It’s important to include “also the media, and people with hefty social media followings constantly shitting on the dem party and admin didn’t help bc they created the seemingly organic ecosystem that proved there was something wrong with the dems.” An important mouthful.
“It was inflation” should have wiped out D’s in 2022 midterms at the height of the inflation.
It implies that voters skipped midterms and waited till 2024 to vote against Harris for 2022 inflation, the blame for which was transferable from Biden to Harris but not down ballot Dems.
Goldfish brains. 2022 was still in the shadow of covid and J6; 2024 was “why haven’t prices (nominally) gone down” and “I now have collective amnesia over 2020-21, and the little I remember of 2019 was pretty ok.”
I saw a thread that was denouncing the overreach of many liberal orthodoxies like saying "latinx" and then another thread about how it was the covid era benefits expiring and my takeaway is none of you are the first gen in your family to get a college education.
I would say it’s hard to disentangle everything, but my take is that inflation explains more movement in places such as WI and culture things explain more movement in places like NY, but this isn’t going to be consistent everywhere
I think Dems should moderate their rhetoric a bit for gains
the insane doordash price whiners are actually the heart and soul of america. you all tried to make me feel like i expended too much energy on fighting them when it is more clear than ever that i didn't expend enough.
I really hope that guy who ordered steak and lobster and blooming onions from Outback for a half dozen people finds relief during the 2nd Trump administration.
Oh gawd, the thought of a delivery steak makes me feel decidedly unwell. I mean, I do believe in letting my steak rest for five minutes or so after grilling but....
One of my favorite (?) genres of tweets was complaining that the cost of making a single sandwich was the sum total of the cost of its ingredients, and it's unfair to suggest making multiple sandwiches throughout the week with those ingredients, when we only wanted to eat one.
As an immigrant I’m pretty clear-eyed about how Americans feel entitled to very cheap things in very large quantities brought to their door within a hour.
only plausible one ive seen is that the benefits expiring did seem to lead to a drop in disposable incomes, and wage growth was slower in the demographics dems lost. Seems pretty telling and squares with rich people voting dem
Correct. Biden dropping out earlier would have changed nothing. This is fantasy talk. Either Kamala Harris would have won an open primary, but been weakened by the attacks of her colleagues, or Kamala Harris would have been passed over, enraging a large section of Democratic voters. It's a no-win.
I think a primary would have only hurt. You can’t run against Biden’s record (credibly) and that kind of slap fight tends to make Democrats look bad. The only upside would be that it would give Kamala more legitimacy and longer to let people find out who she is.
it was inflation, does any one of those voters that were unhappy with costs of living know anything about worldwide inflation, or how other countries prices were affected, or what anyone else was paying for anything?
No, they saw "I DID THAT" stickers on gas pumps and the media blaming democrats
Inflation being top reasons #1 and #2 is the most hopeful vision I can have for America... as opposed to "Yeah America really hates trans, loves insurrections, etc etc etc"
That said #3 is definitely anti-migrant sentiments
I seriously wonder if these people pushing non-"I don't like the economy" have ever talked to people and realize they don't even know about gaza protests, trans athletes, etc. and just haven't heard their uncle go "fuck biden" (after thinking he was cool during obama )
Short term I think inflation basically explains 98% of the result. Long term (the Senate, people's perceptions of the two parties) I think is more open to analysis.
I don't think perspective with the rest of the world has ever been a thing in elections. If something bad happens to the voters they get mad at their own government, they won't appreciate being told it was worse in other countries
sort of six in one hand, half dozen in the other, but i think inflation probably comes first over media environment. can understand arguments the other way, though
I’ve been feeling convinced the ubiquitous billionaire-owned rage-bait media that allow people to believe inflation was Biden’s fault (and that Hatians are eating dogs in ohio or whatever) are the issue. but yeah if the complete collapse of an information ecosystem is a prior, then probably eggs.
Doesn’t tell the whole story. It was Harris not offering a convincing answer on what she would have done and do differently should she be elected. People were mad at inflation. They wanted change. Trump ran as a change candidate. Harris did not.
I think it was mostly inflation but I also don't think it's good enough for Democrats to think that they can just stick to what they were doing before and hope that in a post-inflation environment they will be OK. They keep losing too many elections and need to reconnect with a broader voter base.
Comments
It implies that voters skipped midterms and waited till 2024 to vote against Harris for 2022 inflation, the blame for which was transferable from Biden to Harris but not down ballot Dems.
Savvy Centrist: "Dems need to stop engaging in culture war issues."
I think Dems should moderate their rhetoric a bit for gains
Like, Rs genuinely are bad on trans rights you don’t need to *agree* w/ them on everything there even if you can adjust tone and such
No, they saw "I DID THAT" stickers on gas pumps and the media blaming democrats
That said #3 is definitely anti-migrant sentiments
He's more charismatic and everything is pretty good right now, so the rizz voters put him over the top.
∆30k in WI
∆80k in MI
∆150k in PA
∆2024
One is legit economic stress.
The other is perceived stress from a mismatch between a sense of entitlement and reality.
It’s a bit of both but a whole lot more of the 2nd IMO.
MAGA won on cheap treats and hate.
Economy bad <> Democrats didn't do "specific thing I wanted"!!! <> Economy bad