Podcaster's Populist Prescription

James Carville has spent the better part of the last few weeks arguing "woke" was responsible for the resounding defeat of the Democratic Party in this election cycle. In one instance

Carville said what "killed" the Democrats in these elections was a "sense of dishonor" among the electorate, part of which, he said, "was the unfortunate events of what I would refer to as the woke era."

"We got beyond it," he said. "But the image stuck in people's minds that the Democrats wanted to defund the police, wanted to empty prisons...it created a sense of dishonor."

In another, in which Carville delivered a similar message, the veteran party strategist denounced Jon Stewart's take on the election. In turn, Kyle Kulinski noted

So in other words- in other words- Kamlala and other Democrats ran the platonic ideal of the non-woke Democrat campaign. But yet, they're still saying that wokeness is the problem. It's not- kamala, as I pointed out a thousand times- Kamala nevr mentioned race, Kamala never mentioned gender, Kamala never mentined LatinX or trans people or political correctness or cancel culture. She didn't mention any of that. She ran on freedom, she ran on patriotism, she repeatedly stressed that she'd represent all Americans. She ran right-wing on the border. So in ther words, the Democrats do exacctly what people like James Carville wanted them to do and then he's like "well, you should have somehow done it more like I wanted you to do it even though you did it exactly like I wanted you to do it."

Kulinski emphasizes that Kamala Harris ran it their way. As with most other Democrats, she did not run a Frank Sinatra "I did it my way" campaign. She ran as the ex-prosecutor who would blow away anyone who broke into her home and would "focus... on porotecting women and children from violent crime." . As "the president for all Americans, she would usher in an "opportunity society" available to Democrats, Republicans, independents, and everyone who admires the post-partisan patriotism of a Liz Cheney

The sitting vice president didn't run a "woke" campaign, nor did more than one or two Democrats outside of a very fewin  extremely safe congressional districts. (Think a Rashid Tlaib-like district.).  Regrettably- and unfortunately, understandably- neither Kulinski nor Carville acknowledges that the Vice President did not need to run a "woke" campaign.

Harris became the vice presidential nominee, thereafter vice president-elect, in 2020 because she is a black woman. In 2024 she was elevated suddenly and swiftly, though with concern from Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and a few other leaders- to the top of the ticket.  She is a black woman who, deservedly or otherwise, became the party's nominee without any potential candidate opposing her. She was the embodiment of the possibility of overcoming racial and sexual (or gender, if you prefer) obstacles to achieve a position and status few others, and no black women, have.

She didn't have to go "woke" and didn't, and neither did virtually any other Democrat who lost. Kulinski understands the theme a Democratic presidential candidate (and ones down-ballot) could have struck when he explains

So in other words, you need to counter the immigrants and trans people are the problem with "no, it's the financial elites, it's Wall Street, it's the billionaires. They're the problem. They've bought the government, they've rigged the government. That's why it doesn't represent you anymore. That's why we don't have a higher minimum wage. That's why we don't have the PRO Act. That's why we don't have higher taxes on the wealthy. That's why we don't have universal health care." That's the argument.

Voters are justifiably disgruntled and believe the deck is stacked against them, rigged in favor of some groups at their expense. The key for Democrats is to give voters an alternative narrative without undermining their own support among the groups essential to the Democratic coalition. They include ; the black community; the LGBTQIA community, the de jure boogeyman of conservatives; and legal immigrants, whom many people believe are taking jobs others should have, benefits they don't deserve, or are diluting their own vote. Or all of that.

The Democratic Party is identified in the public mind with these groups. Yet, without their support, the Party is dead in the water. Democrats must identify with widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo across ethnic, sexual, economic, and geographic lines. Otherwise, voters will continue to respond to  Republicans who want them to punch down at ethnic minorities, the poor, or even other middle-class which many are wont to do.  If Democrats can focus on those financial elite-, on Wall Street, in Silicon Valley, and elsewhere- they'll be on the right track while on the left track. 

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