Racist, Misogynist Country: Democrats Grapple with Red Wave
November 10, 2024Key Takeaways
- Democratic voters who were confident in a Harris win are shocked and surprised at the level of defeat from Trump.
- Grasping at explanations, Democrats are split between leaning harder into progressive leftism and abandoning woke ideology.
- Many react to the scope of Republican victory as indicative of a “racist” and “misogynist country, decrying those who voted for Trump.
Our Methodology
Demographics
Democrats
Sample Size
20,000
Geographical Breakdown
National
Time Period
3 Days
MIG Reports leverages EyesOver technology, employing Advanced AI for precise analysis. This ensures unparalleled precision, setting a new standard. Find out more about the unique data pull for this article.
The 2024 election delivered a historic “red wave,” as Trump and Republican candidates cleaned up with an electoral presidential win, the popular vote, and projections for a majority in the Senate and House.
While conservative circles celebrate this shift, Democratic voters and pundits are reeling from Democrats losing support in almost every state.
Donald Trump gained support in 49 out of 50 states from 2020 to 2024 pic.twitter.com/Jd4O2plEWZ
— America (@america) November 7, 2024
Democratic Voters in Shock and Disbelief
The scale of the Republican victory has generated shock among Democratic voters, many of whom anticipated more favorable results based on conventional polling and media reporting.
Voter reactions indicate a profound disconnect within the Democratic base, with discussions centering around disbelief that such a large political shift could take place after Biden’s historic popular vote totals in 2020.
10 Shocking Stories the Media Buried Today
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) November 7, 2024
#10 - Joe Rogan raises SERIOUS questions about Biden’s “81 million votes” in 2020.
“Look at the difference in how many people voted for Biden in 2020. It's unprecedented! It's way higher than any other time since 2012.”
“Look at where… pic.twitter.com/lUN3lMWZdb
Some attribute this wholesale American rejection of Kamala Harris to a cultural shift which the Democratic Party misread. However, the majority of Harris voters largely attribute the loss to “racism," "misogyny," and a resurgent conservatism. Now, many question whether America remains fundamentally center-right, a trend Democratic strategists appear to have underestimated.
Internal Conflict and Critique
There is division over whether Democrats strayed too far from their traditional working-class roots, or Americans are racist and misogynistic.
An increasingly progressive party, some argue, only alienated vital demographics who feel sidelined by elite-focused, urban-driven policies. Discussions show frustration with the party’s focus on identity politics over practical concerns like economic stability, public safety, and personal freedom.
On today's Morning Joe, Scarborough is still trying to square how Kamala Harris lost so bad and was SHOCKED to learn about the high price of groceries.
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) November 7, 2024
Scarborough was floored when a friend told him butter was $3 and he almost fell out of his chair when Mika Brzezinski told him… pic.twitter.com/6MelvWoput
- Identity Politics: Many Democrats criticize the party’s emphasis on identity politics (e.g., gender identity and race-based policies), arguing they are detached from the daily realities facing middle America.
- Working-Class Alienation: Voters from blue-collar and Latino communities report feeling condescended to, left out by a party they once identified with but now view as elitist and dismissive.
- Shift in Latino Support: A shift toward Trump among Latino voters in traditionally Democratic regions challenges assumptions that progressive policies resonate universally among minority groups.
Some also point out that Trump gained ground with nearly every voter group besides older voters 65+ and white, college educated women. This again results in either accusations of racism and misogyny or critiques of woke ideologies.
red wave is an understatement pic.twitter.com/oRJkGEYYY6
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) November 6, 2024
Strategic Failures and Down-Ballot Neglect
Internal critiques extend to strategic missteps that left Democrats vulnerable at both national and local levels. Voters accuse party officials of focusing too narrowly on top-ticket races, abandoning down-ballot races critical for future influence.
- Down-Ballot Neglect: Voters say too many down-ballot seats went uncontested in key areas, contributing to a domino effect that bolstered Republican gains. This lack of attention to local issues, especially in swing states, draws backlash.
- Missed Outreach: Many Democrats say party leadership failed to mobilize working-class voters, particularly losing touch with Teamsters. There is frustration at the party’s seeming disinterest in engaging on local, bread-and-butter issues.
Professor/NYT columnist Tressie McMillian Cottom urges Dems to double down on identity politics "[Trump] tapped into one of the most powerful of American identities, he tapped into white identity...That means you should double down on identities of your base." pic.twitter.com/21jyTKjhMQ
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) November 7, 2024
Woke Versus Democrat
Democratic voter responses indicate a growing internal division. Left-leaning voters are split between support for and frustration with reactionary movements like the “4B movement,” where liberal women pledge to abstain from relationships with men who supported Trump.
- Movement Backlash: Moderate Democrats say progressive and woke movements are self-defeating, alienating young male voters and many conservative minorities who reject identity politics.
- Conservative Mockery: These reactionary movements have also faced ridicule from conservatives. Particularly the 4B movement, which they say plays into Republican messaging on family values, abstinence, and pro-life advocacy.
- Traditional Democrats: A substantial faction in the party calls for a return to traditional Democratic values over worries about alienating leftist progressives.
Outside observers and those on the right are taking the Democrats’ dramatic loss as a complete rejection of woke politics from the American electorate.
Wokeism is dead.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 8, 2024
Identity politics is dead.
Virtue-signalling is dead.
Trump’s massive win was a total repudiation of all the far-left’s ‘progressive’ (but actually regressive) crap.
Common sense will now return to a world that had gone nuts, and thank god for that.
Election Integrity Worries
Another prominent reaction among Democratic voters centers on suspicions of election irregularities. Some suspect compromised mail-in ballots, voter ID issues, and lost votes are generating may have allowed Republicans to cheat. There are calls for reform, as Democrats grapple with the integrity of the electoral process they once championed.
- Missing Votes: Many view the disparity in voter turnout from 2020 to 2024 as suspicious, raising questions about the missing votes.
- Voter ID and Paper Ballots: In a reversal, some Democrats now call for stricter voter ID laws and paper ballots to ensure election security, a stance traditionally taken by Republicans.
- Perceived Fraud: Numerous comments suggest states Democrats lost correlate with lenient voter ID laws, intensifying voter mistrust and calls for electoral reform.