A painfully astute article. This country has denied the Presidency to two qualified women - Clinton and Harris. Both defeated by Donald Trump, the least qualified person imaginable. Is it the campaigns, the candidates? No! I fear it is us as Americans!
This point cannot be overstated. The country chose TWICE between an exceedingly qualified woman and an unqualified business con man, fabricated into a reality television "success" by the producers of Apprentice. There's no question that race plays a significant role. Even so, misogyny seems to be the greater evil.
We deserve the Hell we will get with the next Trump administration. Sexism and racism built the Elitist system so it’s fitting that they destroy it as well
Excellent essay and I can't wait for Part II. You wondered why the questions of race and gender have not really been discussed in regards to the 2024 election even though we all know why. Most of the people who are on talk shows, the people who interview them, the people who write the columns, and essays about why Democrats lost the election, the owners of legacy media are white men who don't think about or write about race and gender because they don't have to think about it or recognize the consequences of systemic racism and misogyny. They also ignore it because it's very difficult to write acknowledge and write about it. Heaven forbid someone label them as "woke". They also can't point to polls because who's going to admit that they're racist and/or misogynistic. How would get to that data?
As you point out, given the nature of the Republican attacks on her -- DEI, "stupid", etc. -- this piece hits a bullseye that most pundits still have a gigantic, almost willful blind spot for.
Thank you for this. So many black women were hopeful during her campaign, yet heartbroken with the loss. No matter how good and qualified you are, you will forever be labeled as not smart enough, qualified enough, black enough, or too black, etc… In other words, never enough.
Thank you for this essay. It is right on target. I am so disgusted by the way the media is covering this election by not asking any of the critically important questions raised in this piece. I have sent emails complaining and have gone on a mainstream media news diet because it is just too infuriating to watch them blame everything but the most obvious reason for the outcome of this election. Additionally they don’t include in their analysis the effect that all the voter suppression efforts had on the election.
Thank you for your searing and necessary essay on the glaring erasure of race and gender from the post-election analysis of 2024. Your insights expose the deliberate gaslighting embedded in much of the public discourse—a pattern that has not only persisted but has deepened with this most recent election.
The historic nature of Vice President Harris’ candidacy, coupled with the overtly racist and misogynistic attacks she endured, should have been at the center of post-election narratives. Instead, mainstream punditry buried these realities under tired and reductive explanations about “identity politics,” “economic anxiety,” and supposed flaws in the Democratic Party’s messaging. This omission is not just a failure of analysis—it’s a deliberate choice to sideline the very truths that define our democracy’s fragility.
As you so powerfully argued, Harris’ identity as a Black and Indian woman—and the unapologetic way she embraced it—was weaponized against her. Trump’s relentless, racist, and misogynistic attacks, amplified by his supporters and the media, weren’t just vile—they were effective in shaping the narrative. Yet the media’s refusal to confront these attacks head-on, or to name them for what they were, reveals a troubling willingness to excuse white voters’ preference for authoritarianism over democracy.
This erasure perpetuates the MAGA narrative that emboldens assaults on all marginalized groups—women, people with disabilities, People of Color, and the LGBTQ+ community, which collectively make up a significant portion of our population. Women constitute approximately 50.5% of the U.S. population.
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
People of Color represent about 40% of the population.
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
Approximately 8.9% of Americans under 65 have a disability.
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
Estimates suggest that around 7.1% of adults identify as LGBTQ+.
WIKIPEDIA
Notably, about 40% of LGBTQ+ adults are People of Color.
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
By ignoring the ways in which this election further normalized these attacks, pundits and analysts are complicit in the continued targeting of these groups. They allow the forces of white supremacy and patriarchal dominance to continue unchecked, placing millions of lives at risk.
Your essay’s focus on the recklessness of the majority of white voters in this election is both bold and necessary. Despite Trump’s clear disqualifications—his 34 felony convictions, his authoritarian rhetoric, and his blatant disdain for democratic norms—white voters once again chose him. Why? The go-to explanation of “economic anxiety” rings hollow, especially when Black and Latina voters, many of whom face even greater economic pressures, overwhelmingly rejected Trump. What this election reveals is a deeper truth: a significant portion of the white electorate prioritizes preserving racial and gender hierarchies over the survival of democracy itself.
This gaslighting—the insistence that Harris’ identity is a liability or that issues like reproductive rights are “divisive”—is not new. It perpetuates the narrative that women of color in leadership must downplay who they are to be taken seriously. Worse, it erases the historic significance of Harris’ candidacy for the millions who saw her as a symbol of progress and possibility. This is a profound disservice, not just to Harris but to every voter who supported her vision of an inclusive and just democracy.
Your essay rightly frames this erasure as a choice—a deliberate decision to maintain the status quo and avoid holding white voters accountable for their role in our democratic backsliding. By ignoring the role of race and gender, the media and pundits fail to address the root causes of this election’s outcome. They deny the reality that our democracy remains deeply shaped by systemic racism and sexism, and they obscure the urgent need to confront these forces if we are to move forward as a nation.
Your work reminds us that we cannot afford to accept this erasure. The story of 2024 is not just about Kamala Harris’ loss or Donald Trump’s win—it is about what their campaigns revealed about the soul of this nation. If we are to preserve our democracy, we must confront the hard truths about who we are and who we want to become.
Thank you for refusing to let these truths be buried. Your voice is a beacon in a time when clarity and courage are desperately needed.
Elaine, your response resonates deeply with the frustrations I’ve felt observing this election as an outsider. The deliberate erasure of race and gender from post-election analysis is indeed a glaring issue, and your articulation of this dynamic strikes at the heart of what many have struggled to voice.
What stands out most in your comment is how you connect Harris’ unapologetic embrace of her identity to the overt racism and misogyny weaponized against her. This framing exposes the calculated nature of these attacks—not just as tactics against one candidate but as part of a broader strategy to preserve entrenched hierarchies. As you point out, the media’s complicity in normalizing this narrative has devastating consequences, emboldening systemic oppression and diminishing the significance of Harris’ historic campaign.
Your emphasis on the recklessness of the majority of white voters—and their prioritization of hierarchy over democracy—is bold and necessary. It lays bare the disconnect between the oft-cited “economic anxiety” of these voters and the overwhelming rejection of Trump by marginalized communities facing greater economic struggles. This stark contradiction is a crucial piece of the puzzle that pundits have willfully ignored.
Thank you for highlighting the broader implications of this erasure—not just for Harris but for the millions of marginalized people targeted by these assaults. Your clarity and refusal to accept these narratives offer a powerful call to hold systems accountable and to confront the truths this election has laid bare.
Your words inspire me to reflect on how this reckoning must extend beyond commentary and into actionable change. This is not just about analysis; it’s about survival and progress. Thank you for your insight and for amplifying the urgency of this moment.
Thank you for expressing my thoughts better than I ever could. You are the only professional spokeswoman to nail these reasons for election results.
Im an 80+ yo retired female sociologist and I remain shocked and fed up with corporate media and journalists utter failure to address these factors. I’ve stopped watching cable news and stopped reading corporate media, focusing instead on selected substacks like yours and a few others. Keep up good work. I look forward to next part and your insights about where we go from here.
Thank you for this powerful essay. As an octogenarian white male voter, I voted for Harris, because facts, logic, and patriotism compelled me to do so. The election of Trump makes me wonder if the country is redeemable. We must proceed on the assumption that it still is, or we are truly lost.
Right after the election, Joy Reid said many of these same things on an MSNBC program, and Claire McCaskill said she disagreed with the analysis, thereby proving your point. It's so clear to me that Harris ran an amazing campaign and lost for 3 main reasons: racism, misogyny and the right wing media echo chamber that was so effective.
Racism and sexism is what happened to VP Harris. Claire McCaskill is the typical privileged white woman who has been trained to defend and uplift the white male patriarchy.
Harris, being 1) a woman and 2) a woman of color, personified the population that has been dominated and oppressed for centuries and the white majority feared retribution for the sins that she, as a mirror, reflects on to them. The saying “when you are privileged, making things equal feels like oppression” comes to mind.
You put it much more nicely. The root of the racist heart is fear. They know they are wrong. The rationalizations they hid behind do not hold when examined by intelligent or conscientious examination. It's not the economy, it's the ignorance. And the willingness to remain ignorant instead of having to face the facts.
To avoid considering giving up privilege our oppression, I think it might be helpful to spend more time examining realistically what is a privilege and what is not. Does giving up a privilege transfer that privilege to another person? Better to think in terms of "how do we provide this privilege for everyone?" and measure in terms of things we can measure: income, education, and benefits. And simple courtesy.
This was spot on. I've been saying this since Nov 6th. Anyone who says they voted for him because of their economic concerns, that was code for "I'm really a misogynistic racist!" We live in a country that originated the very concept of "race." We systematized and legalized racism and discrimination. The Nazis used Jim Crow as their template for the Holocaust! I'm mad at myself for believing that we had become better as humans and as a country. But...we have not!
I do not hear anyone mention what she accomplished in a few short months. Trump has 4 years to message and massage his base. He did not win by a landslide. Why do we not hear of the role time has played here?
This makes 100% sense to me. While trump voters are not a monolith, and there were many reasons, also including profound ignorance (is BIden still in the race?) , gender and race were front and center (even if not consciously acknowledged ) in the election's horrendous outcome.
Kamala Harris was our Happy Warrior who accomplished in a mere, highly pressurized 107 days what most candidates plan over two long years.
As far as the Democrats not catering to labor? I have a two word answer to that charge: Sherrod Brown.
Sherrod Brown represents EXACTLY the "working-man," sweat-off-the-workers' back labor unions that these analysts say we ignore.
Sherrod Brown, astonishingly, still lost.
With a highly accomplished Statesman, Kamala Harris, against a neo-fascist bottomfeeder, the popular vote should have been overwhelming in Ms. Harris' favor.
I will NOT accept analysis that blames Kamala Harris or any minority or minorities.
Moreover, there seems to be serious talk that our Joyful Warrior, Kamala Harris, would be the next Governor of California.
Kamala Harris is a statesman, and Armando has best hopes for her in the future.
Whatever Ms. Harris chooses -- and I hope it is in political leadership -- she has my enthusiastic, joyful support, tomorrow and forever.
And: Your cousin, Gwen Ifill, God rest her dear, dear, good soul, has long been one of my very favorite of persons. Ms. Ifill was a wonderful, gracious, generous and strong person. I absolutely LOVED every time I saw her on TV. I was shocked and sorrowful at the loss of one of our dearest of persons. We love Gwen Ifill forever!
A painfully astute article. This country has denied the Presidency to two qualified women - Clinton and Harris. Both defeated by Donald Trump, the least qualified person imaginable. Is it the campaigns, the candidates? No! I fear it is us as Americans!
This point cannot be overstated. The country chose TWICE between an exceedingly qualified woman and an unqualified business con man, fabricated into a reality television "success" by the producers of Apprentice. There's no question that race plays a significant role. Even so, misogyny seems to be the greater evil.
We deserve the Hell we will get with the next Trump administration. Sexism and racism built the Elitist system so it’s fitting that they destroy it as well
Excellent essay and I can't wait for Part II. You wondered why the questions of race and gender have not really been discussed in regards to the 2024 election even though we all know why. Most of the people who are on talk shows, the people who interview them, the people who write the columns, and essays about why Democrats lost the election, the owners of legacy media are white men who don't think about or write about race and gender because they don't have to think about it or recognize the consequences of systemic racism and misogyny. They also ignore it because it's very difficult to write acknowledge and write about it. Heaven forbid someone label them as "woke". They also can't point to polls because who's going to admit that they're racist and/or misogynistic. How would get to that data?
Facts. Thank you.
As you point out, given the nature of the Republican attacks on her -- DEI, "stupid", etc. -- this piece hits a bullseye that most pundits still have a gigantic, almost willful blind spot for.
Thank you for this. So many black women were hopeful during her campaign, yet heartbroken with the loss. No matter how good and qualified you are, you will forever be labeled as not smart enough, qualified enough, black enough, or too black, etc… In other words, never enough.
Many white women also were hopeful, worked hard, and were heartbroken. Let’s support each other and stay together
53% of White Women voted for Trump.
I found the following info about white women supporting Trump in the last 3 elections:
2016 - 52% of white women voted for Trump
2020 - 55% of white women voted for Trump
2024 - 53% of white women voted for Trump
💯💯💯💯
Not enough. 52% chose a mediocre white man😡
Thank you.
Thank you for this essay. It is right on target. I am so disgusted by the way the media is covering this election by not asking any of the critically important questions raised in this piece. I have sent emails complaining and have gone on a mainstream media news diet because it is just too infuriating to watch them blame everything but the most obvious reason for the outcome of this election. Additionally they don’t include in their analysis the effect that all the voter suppression efforts had on the election.
Absolutely correct.
Thank you for your searing and necessary essay on the glaring erasure of race and gender from the post-election analysis of 2024. Your insights expose the deliberate gaslighting embedded in much of the public discourse—a pattern that has not only persisted but has deepened with this most recent election.
The historic nature of Vice President Harris’ candidacy, coupled with the overtly racist and misogynistic attacks she endured, should have been at the center of post-election narratives. Instead, mainstream punditry buried these realities under tired and reductive explanations about “identity politics,” “economic anxiety,” and supposed flaws in the Democratic Party’s messaging. This omission is not just a failure of analysis—it’s a deliberate choice to sideline the very truths that define our democracy’s fragility.
As you so powerfully argued, Harris’ identity as a Black and Indian woman—and the unapologetic way she embraced it—was weaponized against her. Trump’s relentless, racist, and misogynistic attacks, amplified by his supporters and the media, weren’t just vile—they were effective in shaping the narrative. Yet the media’s refusal to confront these attacks head-on, or to name them for what they were, reveals a troubling willingness to excuse white voters’ preference for authoritarianism over democracy.
This erasure perpetuates the MAGA narrative that emboldens assaults on all marginalized groups—women, people with disabilities, People of Color, and the LGBTQ+ community, which collectively make up a significant portion of our population. Women constitute approximately 50.5% of the U.S. population.
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
People of Color represent about 40% of the population.
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
Approximately 8.9% of Americans under 65 have a disability.
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
Estimates suggest that around 7.1% of adults identify as LGBTQ+.
WIKIPEDIA
Notably, about 40% of LGBTQ+ adults are People of Color.
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
By ignoring the ways in which this election further normalized these attacks, pundits and analysts are complicit in the continued targeting of these groups. They allow the forces of white supremacy and patriarchal dominance to continue unchecked, placing millions of lives at risk.
Your essay’s focus on the recklessness of the majority of white voters in this election is both bold and necessary. Despite Trump’s clear disqualifications—his 34 felony convictions, his authoritarian rhetoric, and his blatant disdain for democratic norms—white voters once again chose him. Why? The go-to explanation of “economic anxiety” rings hollow, especially when Black and Latina voters, many of whom face even greater economic pressures, overwhelmingly rejected Trump. What this election reveals is a deeper truth: a significant portion of the white electorate prioritizes preserving racial and gender hierarchies over the survival of democracy itself.
This gaslighting—the insistence that Harris’ identity is a liability or that issues like reproductive rights are “divisive”—is not new. It perpetuates the narrative that women of color in leadership must downplay who they are to be taken seriously. Worse, it erases the historic significance of Harris’ candidacy for the millions who saw her as a symbol of progress and possibility. This is a profound disservice, not just to Harris but to every voter who supported her vision of an inclusive and just democracy.
Your essay rightly frames this erasure as a choice—a deliberate decision to maintain the status quo and avoid holding white voters accountable for their role in our democratic backsliding. By ignoring the role of race and gender, the media and pundits fail to address the root causes of this election’s outcome. They deny the reality that our democracy remains deeply shaped by systemic racism and sexism, and they obscure the urgent need to confront these forces if we are to move forward as a nation.
Your work reminds us that we cannot afford to accept this erasure. The story of 2024 is not just about Kamala Harris’ loss or Donald Trump’s win—it is about what their campaigns revealed about the soul of this nation. If we are to preserve our democracy, we must confront the hard truths about who we are and who we want to become.
Thank you for refusing to let these truths be buried. Your voice is a beacon in a time when clarity and courage are desperately needed.
With gratitude and admiration, Elaine Cimino
Elaine, your response resonates deeply with the frustrations I’ve felt observing this election as an outsider. The deliberate erasure of race and gender from post-election analysis is indeed a glaring issue, and your articulation of this dynamic strikes at the heart of what many have struggled to voice.
What stands out most in your comment is how you connect Harris’ unapologetic embrace of her identity to the overt racism and misogyny weaponized against her. This framing exposes the calculated nature of these attacks—not just as tactics against one candidate but as part of a broader strategy to preserve entrenched hierarchies. As you point out, the media’s complicity in normalizing this narrative has devastating consequences, emboldening systemic oppression and diminishing the significance of Harris’ historic campaign.
Your emphasis on the recklessness of the majority of white voters—and their prioritization of hierarchy over democracy—is bold and necessary. It lays bare the disconnect between the oft-cited “economic anxiety” of these voters and the overwhelming rejection of Trump by marginalized communities facing greater economic struggles. This stark contradiction is a crucial piece of the puzzle that pundits have willfully ignored.
Thank you for highlighting the broader implications of this erasure—not just for Harris but for the millions of marginalized people targeted by these assaults. Your clarity and refusal to accept these narratives offer a powerful call to hold systems accountable and to confront the truths this election has laid bare.
Your words inspire me to reflect on how this reckoning must extend beyond commentary and into actionable change. This is not just about analysis; it’s about survival and progress. Thank you for your insight and for amplifying the urgency of this moment.
Excellent reply/underscoring. We are being gaslighted and it feels awful.
Excellent. Thank you for adding your comments.
Thank you for expressing my thoughts better than I ever could. You are the only professional spokeswoman to nail these reasons for election results.
Im an 80+ yo retired female sociologist and I remain shocked and fed up with corporate media and journalists utter failure to address these factors. I’ve stopped watching cable news and stopped reading corporate media, focusing instead on selected substacks like yours and a few others. Keep up good work. I look forward to next part and your insights about where we go from here.
Thank you for this powerful essay. As an octogenarian white male voter, I voted for Harris, because facts, logic, and patriotism compelled me to do so. The election of Trump makes me wonder if the country is redeemable. We must proceed on the assumption that it still is, or we are truly lost.
Right after the election, Joy Reid said many of these same things on an MSNBC program, and Claire McCaskill said she disagreed with the analysis, thereby proving your point. It's so clear to me that Harris ran an amazing campaign and lost for 3 main reasons: racism, misogyny and the right wing media echo chamber that was so effective.
Racism and sexism is what happened to VP Harris. Claire McCaskill is the typical privileged white woman who has been trained to defend and uplift the white male patriarchy.
Harris, being 1) a woman and 2) a woman of color, personified the population that has been dominated and oppressed for centuries and the white majority feared retribution for the sins that she, as a mirror, reflects on to them. The saying “when you are privileged, making things equal feels like oppression” comes to mind.
You put it much more nicely. The root of the racist heart is fear. They know they are wrong. The rationalizations they hid behind do not hold when examined by intelligent or conscientious examination. It's not the economy, it's the ignorance. And the willingness to remain ignorant instead of having to face the facts.
To avoid considering giving up privilege our oppression, I think it might be helpful to spend more time examining realistically what is a privilege and what is not. Does giving up a privilege transfer that privilege to another person? Better to think in terms of "how do we provide this privilege for everyone?" and measure in terms of things we can measure: income, education, and benefits. And simple courtesy.
This was spot on. I've been saying this since Nov 6th. Anyone who says they voted for him because of their economic concerns, that was code for "I'm really a misogynistic racist!" We live in a country that originated the very concept of "race." We systematized and legalized racism and discrimination. The Nazis used Jim Crow as their template for the Holocaust! I'm mad at myself for believing that we had become better as humans and as a country. But...we have not!
I do not hear anyone mention what she accomplished in a few short months. Trump has 4 years to message and massage his base. He did not win by a landslide. Why do we not hear of the role time has played here?
. . . amen . . . few seem to include the Kudos to VP Harris for such a great campaign . . .
This makes 100% sense to me. While trump voters are not a monolith, and there were many reasons, also including profound ignorance (is BIden still in the race?) , gender and race were front and center (even if not consciously acknowledged ) in the election's horrendous outcome.
The journalists just refuse to look in the mirror
Sherrilyn Ifill: You state it all so very well.
Kamala Harris was our Happy Warrior who accomplished in a mere, highly pressurized 107 days what most candidates plan over two long years.
As far as the Democrats not catering to labor? I have a two word answer to that charge: Sherrod Brown.
Sherrod Brown represents EXACTLY the "working-man," sweat-off-the-workers' back labor unions that these analysts say we ignore.
Sherrod Brown, astonishingly, still lost.
With a highly accomplished Statesman, Kamala Harris, against a neo-fascist bottomfeeder, the popular vote should have been overwhelming in Ms. Harris' favor.
I will NOT accept analysis that blames Kamala Harris or any minority or minorities.
Moreover, there seems to be serious talk that our Joyful Warrior, Kamala Harris, would be the next Governor of California.
Kamala Harris is a statesman, and Armando has best hopes for her in the future.
Whatever Ms. Harris chooses -- and I hope it is in political leadership -- she has my enthusiastic, joyful support, tomorrow and forever.
And: Your cousin, Gwen Ifill, God rest her dear, dear, good soul, has long been one of my very favorite of persons. Ms. Ifill was a wonderful, gracious, generous and strong person. I absolutely LOVED every time I saw her on TV. I was shocked and sorrowful at the loss of one of our dearest of persons. We love Gwen Ifill forever!
Finally!! Thank you for writing this. You speak truth. Glad you made the time and effort. So very helpful. Even if it hurts a whole lot.