Kamala Harris deserved better — and there’s no easy explanation for why she didn’t get it

She deserved better.

Kamala Harris lost by such a large margin that there is no point in me looking for reasons at this point. Certainly not because of the one clear mistake her campaign made that would have been a panacea in the race. Over time we will find explanations. But they will probably not be the reasons that are our priority. Except my earlier one. She’s a black woman — and no, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Trump’s two victories came over female candidates.

Yes, there are more reasons, and we will find them. But when I saw Harris concede on Wednesday at her alma mater at Howard University, where her victory party was held last night, I simply couldn’t blame her for anything. I called her flawless on social media last night, but that’s lame; no one is flawless. But consider how convincingly she succeeded in her 106-day campaign: in eroding the electoral divide between her and Trump as soon as she was nominated; by wiping the floor with Trump in her only debate against him; at the convention; by raising more money, much more from small donors, than the Trump campaign did; in her ground game. If Glenn Thrush said it“Democrats have thoroughly controlled the forms and conventions of mainstream American politics… One problem: there is no such thing as normal American politics anymore.”

At the same time, she made major arguments about the future of democracy invest millions in reaching voters with advertisements on the cost of groceries and prescription drugs, and a truly transformative proposal to expand Medicare to include home health care. Should she have put more distance between herself and Joe Biden? Biden was hailed throughout his term as the most labor-friendly president since FDR, for appointing agency heads that aggressively protected workers and consumers and for passing legislation that would invest billions of dollars in on-shoring jobs. There are no easy answers here, and I think this week is about mourning, anger, and rallying ourselves for the long battle ahead. The people who elected Trump may not be okay with fascism, but that is what awaits us if we are not ready to fight back.

I had to make a round trip from Harris’ non-victory party Tuesday night to her concession speech Wednesday afternoon. It was quite devastating. There were many people crying. I might have been there. The crowd was so large that I couldn’t find my daughter and her friend, yet there was a large empty space in the center of the courtyard that seemed to symbolize all the people who had told the pollsters they were rooting for Harris would vote, but in the end no.

But Harris kept her head high, so we should too.

Of course, she did not threaten an uprising:

“A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the outcome,” she said. “That principle, like any other principle, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. And anyone who seeks public trust must respect that.”

But she continued, “At the same time, in our country we owe loyalty not to any president or party, but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God. My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say: While I concede this election, I will not concede the fight that this campaign has ignited – the fight: the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people. . A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up.”

I found this next rumination poignant and yet a little sad.

“The adage goes: only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. I know many people feel that we are entering a dark time, but for the sake of all of us, I hope that is not the case. But the point is, America, if so, let’s fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion stars.”

I don’t actually know how we do that. There is no way to mitigate these results; there is no way to find a silver lining in an environment where the work to be done against fascism, and for rights, equality and dignity for all, is so monumental. I could only take solace in a small moment of human connection with Howard, a moment that made me glad I made the tour. An adorable black toddler ran away and threw herself into my arms. Her mother said her name was Joan (without knowing my name). As I stood there with this bundle of joy in my hands, her mother told me that her Joan is very shy and never does anything like that. Maybe this Joan will make the world a better place. We didn’t do that for her in this election, but we can’t stop trying.

We cannot back down

We are now faced with a second Trump presidency.

There is not a moment to lose. We must harness our fears, our sadness, and yes, our anger, to resist the dangerous policies that Donald Trump will unleash on our country. We rededicate ourselves to our roles as journalists and writers with principles and conscience.

Today we also prepare for the battle ahead. It will require a fearless mind, an informed mind, wise analysis and human resistance. We face the introduction of Project 2025, a far-right Supreme Court, political authoritarianism, rising inequality and unprecedented homelessness, a looming climate crisis and conflict abroad. The nation will uncover investigative reporting and proposals, and work together as a community to keep hope and possibility alive. The nation‘s work will continue – as it has done in good times and bad – to develop alternative ideas and visions, to deepen our mission of truth-telling and in-depth reporting, and to promote solidarity in a divided nation .

Armed with a remarkable 160 years of bold, independent journalism, our mandate today remains the same as it was when the abolitionists first founded The nation– to uphold the principles of democracy and freedom, to serve as a beacon in the darkest days of resistance, and to envision and fight for a better future.

The day is dark, the forces are tenacious, but just as late Nation editorial board member Toni Morrison wrote: “No! This is exactly the moment when artists get to work. There is no time for despair, no room for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”

I urge you to stick with it The nation and donate today.

Furthermore,

Katrina van den Heuvel
Editorial director and publisher, The nation

Joan Walsh

Joan Walsh, national affairs correspondent for The nationis co-producer of The sit-in: Harry Belafonte hosts the Tonight Show and the author of What’s wrong with white people? Finding our way in the next America. Her new book (with Nick Hanauer and Donald Cohen) is Corporate Bullsh*t: Exposing the lies and half-truths that protect profit, power and wealth in America.

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