Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series examining the 2024 election results and what they reveal about America’s evolving political landscape. The American Salient delves into the disconnect between Democrats’ campaign messaging and the concerns of average Americans.
It’s no secret that 2024 was a rough year for the Democrats. Their strategy? Bank everything on fearmongering, “joy and unity,” and, when in doubt, dust off the “Trump is a threat to democracy” playbook. Yet, from day one, the Harris-Walz ticket felt like a hail Mary—a campaign desperately trying to patch up a ship that had already hit the iceberg.
Harris and Walz banked on negativity, conjuring a dystopian vision of Trump as a power-mad tyrant and themselves as the final firewall against fascism. But their alarmist pitch floundered when voters considered how hollow and hypocritical it sounded. In reality, the Democrats’ own conduct over the past several years hardly inspired confidence in their claims of unity, freedom, or fairness.
An Out-of-Touch Strategy and an Uninspiring VP
In a nutshell, Democrats spent 2024 telling voters that Trump was angry, dangerous, and unhinged. They told us he was consumed with grievances and would rule with an iron fist. Ironically, it was the Harris-Walz campaign that leaned heavily on attacks, grievances, and thinly veiled bitterness. Their messaging, all delivered in ominous tones, felt about as joyful as a root canal and as unifying as a fire drill. The campaign seemed to forget that Americans vote on issues—not character attacks and hollow fear campaigns.
And then there’s Tim Walz. If the goal was to find a running mate who wouldn’t rock the boat, the Democrats somehow managed to choose a candidate springing leaks all on his own. Walz’s record as governor read more like a comedy of errors than a resumé for the vice presidency. His public presence lacked the gravitas voters expect, while his own “knucklehead” self-description seemed, unfortunately, right on target. Here was a governor whose handling of the George Floyd riots left Minnesotans questioning his judgment—especially after his wife, Minnesota’s First Lady Gwen Walz, famously said she kept the windows open to “smell the burning tires,” describing it as a “touchstone” of the events.
The choice carried a certain George O’Leary flair, as stories emerged of alleged resume-padding and accusations of “stolen valor,” which prompted critics to view him with more contempt than confidence. The one rule of picking a VP is, after all, “do no harm.” Walz did plenty of it. His tough-guy posturing, starkly at odds with Minnesota’s reputation for calm “nice,” quickly wore thin, making him a glaring liability. This VP pick was, simply put, a lapse in judgment, an epic failure of vetting—and the Democrats paid dearly for it.
Hollow Unity and Forgotten Issues
If the Democrats thought “unity” could replace a platform, they were sorely mistaken. Their campaign missed an opportunity to focus on substantive issues. Voters wanted policies on inflation, security, and the economy—problems that keep regular Americans up at night. Yet, Harris and Walz delivered recycled slogans, a vague promise of “not being Trump,” and a tone of condescension aimed at any voter who didn’t toe their party line. It’s as though they thought their vague nod to “unity” would gloss over the complete lack of real solutions for middle-class families.
Harris’s inability to connect with regular Americans was particularly stark. In a time when people are paying more for groceries, feeling less safe on their streets, and worrying about their children’s education, Kamala Harris lectured America on “fighting fascism.” Fascism? Most Americans were more concerned about fighting inflation or simply keeping their jobs. The Democrats’ disconnect became painfully clear as they struggled to answer the questions voters actually asked.
Legacy Media’s Blind Support
Of course, legacy media took their role as campaign cheerleaders seriously. Day after day, major outlets parroted Harris and Walz’s warnings about Trump’s so-called authoritarian ambitions. Yet, as the votes rolled in, their narrative didn’t hold water, and viewers were left scratching their heads. Why the relentless focus on apocalyptic warnings instead of issues that mattered to people’s day-to-day lives?
I watched this unfold in real time, tuning in to the usual media suspects who acted more like PR reps than journalists. The lack of substance in their analysis would have been funny if it weren’t so disappointing. The media seemed utterly disconnected from the concerns of regular Americans, reinforcing the notion that they’d rather serve as the mouthpiece of the political elite than hold them accountable.
The Democrat Disconnect: Lessons Left Unlearned
What this election demonstrated was that Democrats miscalculated, leaning on empty words and candidates who felt more like mannequins than leaders. Harris and Walz managed to alienate swaths of voters they desperately needed, from working-class families to suburban women to a wide range of independents. And what’s more, their attempt to paint Trump as an existential threat fell flat, revealing a party that couldn’t articulate a vision beyond not being Donald Trump.
The Democrats would be wise to listen to moderate voices within their own ranks instead of pursuing a path that increasingly caters to left-leaning urban elites. Their agenda may resonate on the coasts and in a few big cities, but it alienates almost everyone else. If Democrats ignore this lesson, they may soon find themselves as a rump minority—a party sidelined, isolated, and unable to move beyond empty promises and unconvincing candidates.
As we move forward, Republicans have an opportunity to solidify a generational shift in American politics. With Democrats caught in an identity crisis and a failed strategy of fear-based campaigns, the conservative platform can focus on actionable issues, real solutions, and a message that connects with the majority of Americans. Harris and Walz’s loss should be a cautionary tale for any future candidate who thinks the American people will accept style over substance, or unity rhetoric over real solutions.
The 2024 election wasn’t just a defeat for Harris and Walz—it was a rejection of an elitist ideology that dismissed the everyday struggles of Americans. If the Democrats ignore this lesson, they risk being relegated to a party of regional support, cut off from the values that unite most Americans.
Charlton Allen is the founder and editor-in-chief of The American Salient and the founder of the Madison Center for Law & Liberty, Inc. Learn more about him at charltonallen.org.
