to define and discourage support for their opponents.
Because they control huge amounts of campaign dollars, it is these consultants who set the agendas for the campaigns. They have effectively replaced the parties as the forces driving American politics. This class of consultants are today’s power brokers and they operate without accountability.
One of the byproducts of this situation is that there is increasingly less voter identification with the parties. The parties themselves have become less membership entities and more fundraising vehicles. This is why it was so easy for Donald Trump to take over the Republican Party and why the Democratic Party has become captive to its big donors and consultants who spend their money. This problem has become aggravated by the emergence of what are known as super-PACs—independent committees that can receive and spend unregulated contributions from billionaires who, hiring the same groups of consultants, now hold even greater sway over the political process than the parties themselves.
One problem with the political consultant class isn’t just the power they wield, it’s the judgements they make, and to whom they are ultimately answerable. It’s not to the political parties, or the voters. It’s to the donors who are paying their tab.
Another problem is how overly cautious, unimaginative, and out of touch these consultants are with voters and their needs. A former Obama official once decried the “foreign policy blob” which he described as a self-perpetuating cast of characters who had served in past administrations. They now populate the think tanks and the commentariat. They are out of touch with a changing world and yet offer the same ideas—a kind of groupthink of conventional wisdom—which failed before and are destined to fail again. The same is true of the political consultancy blob. They are out of touch with a changing electorate and have nothing more to offer other than the same old ideas that may have succeeded once but, given the changes that have occurred in the electorate, are destined to fail.
For example, those who ran this year’s Democratic campaigns failed to appreciate the economic insecurity of white working class voters, instead focusing their attention on what they called the “Obama coalition” of young and non-white voters, and college educated women. They rejected as too leftist increasing taxes on the richest 1%, providing universal health care, and raising the minimum wage. Instead of attending to the needs of working-class voters in key battleground states, they had Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris campaign with former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney believing that she would help win over moderate Republicans, and suburban women—which she could not. And of particular note, they failed to understand the impact of the genocide in Gaza on not only Arab American voters, but also on key components of their Obama coalition, in particular young, progressive, and non-white voters.
Instead of attending to the needs of working-class voters in key battleground states, they had Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris campaign with former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney believing that she would help win over moderate Republicans, and suburban women—which she could not.
Sensing the opening created by the Democrats’ miscues, Trump embraced the white working class promising new jobs, while preying on their feelings of abandonment by railing against immigrants whom he accused of taking jobs and bringing crime to our cities.
Instead of breaking with this failed approach, Harris embraced it. She backtracked on her earlier left-leaning policies favoring universal health care and support for a green economy. Instead of engaging white working-class voters, her campaign largely ignored them, opting instead to campaign with Liz Cheney. Instead of meeting with Arab Americans, she left that field wide open for Trump to exploit. And instead of using the short time available to her to introduce herself to key constituencies by personally meeting with leaders and winning new allies, she made do with mass rallies of supporters.
This is where the consultants failed. Democrats lost the White House and both houses of Congress. Harris won far fewer votes than Biden did in 2020. And lost votes with almost every demographic group, including Hispanics, Asians, white women, and, of course, Arabs.
In the aftermath, the Democratic pundits will find fault with the voters and their choices, not with the poor decisions they themselves made. They will denounce White voters as racist or misogynistic. And they will ask, how could Hispanics vote for Trump after what he and his supporters said about them? And how could Arabs and Muslims forget what Trump did to them during his first term?
In hearing this, I am reminded of one of the sayings attributed to St. Augustine—that in the contest between the church and the world, it’s the church that must go to the world, not the world to the church. In other words, don’t blame the voters. If you want their votes, you must earn them.
That’s why I’m mad at the campaign, the party, and the consultants. They made their money, they made poor choices. And now we will pay the price.
Making sense of Trump's enduring appeal requires examining how market forces have gradually hollowed out democratic promise, creating the conditions for authoritarian alternatives to flourish.
As Donald Trump has won a historic landslide to once again reclaim the U.S. presidency, the conventional narrative has focused heavily on partisan polarization, disinformation, and the strengths or weaknesses of individual candidates. There is also a seeming reckoning within the Democratic Party, where at least some are recognizing that their focusing away from working class populations and policies has catalyzed their dramatic defeat.
Yet this surface-level analysis misses the deeper crisis at play—one that stems not just from right-wing populism, but from the very structure of modern capitalism itself. Understanding Trump's enduring appeal requires examining how market forces have gradually
hollowed out democratic promise, creating the conditions for authoritarian alternatives to flourish. The traditional focus on defending democratic institutions against right-wing threats, while necessary, overlooks how thoroughly market logic has eroded faith in democratic problem-solving itself.
For nearly five decades, Americans have been told that free markets and democracy are inseparable twins, each reinforcing and strengthening the other. The reality experienced by millions tells a different story. While formal democratic institutions remain intact, the actual power to shape daily life has shifted dramatically to unaccountable market forces and corporate boardrooms. Healthcare costs, housing affordability, wage stagnation, inflation, climate anxiety, seemingly eternal wars fueled by weapons makers—on issue after issue, voters watch their elected representatives appear powerless against market pressures and corporate interests.
The pervasive influence of market ideology extends far beyond explicit political decisions. It shapes our very conception of what changes are possible and who can effectively implement them. The elevation of business executives as society's primary problem-solvers reflects decades of cultural messaging that private sector experience trumps public service. This CEO worship has become so ingrained that even critics of Trump often focus on his personal failings as a businessman rather than questioning the assumption that business acumen translates to governance capability.
While Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized competence and normalcy, this message resonates poorly with voters who felt the previous "normal" wasn't working for them
This gap between theoretical democratic rights and practical powerlessness creates fertile ground for authoritarian appeals. When traditional democratic processes seem incapable of addressing material concerns, voters become more receptive to leaders promising to bypass or overturn the system entirely. Trump's appeal draws significantly from his image as a decisive business executive who can "get things done" outside normal political channels—a notion that reflects decades of cultural messaging elevating CEOs as society's most effective leaders and change agents. The belief that executive business experience translates to effective governance reveals how thoroughly market logic has colonized our political imagination.
The Democratic establishment's strategy of running primarily on defending the pre-Trump status quo shows the poverty and " strangely empty politics" of current mainstream liberal thinking. While Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized competence and normalcy, this message resonates poorly with voters who felt the previous "normal" wasn't working for them. The dominance of market ideology has convinced many that there are no real alternatives to current arrangements. Even as we face civilizational threats like climate change that markets demonstrably cannot solve, policy proposals remain trapped within market-based frameworks.
This ideological straitjacket constrains responses to pressing social problems. Housing affordability is addressed through tax credits and zoning tweaks rather than direct public provision. Healthcare reform centers on insurance market regulations rather than treating health as a public good. Climate change is filtered through carbon markets and tax incentives rather than democratic planning. The resulting policy menu appears technical and uninspiring to voters seeking fundamental change.
The continued dominance of market fundamentalism doesn't exist in a vacuum—it's reinforced by material conditions that leave millions feeling economically insecure and politically powerless. Decades of wage stagnation, deindustrialization, and growing inequality have created a context where anti-democratic messages find ready audiences. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent greedflation intensified these dynamics. As corporations posted record profits while workers struggled with rising prices, the disconnect between democratic ideals and economic reality became increasingly stark.
The entrenchment of market power shapes every aspect of daily life. Workers face increasingly precarious employment conditions, with stable jobs replaced by gig work and contract labor. Communities watch helplessly as corporate relocations devastate local economies. Young people enter adulthood burdened by student debt and priced out of housing markets. Each of these experiences reinforces the sense that democratic citizenship offers no real power over economic conditions.
The failure of center-left parties to articulate meaningful alternatives to market dominance leaves the field open for right-wing populists to channel economic discontent.
This learned helplessness in the face of market forces creates an opportunity and desire for reclaiming control that authoritarian populists eagerly fill. When democratic processes seem incapable of addressing fundamental challenges, promises to simply override or abolish those processes gain appeal. Trump's potential return isn't simply about partisan politics or individual personality—it reflects a deeper crisis of faith in democracy's ability to solve problems under the constraints of market supremacy.
The phenomenon extends beyond American borders. Globally, we are increasingly entering into the " age of the strongman,"witnessing a pattern of authoritarian leaders rising to power by promising to subordinate market forces to national interests. While these promises usually prove hollow, their appeal reflects genuine frustration with democracy's apparent powerlessness against global market pressures. The failure of center-left parties to articulate meaningful alternatives to market dominance leaves the field open for right-wing populists to channel economic discontent.
This dynamic particularly affects younger generations who have grown up entirely within the neoliberal era and its " capitalist realism." Having never experienced a period when democratic governance seemed capable of directing economic outcomes, many view politics primarily as cultural performance rather than a means of affecting material conditions. The resulting cynicism further erodes democracy's legitimacy as a tool for collective problem-solving.
The path forward requires going beyond simply defending existing democratic institutions to advancing a vision of democratic economic control. This means building power in workplaces, communities, and political spaces to subject market forces to democratic oversight and direction. The key to defeating authoritarian populism lies not in simply defending the status quo, but in demonstrating that democratic action can meaningfully improve people's lives.
This expanded conception of democracy must reach beyond formal political rights to encompass economic decision-making. Public banking initiatives seeking democratic control over financial flows, workplace democracy expanding worker voice in corporate governance, and community control over local development and services all point toward possible futures where market forces serve democratic will rather than override it.
Real democratic renewal requires challenging both right-wing authoritarianism and the market fundamentalism that fuels it.
Success requires transcending the false choice between unaccountable market forces and authoritarian state power. Democratic economic control doesn't mean centralized bureaucracy—it means building institutions and movements that allow communities to shape investment priorities, work conditions, and development patterns. To imagine and create a different type of economy and society where profit is not prioritised overall other aspects of our existence.
The stakes of this choice become increasingly clear as Trump's return to power looms. Simply denouncing his anti-democratic tendencies while accepting the market's anti-democratic dominance is a recipe for failure. Real democratic renewal requires challenging both right-wing authoritarianism and the market fundamentalism that fuels it. The moment calls for fundamental reimagining of the relationship between democracy and economic power—moving from a system where democracy stops at the market's edge to one where democratic principles shape economic life itself.
The party should use this inflection point to shift ground—from being the party of well-off college graduates, big corporations, and vacuous “centrism”—to an anti-establishment party ready to shake up the system on behalf of the vast majority of Americans.
A political disaster such as what occurred Tuesday gains significance not simply by virtue of who won or lost, but through how the election is interpreted.
This is known as The Lesson of the election.
The Lesson explains what happened and why. It deciphers the public’s mood, values, and thoughts. It attributes credit and blame.
Democrats shouldn’t move to the right if that means giving up on democracy, social justice, civil rights, and equal voting rights.
And therein lies its power. When The Lesson of the election becomes accepted wisdom—when most of the politicians, pundits, and politicians come to believe it—it shapes the future. It determines how parties, candidates, political operatives, and journalists approach future elections.
There are many reasons for what occurred on Tuesday and for what the outcome should teach America—about where the nation is, and about what Democrats should do in the future.
Yet inevitably, one Lesson predominates.
Today, I want to share with you six conventional “lessons” you will hear for Tuesday’s outcome. None is, and none should be considered, The Lesson of the 2024 election.
Then I’ll give you what I consider the real Lesson of the election.
On Tuesday, according to exit polls, Americans voted mainly on the economy—and their votes reflected their class and level of education.
While the economy has improved over the last two years according to standard economic measures, most Americans without college degrees—that’s the majority—have not felt it.
In fact, most Americans without college degrees have not felt much economic improvement for four decades, and their jobs have grown less secure. The real median wage of the bottom 90% is stuck nearly where it was in the early 1990s, even though the economy is more than twice as large.
Only by reducing the power of big money in our politics can America grow the middle class, reward hard work, and reaffirm the basic bargain at the heart of our system.
Most of the economy’s gains have gone to the top.
This has caused many Americans to feel frustrated and angry. Trump gave voice to that anger. Harris did not.
The basic bargain used to be that if you worked hard and played by the rules you’d do better and your children would do even better than you. But since 1980, that bargain has become a sham. The middle class has shrunk.
Why? While Republicans steadily cut taxes on the wealthy, Democrats abandoned the working class.
Democrats embraced NAFTA and lowered tariffs on Chinese goods. They deregulated finance and allowed Wall Street to become a high-stakes gambling casino. They let big corporations become huge, with enough market power to keep prices (and profit margins) high.
They let corporations bust unions (with negligible penalties) and slash payrolls. They bailed out Wall Street when its gambling addiction threatened to blow up the entire economy but never bailed out homeowners who lost everything.
They welcomed big money into their campaigns—and delivered quid pro quos that rigged the market in favor of big corporations and the wealthy.
The Republican Party is worse. It says it’s on the side of the working class but its policies will hurt ordinary workers even more. Trump’s tariffs will drive up prices. His expected retreat from vigorous antitrust enforcement will allow giant corporations to drive up prices further.
If Republicans gain control over the House as well as the Senate, as looks likely, they will extend Trump’s 2017 tax law and add additional tax cuts. As in 2017, these lower taxes will mainly benefit the wealthy and enlarge the national debt, which will give Republicans an excuse to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid—their objectives for decades.
Democrats must no longer do the bidding of big corporations and the wealthy. They must instead focus on winning back the working class. They should demand paid family leave, Medicare for all, free public higher education, stronger unions, higher taxes on great wealth, and housing credits that will generate the biggest boom in residential home construction since World War II.
They should also demand that corporations share their profits with their workers. They should call for limits on CEO pay, eliminate all stock buybacks (as was the SEC rule before 1982), and reject corporate welfare (subsidies and tax credit to particular companies and industries unrelated to the common good).
Democrats need to tell Americans why their pay has been lousy for decades and their jobs less secure: not because of immigrants, liberals, people of color, the “deep state,” or any other Trump Republican bogeyman, but because of the power of large corporations and the rich to rig the market and siphon off most of economy’s gains.
In doing this, Democrats need not turn their backs on democracy. Democracy goes hand-in-hand with a fair economy. Only by reducing the power of big money in our politics can America grow the middle class, reward hard work, and reaffirm the basic bargain at the heart of our system.
If the Trump Republicans gain control of the House, as seems likely, they will have complete control of the federal government. That means they will own whatever happens to the economy and will be responsible for whatever happens to America. Notwithstanding all their anti-establishment populist rhetoric, they will become the establishment.
The Democratic Party should use this inflection point to shift ground—from being the party of well-off college graduates, big corporations, “never-Tumpers” like Dick Cheney, and vacuous “centrism”—to an anti-establishment party ready to shake up the system on behalf of the vast majority of Americans.
This is, and should be The Lesson of the 2024 election.