Vincent Oriedo, a biotechnology scientist, had just such a question. What lessons have been learned, he asked, from Harris’s defeat in this vital swing county in a crucial battleground state that voted for Joe Biden four years ago, and how are the Democrats applying them?
“They did not answer the question,” he said.
“It tells me that they haven’t learned the lessons and they have their inner state of denial. I’ve been paying careful attention to the influencers within the Democratic party. Their discussions have centred around, ‘If only we messaged better, if only we had a better candidate, if only we did all these superficial things.’ There is really a lack of understanding that they are losing their base, losing constituencies they are taking for granted.”
“We have set ourselves up for generational loss because we keep promoting from within leaders that that do not criticise the moneyed interests. They refuse to take a hard look at what Americans actually believe and meet those needs.”
Unlike last time, Democrats aren’t going to be able to credibly pretend that they have American Muslims’ backs.
That’s true. But the Republicans certainly won’t either. The Democrats haven’t earned American Muslims’ trust, but to run into the arms of the party that loudly and constantly demonizes Muslims at every opportunity as a result makes no sense.
I would understand a lot of people in Michigan disengaging from politics (although that would probably objectively make their lives worse in the long run). I can’t see them supporting Republicans though.