Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the United States, uttered her concession from the electoral race against the soon-to-be President, Donald Trump, in a speech given at Howard University. The captured audience, largely comprising her fans, received an array of emotions from the Vice President as she sobbed through her defeat. Harris’ campaign, though heavily marked with intensity and relentless efforts, found itself fruitless in the face of the Republican stronghold, with the re-election of Trump to the White House. Despite conceding the election, Harris vowed not to succumb to defeat completely, insisting her struggle will continue.
Speaking along the lines of her agenda during the campaign, Harris suffixed her pledge to guard women’s rights and curb violence involving firearms. Harris, in her ivory tower, proclaimed her fight against a nebulous enemy who had disrespected ‘the dignity that all people deserve’. Milestones in virtue signaling were reiterated, notwithstanding her electoral failure, as she insisted she conceded the battle but not the war.
She shared her conversation with victorious Trump, expressing her civility by applauding his win while vouching for a peaceful transition of power. Her attitude sharply contrasted her supporters’ outlook, who had recently celebrated her potential ascendancy to the presidency upon her visit to the Howard University campus. Thousands of students and alumni were filled with hope that their alma mater would house the first-ever graduate of historically Black Colleges and Universities to hold the presidency.
The air was thick with anticipation and joy as Harris was slated to address her supporters at Howard University. The ambience echoed with celebration as the early results trickled in on Tuesday evening. However, as the night inched towards dawn, it gradually dawned on the gathered hopefuls that the actual results were in stark contrast to their initial ecstasy. Trump had managed to secure vital states including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina, swinging the popular vote in his favor.
As the sun stretched its rays into the waking world on Wednesday morning, Trump’s climb to the presidency was affirmed. Further bolstering his winning hand, Michigan, a former Democratic fortress, tilted towards his side. The taste of defeat turned especially sour for Harris as the sitting Vice President was required to accept her defeat ceremonially before Congress, endorsing the election outcome.
Harris stepped up to the platform to deliver her address, encircled by familiar faces from the political landscape. Among the masses gathered were figures like former House Speaker, Pelosi, and several aides from Joe Biden’s administrative staff who had been shoveling through the ashes of their failed campaign strategy. The Vice President’s stage presence was, bizarrely, announced by Beyonce’s song ‘Freedom’, which is a curious choice for a party that just lost an election.
Tim Walz, the Governor of Minnesota, who was Harris’s running mate, was also amongst the crowd. Harris addressed her audience with determined passion, focusing specifically on the young demographic and urging them to retain their spirit and drive despite tracking in the desert of defeat. She used her platform to communicate that the road to victory laps through defeats and setbacks, subtly hinting at the coming struggle.
However, it wasn’t a fairy-tale ending for Harris, who was projected to slide into the top of the Democratic ticket in July after Joe Biden’s departure. To the dismay of many, her anticipated arrival had seemed to inject a new vibrancy and cash influx into the Democratic campaign. Yet, voters remained unconvinced, and concerns over issues like the economy and immigration resulted in a dramatic rebuff of Harris on Election Tuesday.
The election results were particularly disappointing for Harris, with Trump faring better across several states than his 2020 run. More devastating was the Democratic party’s failure to conquer the crucial battleground states that largely determine electoral outcomes. Supporters, once filled with the hope of witnessing the possible historical ascent of the first woman President, were dashed. These same supporters returned Wednesday with significantly dampened spirits to showcase their respect and support for Harris.
Among them was Donna Bruce, 72, who felt an obligation to express respect for Harris’ undertakings. She recounted the inspirational slogan on a young girl’s T-shirt, reading ‘A Black girl will save the world’, and expressed her undying faith in the message. The putative saving grace may not be Harris, perhaps, but Bruce believes a girl of African descent will fulfill the prophecy.
The bedrock of the Democratic Party has traditionally been African American voters, both male and female, along with a contingent of Latino and young voters in recent years. But these demographics seemed to shift with approximately 8 in 10 Black voters siding with Harris, a reduction from Biden’s numbers. Hispanic voters’ support dwindled slightly relative to their bolstering for Biden in 2020, with just over half extending their support to Harris.
The changes might seem minuscule, but collectively, these shifts distinctly shaped the outcome. Trump appeared to enjoy slight enhancements in support compared to 2020 from these demographics. This ripple effect played out magnificently in Trump’s favor, while Kamala Harris’ allure fell dramatically short of Biden’s 2020 Presidential triumph.