Donald Trump has secured the presidency once again.

This time, however, it was not through a glitch in the electoral college system or a violent uprising to overturn the election results. It was through none other than the democratic process.

Trump swept all seven swing states expected to decide the election and captured the popular vote. 

Americans have overwhelmingly chosen Trump to champion them through the next four years, abandoning the Democrats in the process. 

The Democrats’ clumsy attempt to mimic Trump’s appeal shows their failure to grasp the roots of his popularity. At every opportunity, the Democrats have chosen to run to the right rather than the left. Progressive policies, which Democrats have largely abandoned, are also incredibly popular. 

If Democrats do not recognize what makes Trump so enticing and change their strategy, they will never win another election.

Defining Progressivism

Progressive values have not hijacked the Democratic party. The Democratic party has abandoned the traditional values it once embodied.

Many voters claim the party has become “too woke.” The people themselves have lost sight of progressivism’s traditional meaning. 

While it is true that social reform is a cornerstone of progressive policy, it is hardly the full story. 

Progressive movements in the U.S. are historically motivated by the desire to make the government work better for the people it represents. The majority of people align with the policies this ideology inspires. 

As the country with the largest economy in the world, many Americans agree that income should not be barring citizens from accessing healthcare.

The same can be said for an increase in the minimum wage, another policy that is largely popular across the states. 

Working-class people decide elections. Yet, Democrats ignore the obvious: tackling wealth inequality is a winning strategy. 

The party which has continuously been labeled as too far-left suspiciously fails to embody any true popular progressive policy. 

Not only is it suspicious, it’s ineffective. These policies are popular and are much more effective strategies when it comes time to win elections. 

The Party of the Establishment

By abandoning the people, Democrats have invited the people to abandon them. 

Harris’ campaign should have spoken to the working American’s pocketbook, rather than wasting effort trying to win over moderate Republicans. 

Progressive economic policies are popular. The majority of Americans want universal healthcare, paid maternity leave, increased federal funding for childcare and for corporations to pay their fair share in taxes.

Instead of focusing on these, Democrats have positioned themselves as the party of the educated elite, leaving behind the working class, particularly in rural America.

Trump’s hollow promises of economic prosperity resonated with Americans disillusioned by the state of the nation’s economy. As wages stagnate and the cost of living rises, many working-class Americans feel increasingly alienated from a political establishment that seems more interested in cultural issues than their day-to-day struggles. 

A viral sentiment claims, “grocery prices being worth more than human rights.” Yet affordable groceries are a human right.

We cannot continue to pretend the working class can afford to worry about climate change while they struggle to put food on the table for their children. 

Listen to The People 

In an attempt to win over Republican voters, Democrats attempted to outdo them at their own game. Not only did this fail to sway voters on the right side of the aisle, it alienated lifelong Democrat voters.  

To win again, Democrats must stop chasing the right and embrace the left. 

Harris supports progressive policies in major ways. She’s adamantly pro-choice in a post-Roe v. Wade America. She supports tax breaks for middle-class Americans and tax credits for families.

But Harris is not a progressive politician.  

Harris’ record reflects a career of harsh criminal prosecution. She also remains stubbornly pro-Israel, refusing to acknowledge the ongoing genocide abetted by the U.S., which has contributed to the deaths of at least 41,800 Palestinians since Oct. 7 of last year.

This was an election driven by economic anxieties, with Americans fixated on rising prices.

While the Biden administration successfully rebuilt the economy by all major metrics, Americans have yet to feel it. 

Americans have rejected this data based simply on “vibes alone,” a metric that is difficult to disprove in a graph. 

The Harris campaign failed to acknowledge how Americans were feeling. In contrast, Americans had a much easier time identifying with Trump. Despite having arguably worse economic proposals, Trump at least represented how the country is feeling through his constant attack on the state of the union. 

True liberation is found in community, love, dependence and organization.  

Democrats won’t win as a watered-down version of traditional Republicans. 

Even as Utah bruises red as we traditionally have, it is important to remember no election is merely black and white or blue and red. We must see beyond the electoral map. 

The next chapter in American politics will not be easy, but it is one that we must face head-on. The fight for a better future is never over. 

It is up to us—journalists, citizens and activists—to ensure that the values of democracy and justice continue to guide this nation, even as the forces of regression seek to tear them down. 

The Daily Utah Chronicle Editorial Board is a group of senior opinion journalists who rely on research and debate to write staff editorials. Editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board and are written separately from the newsroom. The Fall 2024 Editorial Board members are Morgan Champine, Lexi Hall, Elizabeth Griffee, Matthew Timpa and Samantha Reagan.