Before heading to the US for the elections, we were gearing up for what seemed like a derby. The polls were tight, key states evenly divided, complete with wheel cages, blue (and red) robes, and flaming bombs. There were fan movements, smoke bombs, overtime, and sudden-death penalties at the 180-minute mark.
And the truth is that, yeah, we bought it.
“Should we fly back on Wednesday?” we wondered. “It might be too early; The race will come down to the vote; maybe Thursday’s better so we can have a clearer picture.” The winner won’t be announced before Friday, and we’ll miss the whole thing.” “I say we stay through the weekend to catch the first reactions.” Good idea, boss.
So, what did we end up experiencing? Three hours of (mild) suspense and two days of (total) letdown. The derby was already 3-0 by halftime and on track for a complete blowout.
By 2 a.m., Trump had sprayed, swayed, and slayed through everything, setting the stage for a major comeback. And that’s exactly what happened. After dominating across the board, he’s back, marking one of the most striking political comebacks in U.S. history. He’s here, stronger than ever, and that’s undeniable.
So, leaving behind the fairytale of a close race and trying to understand how we got to this, we read analyses, watched programs, took to the streets, and spoke with people. The reasons are numerous, and fully exploring them would fill pages.
And the more you pretend it’s just rain, the more the path opens for far-right populism. Until one Tuesday night, you’ll see it sitting right where you once sat
Economy, inflation, rising costs, wars, police violence, insecurity, Latinos, minorities, young people, general discontent, rights, and a democracy in crisis. Ongoing genocide, division, unemployment, immigration issues, fanaticism, scandals, corruption, poverty, and inequality.
And as long as you show that you can’t or won’t address some of these issues—because that would mean clashing with the interests of your backers, namely capital—people will keep spitting at you, and you’ll keep pretending it’s just raining.
And the more you pretend it’s just raining, the more the path opens for far-right populism. Until one Tuesday night, you’ll see it sitting right where you once sat.
At first, you’ll feel a bit uncomfortable because you believe you’re not the same (and on some issues, you truly aren’t). But eventually, you’ll admit defeat and make some compromises. After all, you know it’s better to step aside for a while than to risk even a minor clash with capital. You’re not a fool, after all; both of you serve the same interests. You just need to maintain some balance.
They chose to support Biden almost to the end despite knowing his chances of re-election were slim.
And that’s exactly what happened here. For four years, the Democrats, unwilling to “break a few eggs,” systematically silenced any internal dissent. They ignored the working class and minority groups (Latinos, Black communities), and those groups, in turn, ignored them. They also brushed off the mass protests from students and parts of the American public calling for an end to support for Israel, and so those groups turned their backs on them too.
They chose to support Biden almost to the end despite knowing his chances of re-election were slim. They avoided the risk of bringing in someone new who might offer solutions, as that would mean even a minor clash with those “at the top.” Because, let’s face it, a complete break isn’t really an option.
They put Harris in the game at the last minute to save face, but the damage was already done—and they had brought it on themselves.
In most people’s minds, Harris was just “more of the same.” Given the choice between “more of the same dressed up as new” and “the old guard with a dash of chaos,” people chose the latter—likely with tragic consequences, more on the inside than the outside.
To avoid getting to this point, a few eggs should have been broken from the start. Because you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.
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