Why Did Trump Win? Dems Discover Disturbing Answer

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Greg Sargent: There are 1,000 convoluted theories floating around on social media that purport to explain why Donald Trump won the presidential race. But some Democrats and people on Kamala Harris's campaign have concluded that one very significant reason is a straightforward one: It proved disturbingly difficult to persuade undecided voters that Trump had been a bad president.

Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 02:32 PM | 67 COMMENTS | permalink

Comments

I find this to be a quaint observation:

"All this amounts to a truly shocking failure that deserves its own reckoning, one that Democrats must learn from and never allow to happen again.:

Why? Because it indicates a failure to comprehend what has just happened, and it assumes that politics is still being played by the old rules of democracy when, in fact, it is being played on the new rules of fascism in a technocratic age. I don't have any answers, folks who write about fascism say there are ways to defeat it. Although we are coming to it late, we need to brush up on those tactics and develop strategies to develop new ones.

#1 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2024-11-09 12:54 PM

Biden/Kamala Trump
2020 81,283,501 74,223,975
2024 70,382,118 74,312,176

I don't think this election turned on failing to convince voters that Trump was bad. He won the 2024 election with just about the same number of votes with which he lost the 2020 election, which doesn't even look at growth of total eligible voters in those four years. The difference was that Kamala received about 11 million fewer votes than Biden 2020.

People didn't turn out for Kamala, and that's the way elections work. We select our president through actions and inactions, whether it be deciding to vote for Jill Stein, Trump, or sitting on our butts at home.

The fault in democracies lies not in our stars, but in ourselves.

I've pasted this quote before, and I'll probably be thinking it repeatedly to myself over the next 4 to 12 years:

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.
H. L. Mencken

#2 | Posted by censored at 2024-11-09 01:26 PM

Dude, Your Genocide Cheerleading is why Key Constituencies stayed home.

That, and the daily struggle to keep up with Expenses.

The Dems act like Genocide is business as usual. No wonder people stayed home.

Bragging about a "Great Economy" that half the country didn't share in was another big Failure by the Dems.

Better luck Next Time.

#3 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2024-11-09 01:53 PM

"The conservative elite's second move towards authoritarian rule was helping the Nazi Party to gain power. The conservative elite and the Nazi Party had a common enemy " the political left .

As Hitler controlled the masses support for the political right, the conservative elite believed that they could use Hitler and his popular support to democratically' take power.

Once in power, Hitler could destroy the political left. Destroying the political left would help to remove the majority of political opponents to the ring-wing conservative elite."

www.theholocaustexplained.org

Populism: A Comparative Study of the Rise of the Alt-Right in
Germany and the United States

digitalcommons.butler.edu

"Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it" is a quote often attributed to Winston Churchill.

However, the original source of the adage may be Spanish philosopher George Santayana, who wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" in his 1905 work The Life of Reason."

#4 | Posted by Corky at 2024-11-09 01:56 PM

It's mostly BS.

Remembering doesn't stop the Monsters. It doesn't even slow them down.

Too much money in too few Hands creates Monsters.

Inequality is the reason Trump is competitive. The Dems are too focused on Social Issues and Foreign Wars.

Get some Jack in people's pockets.

That's gonna say more than helping Tranny's compete with girls.

That's a Surefire Electoral Defeat....

#5 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2024-11-09 06:31 PM

Get some Jack in people's pockets.
#5 | Posted by Effeteposer

How do you think this should have actually played out? What powers does the executive branch have to just inject cold hard cash into voters' pockets?

#6 | Posted by rstybeach11 at 2024-11-09 07:20 PM

"How do you think this should have actually played out? What powers does the executive branch have to just inject cold hard cash into voters' pockets?"

Trump tried this during Covid. It didn't save him from getting the boot.

#7 | Posted by sentinel at 2024-11-09 07:40 PM

"The conservative elite's second move towards authoritarian rule was helping the Nazi Party to gain power. The conservative elite and the Nazi Party had a common enemy - the political left ."

Trump effectively used the same strategy he did in 2016, trolling his opponents into calling him the N-word (Nazi) and the R-word (racist). Trump supporters reminded people how Democrats often used this type as hyperbole in the past, including against Mitt Romney, so they just tuned it out as noise.

#8 | Posted by sentinel at 2024-11-09 08:21 PM

the shock of the pandemic numbed their ability to remember how bad he was before it and they just told themselves there wasn't anything of note he could have done to make it better.

This theory is likely true least in part and comforting.

#9 | Posted by Tor at 2024-11-09 08:26 PM

How do you think this should have actually played out? What powers does the executive branch have to just inject cold hard cash into voters' pockets?
#6 | Posted by rstybeach11

The thing is, that giving people money directly would only make inflation worse.

Only real way to lower inflation apparent to consumers would be subsidize the cost for manufacturers, like we've been doing for decades for agriculture. Which is how Dems were able to maintain their hold on the midwest for a long time, (until Repubs adopted that same philosophy and threw in some pro-God/anti-gay/anti-Black stuff to encourage those farmers to make the party leap).

#10 | Posted by censored at 2024-11-10 07:36 AM

Only real way to lower inflation apparent to consumers would be subsidize the cost for manufacturers [...]
#10 | Posted by censored

Actually, badly worded. There are a number of other ways as well, like stripping workers of rights (like minimum wage, overtime pay), importing cheaper products from abroad, etc.

#11 | Posted by censored at 2024-11-10 07:42 AM

How about capping prices. Like Nixon did? He was a Republican. It worked too.

Or creating a Maximum Wage. Then taxing everything above That 98%.

Capital Gains taxes of 50% to get the froth out of the Economy?

Rich people spend more. They influence prices more.

#12 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2024-11-10 09:01 AM

Genocide.

That's it. When Biden refused to stop supplying the weapons that Israel was using to commit genocide, the kids who came out in droves in 2020 to support him were disgusted and said "I cannot vote for this administration ever again."

It didn't stop me from voting for Kamala, but it absolutely stopped a lot of people. It wasn't apathy this time, it was disgust. And while I'm old, jaded, and will absolutely vote for the least bad option in a general election, the kids won't put up with it.

If we ever get to vote again, Democrats absolutely MUST move hard left, and MUST take a "never again" position on crimes against humanity, no matter who is committing them.

#13 | Posted by DarkVader at 2024-11-10 04:34 PM

Because way too many Americans can't remember when civility was the primary means of getting things done.

Civility is out the window culturally across the board.

We are in uncharted territory, but the more I read about how what's happening here has already happened to varying degrees around the world, the less encouraged I am.

I believe DarkVader is right. Many things were skewed when Obama -- center-right on a worldwide scale, in many ways Bush III -- was painted as a Marxist socialist (Kenyan, bad mustard-chooser and brown-suit wearer). We are pretty well screwed until the country can agree on basic facts and definitions and get away from right and left cultural issues.

#14 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2024-11-10 07:57 PM

So, we're at negotiation in the grief process now... Just wait till we get to the anger stage...

#15 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2024-11-11 12:10 AM

The reason Trump won is very simple, Kamala showed the American people just how unqualified she was for the job every time she could not answer a single, simple question, or gave one of her word salad non-answers. Sorry, but that is not who I want to run this country.

#16 | Posted by gasman21 at 2024-11-11 07:16 AM

#16 | Posted by gasman21

I take it gas means hot air?

If you were being so literal about what you're full of, you should call yourself manureman21.

#17 | Posted by jpw at 2024-11-11 10:20 AM

Dems are idiots.

Put 100 voters in a room and ask them to define Fascism. 5 could do it.

She could have stuck with weird, rapist, refusing to pay workers, and Epstein buddy. But nope, we went the Deplorable route.

Stop using $10 words when a 5 cent word will work...and work better.

And she didn't talk about how bad Trump's admin was on taxes or the economy outside of the occasional mention at campaign events. She preached to the choir and the message never made it out the church door.

It should have been ad after ad, tv appearance and podcast to reach low information voters with split screen comparisons of the tax plan showing she gave more to workers, blaming big business for greedflation, pictures of Epstein and Trump, and Trump bragging about killing Roe v. Wade.

Harris is the Dallas Cowboys of politics.

#18 | Posted by Sycophant at 2024-11-11 03:05 PM

word salad non-answers

#16 | Posted by gasman21 at 2024-11-11 07:16 AM | Reply | Flag: Completely failed to hear all of Trumps word salad non-answers.

#19 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2024-11-11 03:09 PM

#18

Hey! We resemble that remark!

#20 | Posted by Corky at 2024-11-11 03:12 PM

Russian propaganda is unstoppable once it's accepted and parroted by republicans and paid whores.

#21 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-11-12 12:32 PM

#16 | Posted by gasman21

Why did kamala being unqualified count against her but trump being unqualified didn't count against him?

#22 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-11-12 12:35 PM

It's not that complicated.

dems lost the middle class..

even a word reading actor could see that..
Michael Douglas with Bill Mahr...

and also......"The conservative populist coalition was always right in front of reporters and experts in working-class neighborhoods, suburbs

and cities. If only they had not treated those voters as either racists, fascists, misogynists, garbage, stupid or outliers to their narrative

of what Americans should look like."

#23 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2024-11-12 12:57 PM

dems lost the middle class..

#23 | Posted by shrimptacodan

Why didn't republicans lose the middle class after they decimated public schools, enacted decades of middle class destroying reaganomics, shipped jobs overseas, and nominated a spoiled rich kid who's never done an honest day's work in his life, raped girls with epstein for 15 years, and gave massive tax cuts to the rich?

#24 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-11-12 01:01 PM

"Stop worrying about us, Democrats. It's you guys who have the messaging problems."

--Giancarlo Sopo

CNN

#25 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2024-11-12 01:01 PM

-Why did kamala being unqualified count against her but trump being unqualified didn't count against him?

can we replace the word "unqualified" with "untrusted"?

because that's what it boils down to. Trust.

a lot of people sat at home because they trusted neither candidate. I know it seems absurd but that's why the turnout for Harris was so low.

people didn't trust her. Neither did the 70+ million that voted for Trump.

This is what baffles me the most.....that 70+ million people "trust" Trump? I don't think so.....rather, the distrust of Harris was greater than the distrust of Trump. and they're gonna vote regardless.

I wouldn't trust Trump at all....literally 0%. I trust Harris more. But that's the difference. The distrust of Harris was greater.......which is really a microcosm of the lack of trust of democrats in general.

#26 | Posted by eberly at 2024-11-12 01:04 PM

-Why didn't republicans lose the middle class after they decimated public schools, enacted decades of middle class destroying reaganomics, shipped jobs overseas, and nominated a spoiled rich kid who's never done an honest day's work in his life, raped girls with epstein for 15 years, and gave massive tax cuts to the rich?

Because republicans convince their voters they aren't at fault for any of that. That democrats are why they are experiencing all of that.

#27 | Posted by eberly at 2024-11-12 01:07 PM

#24 | Posted by SpeakSoftly

--let's go south of the border....

---no hablo Fantico mierda de toro .....

I'm sure you're smart enough to figure that out.

#28 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2024-11-12 01:09 PM

#26 | Posted by eberly

Don't be baffled. What you just described is the power of the russia/fascist propaganda machine.

We thought we defeated russia with our military might. In reality russia just found a cheaper strategy of using our own freedoms to defeat us decades later. For the cost of a few stealth bombers.

#29 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-11-12 01:10 PM

guess I better translate in case truthhurts shows up

"I don't speak fanatical shvt of the bull...

pretty damn clever....

lol

#30 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2024-11-12 01:12 PM

#26 | POSTED BY EBERLY

Perhaps, but also enthusiasm. The Democrats seem to be a little more emotional.
They vary up and down, which is why the Democrats have the slogan "when we vote we win".

Its not just a metaphor, its a fact. Many Democrats weren't enthusiastic about her as a candidate. Its hard to believe she got 4M less than Obama in 08. At the time that was a huge election. The Trump, Clinton election had less than enthusiastic support.

Something about coming out of COVID made people vote, someone mentioned that, looks to be statistically true.

2024 Harris: 65.8M
2024 Trump: 70.9M

2020 Biden: 81.2M
2020 Trump: 74.2M

2016 Clinton: 65.8M
2016 Trump: 62.9M

2012 Obama: 62.6M
2012 Romney: 59.1M

2008 Obama: 69.5M
2008 McCain: 59.9M

#31 | Posted by oneironaut at 2024-11-12 01:23 PM

What you just described is the power of the russia/fascist propaganda machine.

If Democrats continue to think like this losing proposition, they will continue to lose.

#32 | Posted by oneironaut at 2024-11-12 01:24 PM

Don't be baffled. What you just described is the power of the russia/fascist propaganda machine.

#29 | Posted by SpeakSoftly

aaaaaaaah hahahahahahaaaaa

keep beating that dead horse....

#33 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2024-11-12 01:25 PM

Something about coming out of COVID made people vote,

#31 | Posted by oneironaut a

because the government ( led by fauci ) lied to us.....every god damn day.

#34 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2024-11-12 01:28 PM

but sit back and relax.....kamala said "it's gonna be okay".....

so did Joe.....and my advice..

---"The second half of your life begins when you accept the fact that margaritas and queso taste better than being skinny.

#35 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2024-11-12 01:34 PM

Also, the down ballots flipped.

Last time lots of Rs voted for Biden.

This year lots of Da voted for Trump

See AZ, WI.

#36 | Posted by oneironaut at 2024-11-12 01:37 PM

because the government ( led by fauci ) lied to us.....every god damn day.

Posted by shrimptacodan at 2024-11-12 01:28 PM | Reply

Who was president then? Remind me.

#37 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2024-11-12 01:37 PM

keep beating that dead horse....

#33 | Posted by shrimptacodan

Keep trying to stuff that dead horse under your bed and pretend it doesn't exist.

Russia created a online propaganda factory to spread the ---- that you swallow as fact.

#38 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-11-12 01:43 PM

because the government ( led by fauci ) lied to us.....every god damn day.

#34 | Posted by shrimptacodan

If you dont like being lied to you wouldnt vote for trump.

Who won the 2020 election?

#39 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-11-12 01:44 PM

"Don't be baffled. What you just described is the power of the russia/fascist propaganda machine."

I'm gonna stay in a state of being baffled.

Thanks anyway

#40 | Posted by eberly at 2024-11-12 01:51 PM

-the russia/fascist propaganda machine.

Why was that effective in this election, and not in the election for years ago?

You believe it was an effective tool eight years ago but not four years ago, but then it worked this time.

Right?

You're saying all these voters that either stayed home or voted for Trump were tricked by Russia?

How did the "machine" do that?

#41 | Posted by eberly at 2024-11-12 01:56 PM

Why was that effective in this election, and not in the election for years ago?

You believe it was an effective tool eight years ago but not four years ago, but then it worked this time.

Right?

You're saying all these voters that either stayed home or voted for Trump were tricked by Russia?

How did the "machine" do that?

#41 | Posted by eberly

Because covid was a unique situation that trump bungled so badly that even all russia's efforts couldnt elect putin's puppet.

#42 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-11-12 02:10 PM

Dems are idiots.

Put 100 voters in a room and ask them to define Fascism. 5 could do it.

She could have stuck with weird, rapist, refusing to pay workers, and Epstein buddy. But nope, we went the Deplorable route.

Stop using $10 words when a 5 cent word will work...and work better.

Harris is the Dallas Cowboys of politics.

#18 | POSTED BY SYCOPHANT

While what you posted is true and part of the problem the other problems were she's a black woman, and we are very much a racist country and the Ruskies hacked the election results and the wimpy democrats will do nothing about that.

#43 | Posted by a_monson at 2024-11-12 02:15 PM

because the government ( led by fauci ) lied to us.....every god damn day.

#34 | Posted by shrimptacodan

No, they didn't.

You are, for the millionth time, just too dense to understand what was going on.

#44 | Posted by jpw at 2024-11-12 02:39 PM

The Democrats seem to be a little more emotional.

How so?

How many Capitol Buildings have they stormed?

6 Packs of Bud Light shot up due to 1 publicity stunt?

How often did they throw temper tantrums due to being asked to wear masks?

How many PTA meetings have they attended with an angry mob?

When was the last time they showed dick pictures to Congress or accused space lasers of being Jewish?

Conservatives are fueled by anger and stupidity.

#45 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-11-12 02:39 PM

Why was that effective in this election, and not in the election for years ago?

If anything, is was as effective as it was 4 years ago.

2020 Trump received 74 million + votes.

2024 Trump received 75 million + votes.

#46 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-11-12 02:43 PM

2024 Harris: 65.8M
2024 Trump: 70.9M
#31 | POSTED BY 1LUMPER2

Your numbers are old. It's currently:

Harris 71.8M, Trump 75.1M

What you just described is the power of the russia/fascist propaganda machine.

If Democrats continue to think like this losing proposition, they will continue to lose.
#32 | POSTED BY 1LUMPER2

What's so difficult about accepting Russia spent money influencing our elections? Israel does it. I'm sure other nations do too.

America constantly interferes in elections of other nations, directly or indirectly, as well.

Why lie to yourself about this?

Not Russia! Hysterical.

#47 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-11-12 02:50 PM

Obviously you leftists haven't learned an 'effing thing....

Trump won because because Kamala is pitiable dolt with an IQ lower than a rock and a personality to match

It's truly impossible to underestimate that laughing hyena

Eh?

#48 | Posted by Javelin at 2024-11-12 02:54 PM

"the Ruskies hacked the election results"

Is that included in Speak's "Russian fascist propoganda machine"?

#49 | Posted by eberly at 2024-11-12 02:57 PM

-Trump won because because Kamala is pitiable dolt with an IQ lower than a rock and a personality to match

According to Speak, Javelin is a victim of the russian/fascist propaganda machine.

#50 | Posted by eberly at 2024-11-12 03:00 PM

-What's so difficult about accepting Russia spent money influencing our elections? Israel does it. I'm sure other nations do too.

What's so difficult about accepting the fact that foreign leaders, allies or not, have been greatly interested in the outcome of our presidential elections for at least before any of us were born?

Trump is different, for sure. But foreign leaders have weighed in and expressed outward support for candidates for a long long long time.

#51 | Posted by eberly at 2024-11-12 03:06 PM

The cold war
Moon race
atomic bomb/nuclear weapons

Influence is fair game.......interfering is another.

#52 | Posted by eberly at 2024-11-12 03:10 PM

What's so difficult about accepting Russia spent money influencing our elections? Israel does it. I'm sure other nations do too.

Don't tell me tell Speaks and you other Lumpers, they are the ones fascinated by Russia, Russia, Russia. I noticed you left off Ukraine, and Muslim countries, where do you think Gaza propagandist get their money?

Imagine world where all these counties are trying to influence the elections.

Whats the NET: NO EFFECT they cancel each other out.

#53 | Posted by oneironaut at 2024-11-12 03:20 PM

Don't tell me tell Speaks and you other Lumpers, they are the ones fascinated by Russia

Don't tell you, tell me?

You really are an idiot.

Also. What should I tell Speaks? He's not the one vehemently denying Russia has had any influence on our elections.

That's you all.

Desperately defending Trump.

#54 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-11-12 03:56 PM

-He's not the one vehemently denying Russia has had any influence on our elections.

I think what's silly is denying that all kinds of foreign countries/leaders have a vested interest in the outcome of our elections.

You seem to think it's only 1 country and they always root for the republican. There are many countries with the resources to use the internet for all sorts of agendas.

But no...it's all Russia and it's all about supporting Trump.

Harris got zero support from any foreign country?

Christ, more billionaires supported Harris than did Trump....can you account for all the relationships these billionaires have with their foreign friends?

I doubt it....and it's silly to think that no other country didn't try to financially support Harris via one of the dozens of billionaires who wrote 7 and 8 figure checks to Harris.

#55 | Posted by eberly at 2024-11-12 04:10 PM

where do you think Gaza propagandist get their money?

This is easy.

It's Obama and Biden.

They gave the Iranian state Billions which they gave to the Gaza propagandists and Hamas.

While at the same time giving weapons to Israel.

It's a tale as old as time.

#56 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-11-12 04:19 PM

#51 | POSTED BY EBERLY

#55 | POSTED BY EBERLY

You seem confused.

Read my posts and try to figure out how what you wrote confirms what I wrote instead of contradicts it.

#57 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-11-12 07:43 PM

This is easy.
It's Obama and Biden.

You don't know what you're admitting to do you?

You're useless outside the nooner, consider yourself blocked, no point in wasting time out here on your useless posts.

#58 | Posted by oneironaut at 2024-11-12 07:50 PM

My post wasn't trying to contradict you.

#59 | Posted by eberly at 2024-11-12 08:01 PM

I assumed this was directed at me:

"You seem to think it's only 1 country"

I was specifically stating it's not.

#60 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-11-12 08:22 PM

You don't know what you're admitting to do you?

What I'm admitting to?

consider yourself blocked,

What ever shall I do.

#61 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-11-12 08:25 PM

Yeah. Poor choice of words by me

#62 | Posted by eberly at 2024-11-12 08:39 PM

So we all agree, Russia has interfered in this and previous elections.

Thanks.

#63 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-11-12 10:36 PM

Fact is, they 'selected' as piss-poor Candidate for POTUS and VP candidate, and ran a piss-poor campaign so they actually deserved to lose, and they have noone to blame than themselves. had the major legacy media on their team as well as the most money, big time celebs, and neither of those could push harris over the line. But hey, continue to blame, and berate, the electorate as I'm sure that will bring them back over to your side in four years -RIGHT?

#64 | Posted by MSgt at 2024-11-12 11:14 PM

The fact is you voted for a rapist

The fact is you voted for an insurrectionist

The fact is you voted for a convicted felon

The fact is you voted for someone who stole nuclear secrets (and probably handed them to our enemies)

The fact is you voted for a conman who lost his company due to corruption

The fact is you voted for a rapist

#65 | Posted by truthhurts at 2024-11-12 11:16 PM

The man you voted for shoved a woman up against the wall, lifted her skirt and shoved his slimy fingers into her vagina against her will.

You voted for that

You are magat scum.

#66 | Posted by truthhurts at 2024-11-12 11:17 PM