News Breakdown: What America Really Wanted
- alexisgtrifon
- Nov 7, 2024
- 3 min read
By Alexis Trifon
As the country navigates the results of the 2024 Presidential Election, where Donald Trump won both the popular vote and the electoral college, I wanted to start with a piece I wrote on the morning of November 5th.
Happy Election Day, everyone.
Today, as ballots are cast across the nation, we participate in a tradition that is both personal and profoundly collective. Election Day is more than just voting—it’s a reminder of democracy’s continuity and a moment to reflect on the future we envision for our country.
In times like these, Life with Lex is more than an online platform—it’s a space for exploration, for deepening perspectives, and for discovering new ones. Many of my articles start as scattered thoughts drawn from daily life and readings, and this one is no different. But today feels different. I am reminded of past elections—moments in my life when I felt most civically engaged and most American. As a first-time voter, like the 8 million newly eligible voters in 2024, this election carries special significance and sentiment.
The purpose of this article isn’t about partisanship or adding to political pressure—there’s already plenty of that. Instead, it is about how we navigate the wave of information and emotions that will follow, regardless of the result. It’s about processing inputs, even when the outputs remain uncertain.
Now, with the winner decided, we have more insight into how the election unfolded and what it means for America’s future. As I mentioned earlier, this isn't about taking sides; today is a day of mixed emotions—difficult for some, while millions of Americans feel seen and heard. To keep this piece authentic, here are some reflections from after the results were announced on November 6th.
At the most basic level, we had two candidates with two very different visions for America. In many ways, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump symbolize the forces driving current political division and tension across society. With the pendulum of democracy always moving, Trump’s win in 2016 reflected the frustration of voters who felt unheard and left behind, they wanted change. Four years later, voters embraced Biden’s message of unity and leadership. Now, with Trump’s reelection in 2024, we find ourselves at yet another inflection point, where Americans have rejected Biden’s and Harris’s policies and, once again, opted for an alternative.
I believe that the Harris-Walz campaign made three errors, which cost them the election:
Over-differentiation from Trump, under-differentiation from Biden: By characterizing Donald Trump without sufficiently contrasting herself from Joe Biden, Kamala Harris alienated moderate and right-leaning voters who would have otherwise been within reach. Much of this, though, was beyond Harris’s control. Biden’s delayed withdrawal and reelection bid contradicted his self-proclaimed role as a transitional or "bridge" leader and led to further complications in the Harris-Walz (107-day) campaign.
Ignoring key voter priorities and failed messaging: Harris and the Democratic Party overestimated the electorate’s concern with larger social issues such as abortion. Polls repeatedly showed that voters priorities were the economy and immigration. This speaks to the Democratic Party's larger problem with its base and messaging, which no longer speaks to the working class and Middle America.
Overlooked demographics: Similarly, Harris failed to adequately appeal to white, young men—a demographic that Trump effectively captured. Increasingly, young men are falling behind in terms of home ownership, their careers, and starting a family. Trump capitalized on this missed opportunity by making it a focus on the campagin trail.
Beyond the scope of this election, we must remember that the forces shaping our country—and the world—are driven by broader, structural dynamics, not by any one individual or group. The transition from one leader to another is never easy, yet democracy, like all systems, is defined by change and will continue to change based on human passions, fears, and beliefs.
Note: More election analysis—and other topics—coming soon, with a new addition to Life with Lex: the IDEA Pod. Be on the lookout for more information via our newsletter, website, and Instagram.
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