Opinion | He-Donnit: Why Donald trumped the left-liberal favorite Kamala

Last updated:November 06, 2024, 9:15 PM IST

In the end, it wasn't the better candidate who won. It is the candidate who was more open

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. (File image/AP)

Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States of America. To say he defied all odds would be a gross understatement. The former president cheated death twice after assassins failed to eliminate him. Trump has defied history to become only the second candidate in 132 years to stage a comeback after losing a bid for a second term. Trump fought against laws that posed an existential threat to his freedom. Not only was Trump campaigning against Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party, but he was an alleged smear campaign by the mainstream press, Marxists, and woke establishment types who were fond of calling him a fascist-racist threat to democracy.

In fact, the Democrats' campaign in the US election mirrored almost word for word all the derogatory labels that the BJP's rival ecosystem here in India applied to Narendra Modi earlier this year.

In the end, both Modi and Trump won. This is largely because they were running against candidates Rahul Gandhi and Kamala Harris, who were seen as not staying true to their message.

Since this is Trump's moment, we're left with the question of why voters saw through Kamala Harris.

Kamala Harris pretended to be the great hope of left-wing liberals, but she didn't act like it.

Harris continued to talk about the benefits of an inclusive democracy and the threat to the liberal order posed by her opponent. But when it came to demonstrating her commitment, she remained silent. This is particularly true when an elected government in Bangladesh has been overthrown by an anarchist-Islamist cabal with no respect for democracy or pluralism. The example of Bangladesh is particularly relevant as the interim ruler installed is believed to be an American puppet close to Biden-Harris.

At least Trump took a stand on Bangladesh and, last but not least, referred to the strong Hinduphobia that accompanied the regime change.

When it came to India, Biden-Harris failed New Delhi by refusing to act against Sikh extremists who wanted to overturn the mandate of a democratically elected government.

Harris preached human rights from every available lectern, but then failed to intervene forcefully enough to protect them in Gaza. This despite the fact that their base is marching through university campuses and calling for sanctions against Israel. Is there a greater hypocrisy than this?

Harris failed to reconcile the views of certain socially and religiously conservative minority supporters with the radical gender politics of the party's woke base. How could she expect that Muslim voters, for example God-fearing Christian working-class voters, would support her democratic LGBTQI champions when the foundations of Abrahamic traditions view same-sex unions as blasphemous?

Kamala Harris spoke about freedom of speech and expression, but had no issues with the rampant cancel culture that perpetuates the censored underbelly of the left-wing ecosystem. Harris has no qualms about basking in the warm afterglow of sycophantic support from the mainstream media that pushed a motivated anti-Trump narrative. Not once did Harris consider the damage done to the cause of democracy by propaganda masquerading as editorial objectivity.

As for the other trigger – gun ownership – Biden-Harris has not used his time in office to tighten arms control laws. Worse, as the campaign progressed, Harris tried to pose as a gun owner and lend credibility to her appearance with George W. Bush's favorite hunting brother, Dick Cheney.

In the end, perhaps disillusioned, she even abandoned Harris's base. It's telling that Harris didn't outperform Biden in a single blue state.

So much so that it is Trump who emerged with minority votes — the support of black and Latino men, Asian Americans and even Muslim Americans. What will really annoy Kamala is the fact that fewer women voted for her than for her predecessor, Joe Biden. All of this led to Trump even winning the popular vote. A performance that makes him look more legitimate than ever.

In the end, it wasn't the better candidate who won. It is the candidate who was more open. Even if that means shedding the fig leaf of political correctness, the mainstay of basic decency in politics.