Gender roles played a part in both of Trump’s wins. Both times, his female opponents were more qualified than he was, yet he unanimously claimed all swing states and left his opponents in the dust electorally. Trump relentlessly attacked Harris for her racial background and gave a rose-tinted view of his presidency, claiming that America was peaceful and prosperous under his administration despite the pandemic, homicide, domestic violence spikes, cultural violence, riots, and mass civil unrest.
The game’s stakes changed after January 6th. Trump’s supporters decided that the election would only be fair if their candidate won, a perspective entirely at odds with the Constitution’s principles. However, four years’ worth of claims of a “stolen election” disappeared within hours of Trump’s victory.
Half of America is horrified by Trump’s character and his policies. However, more people are part of the working class and care about everyday issues–even those that aren’t under the president’s jurisdiction. They blamed Biden for inflation, even though every country had inflation after COVID-19, and America was on the lower end. But when people see higher prices, they blame the president. The irony is that most people voting for Trump will not benefit from his policies. Trump appealed to uneducated voters, with around fifty-four percent of voters without college degrees backing him.
Trump gave an unwanted paternalistic view on his campaign trail, at one point saying, “I will be your protector” to American women, even though he continues to prove that women need protection from people like him. Our lives are in the hands of men who have no grasp of the health implications of his policies. Voters who hold more traditional views on gender roles have historically voted for Trump. However, voters must consider their daughters, mothers, sisters, wives, and girlfriends. Will women ever feel safe enough in this country that they’ll no longer be thinking about medical autonomy and reproductive care, and lawmakers will no longer dismiss their concerns? It’s unlikely. American women experience more anxiety than they did a couple of years ago because the GOP fails to protect women. We’re progressing backward regarding all Americans’ rights, freedoms, and opportunities. Harris understood this, appealed to female Americans, championed their rights, and has been the leading voice to do so in the Biden administration.
Harris–a woman of color, a prosecutor, and a daughter of immigrants with a history of public service–served as a beacon of hope for many fatigued Americans exhausted of their archaic options. Her candidacy brought unprecedented hope to many women around the country, who were dreading the prospective rematch between the two oldest presidential candidates in American history. Further, Harris’s charisma with Gen Z mobilized support across the country; from constant quotes of falling out of a coconut tree to being labeled a “femininomenon” and “brat,” her campaign had a sense of authenticity that differentiated her from the staleness of contemporary American politics.
Biden never should’ve run for reelection, as polls and members of his administration agreed that he was too old to be politically viable. His late decision left the Democratic Party scrambling for a new candidate less than four months before Election Day. However, Harris was up to the challenge. Despite being left in a time crunch to get her name on the national stage as the new Democratic presidential candidate, she was a fighter. She was an effective debater, understanding policy outcomes and working-class voters’ lives. She understood the predicament younger voters faced with the climate crisis, reproductive rights, gun control, migration, and inflation, to name a few. Harris convinced nearly half of America that she could serve the American middle class better than Trump.
However, Harris could not separate herself from Biden; after being asked, “What, if anything, would you have done something differently than President Biden during the past four years?” and responding that she wouldn’t change a thing, Harris knew her folly here–but it was too late to save herself. She had failed to distinguish how her administration would be different from Biden’s post-pandemic administration, which faced lots of anti-inflation and anti-migrant backlash.
The mission to beat Trump in just over three months was insurmountable. Harris inherited a dying campaign but still raised over one billion dollars. She gave the American people hope of rallying behind a younger female candidate. Despite her disadvantages, she got 47.5% of the popular vote. In the face of Harris’s possibility of a brighter future, Americans were fed up with Biden’s failures.
Under Trump, politics became a tool for people to demean and humiliate those they disagree with. However, if more than half of Americans are willing to vote for Trump despite his rants and raves, racist statements, ardent support of Russia, felony convictions, and sexual assault liabilities, then there was almost nothing Harris could have done to dissuade them. Still, she stood up to the challenge to prove that she could serve the American people better than Trump ever could by using politics for its true purpose: to influence policy initiatives, represent the people, and make decisions based on what constituents need.
Millions are disappointed by the election results, but saying we’ll move to Canada if a certain candidate wins isn’t who we are. The United States has prevailed through horrible outcomes and events in our history. We’re still here because we are a country of hope and resilience, and Harris embodied these attributes when all odds were against her. Her campaign wasn’t just about winning an election; it was about showing the world that leadership isn’t defined by gender, race, or background but by resilience and dedication to serving the people.
Despite the outcome, Harris graciously accepted the results and continues to stand as a testament to her resilience, embodying the perseverance of the American people. Her role conveyed that women can break down barriers in spaces where they were once marginalized, even if the fight is never-ending. She showed us that the fight for equality is worth every challenge.
To women everywhere, especially first-time voters who proudly cast their ballots for her, Vice President Harris remains a symbol of what’s possible. Thank you, Vice President Harris. For standing up against all odds and being a role model for women everywhere. Thank you for giving first-time female voters the privilege of voting for you.
The opinions expressed within this piece represent the views of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jefferson Independent.
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