Democrats are examining the reasons that led to the loss of the presidential race on November 5. Analysts list the economy as the main reason for the loss of Vice President Kamala Harris, but add that other factors are also behind it. VOA Correspondent Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports. While Democrats are gradually getting used to the reality of losing the election, they are also reflecting on the reasons for this loss. The White House has disputed claims that President Joe Biden’s bid for re-election and his reluctance to drop out of the presidential race early hurt Vice President Kamala Harris’ chance of winning on November 5.
“When he made the decision to pass the baton to the vice president he believed it was the right decision to make at the time,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary.
But according to analysts, Ms. Harris’ chances of being elected were further damaged by the fact that she failed to separate herself from Mr. Biden’s economic policies. “The popular perception was that he has not managed the economy well, which mostly stemmed from the high inflation of his first two years in office. I think those were very difficult obstacles for Harris to overcome,” says David Greenberg, of Rutgers University. During the election campaign, much attention was paid to abortion rights, but women did not vote for Ms. Harris on the issue to the extent that Democrats had hoped.
“There were many states that had this issue on the ballot, with the goal of legislating reproductive rights, so people were able to vote on this issue and at the same time vote for Trump,” says Julie Roginsky, democratic official.
Ms. Roginsky says that beyond analyzing what happened with this election, the Democratic Party needs to fix what she calls a long-standing structural problem. “We have a history we should be proud of, and yet we don’t know how to pass it on. We are not succeeding in conveying the message and appearing authentic”, she adds. John Lappie, associate professor of political science at Plymouth State University, says Democrats need new blood. “They need new leadership, which is more in tune with the current situation and definitely more in tune with the working class.”
With Republicans leading Congress by a slim majority, Mr. Lappie expects Democrats to be able to push back on policies they disagree with as they prepare for their next shot at the 2026 midterm elections, which fall between of a president’s term.
