Angry Democratic Voters Demand New Leaders and a New Plan - The Thursday AM Quickie 11/7/24
I don't envy the MR crew's job this week. They've gotta sound smart about all this live on air and offer so many people a shoulder to cry on. Me, I've mainly got to remember to eat. Thanks for reading, everybody. - Corey
ON THE SHOW TODAY
11/7: It's an EmMajority Report Thursday! Emma speaks with Daniel Nichanian, editor-in-chief of Bolts Magazine, to discuss the state of the rest of the downballot races after Tuesday's results. Then, she speaks with Usamah Andrabi, communications director & spokesperson for Justice Democrats, to discuss what's next for Democrats heading into 2025.
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Today you'll read about what Democratic-voting insiders and outsiders are saying led to Kamala Harris' defeat, the prospects of Donald Trump actually getting sentenced for his felony convictions later this month, and how a "pro-business" politician just sabotaged Germany's governing coalition at a time of tremendous uncertainty in Europe.
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THE BIG NEWS
US Democracy Supporters Look for a New Way Forward
Vice President Kamala Harris conceded the election to deranged felon Donald Trump yesterday. The campaign appears to have no plans to contest the result in any way. To supporters gathered at Howard University, Harris said "the light of America's promise will always burn bright, as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting." The crowd booed when she said she had congratulated Trump in a private call, during which she reportedly also "talked about the importance of the transfer of power being peaceful." For good or ill, she did not blame Russian space lasers messing with the voting machines for Trump's catastrophic victory, or vow to hold a "wild" Capitol rally on Jan. 6, 2025.
Some angry and grieving Democratic voters have blamed this outcome on President Joe Biden for seeking reelection at all after having promised to serve humbly as a one-term "bridge" candidate. "He shouldn't have run," Jim Manley, a top aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, told Politico. "This is no time to pull punches or be concerned about anyone's feelings. He and his staff have done an enormous amount of damage to this country." Biden campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon has also come under heavy criticism from insiders, NBC News reports.
But a broad spectrum of other elected officials, operatives, and activists – from pragmatic liberals to dedicated leftists – blame the Democratic Party establishment writ large for a failure so massive it threatens the very existence of democracy in the country. Here's a selection of yesterday's reactions.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders via Common Dreams:
"It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working-class people would find that the working class has abandoned them. First, it was the white working class, and now it is Latino and Black workers as well. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they're right. ...
"Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign? Will they understand the pain and political alienation that tens of millions of Americans are experiencing? Do they have any ideas as to how we can take on the increasingly powerful oligarchy which has so much economic and political power? Probably not.
"In the coming weeks and months those of us concerned about grassroots democracy and economic justice need to have some very serious political discussions."
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez via HuffPost:
"We are about to enter a political period that will have consequences for the rest of our lives. We cannot give up. ...
"Our main project is to unite the working class in this country against a fascist agenda. We have had an enormous setback in this election because the fascists won a lot of working-class support, which has happened before in history. ...
"At the end of the day the ultimate problem is our ability to clearly and forthrightly advocate for an agenda that clearly champions the working class."
Democratic consultant David Axelrod via the Washington Post:
"The Democratic Party has become a metropolitan, college-educated party. And even though it retains its commitment to working people, it approaches them sometimes in a spirit of a missionary — that we're here to help you become more like us. Implied in that is disdain. I don't think it's intended, but it's felt. And I think Trump has exploited that."
The Uncommitted National Movement:
"The outcome of this election is not a reflection of Donald Trump's appeal; it is a sobering reminder that the Democratic Party has lost touch with the very communities that once fueled its progress. ... [N]eglecting the voices of those impacted by war has consequences."
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain via Politico:
"UAW members around the country clocked in today under the same threat they faced yesterday: unchecked corporate greed destroying our lives, our families, and our communities. ... We've said all along that no matter who is in the White House, our fight remains the same."
Justice Democrats Director Alexandra Rojas via the Associated Press:
"The Democratic Party is rapidly losing its legitimacy amongst the everyday people and marginalized communities continuously used as stepping stones to win elections. For as long as our Party has cozied up with corporate CEOs, right-wing billionaires, and big money Super PACs, everyday people in this country have seen the Democrats' populist platitudes as hypocrisy at best, and outright deceitful at worst. ...
"It's time to end the era of career politicians and the corrupt campaign finance laws that keep them in power. Either they can choose to step down and welcome a new generation of teachers, nurses, union workers, and everyday people to the halls of power or they can be forced out at the ballot box. Their time is up."
Keep reading for more postelection news.