We all know what went down in the 2024 US elections, whether through actual news or internet memes. But one thing is certain. Based on pre-election polls, the results were unexpected, if not outright shocking. In an election that many expected her to dominate, Kamala Harris found herself on the losing side. Was it strategy, policy, or something deeper?
The truth isn’t simple. Rather, her loss was a culmination of multiple factors, each compounding the other.
1. Time Constraint: A Campaign in Crisis
With less than four months to prepare, Harris was racing against time. According to Times of India, she was forced to reverse positions on key policies, including illegal immigration and gender-affirming care, to appeal to a broader audience. This sudden shift eroded trust and left her appearing inconsistent.
2. The Biden Shadow: A Political Burden
Being Biden’s VP, Harris was never seen as an independent candidate. Even Trump framed her as “Biden 2.0”, making it harder for her to establish her own identity. When Biden dropped out after a disastrous debate, Harris was left carrying the baggage of an unpopular presidency. Her inability to clearly differentiate her policies, especially during her ABC interview, cemented doubts about her leadership.
3. Struggles in Reaching Minority Voters
While Harris aimed to be inclusive and open-minded, her policies on minority issues lacked depth. At the same time, her opponent weaponized economic frustration, making direct promises of employment and a better future. Harris failed to counter this with concrete policies, ultimately losing a demographic that should have been her stronghold.
4. Making It About Trump, But Not Effectively
Yes, pointing out your opponent’s flaws can be a strong strategy, Trump himself has mastered it. But Harris’s execution lacked balance. According to Moneycontrol, she intensified her rhetoric, calling Trump a “fascist” and warning of his threat to democracy. While this energized some voters, it also alienated moderates and independents who were looking for substantive policy debates, not just attacks. Perhaps if, instead of focusing on portraying Trump as “unhinged and unstable,” she gave priority to explaining her revolutionary plans and ideas, we could have observed a different outcome.
5. Target Demographics: Appealing to Those Who Couldn’t Vote
Harris’s campaign was largely centered around woke culture, taken further by endorsements from celebrities like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish among others. Which is great in itself. The problem was that this attracted mainly teenagers and young people, most of whom were not even old enough to cast a vote. Her open support for members of the LGBTQ+ community and pro-abortion stance left many conservatives strongly in opposition.
6. Emphasizing the Wrong Policies
While matters of bodily autonomy and self-expression are undoubtedly crucial, they aren’t sufficient to win over an entire population. Simultaneously focusing on policies catering to a larger demographic, like the restoration of the Child Tax Credit and Medicare-for-All among others, could have strengthened her case.
7. America Wouldn’t Vote for a Woman of Color
The last and perhaps the most angering reason for Kamala’s loss is simply the unwillingness to vote for a woman, that too a woman of color. I mean, voting for a convicted felon over a significantly higher qualified candidate due to factors out of her control makes complete sense, doesn’t it?
Final Thoughts
This article isn’t about ridiculing or endorsing either party. It’s about making sense of what happened. Harris’s loss wasn’t just about one election, it reflects deeper structural issues in American politics, from media narratives to voter biases. Whether history views this as an unfortunate defeat or a steppingstone for future progress, only time will tell.
Bibliography:
Why Kamala Harris lost: 5 reasons behind her defeat to Donald Trump
Why Kamala Harris lost to Donald Trump
Where Kamala Harris stands on 10 key policy issues, from immigration to guns
P.S. Please feel free to give your suggestions in the comments, I would really appreciate it and improve my work accordingly 🙂