In the wake of Donald Trump’s unexpectedly sizable victory over Kamala Harris in the recent election, esteemed comedian Jon Stewart delivered a pointed commentary lasting 15 minutes. The backlash to the election outcomes has been heavily geared towards the Democratic Party, with pundits accusing them of subscribing ‘too much to wokeness’. Despite polls suggesting a tight race between Trump and Harris, Trump emerged triumphant, winning seven crucial swing states and recapturing the White House. Stewart, seized the opportunity to question the accuracy of poll data in his show’s final segment on election night, which had, until then, indicated a closely contested battle.
Ever since the election results came in, confirming Trump’s victory, Stewart’s show has become a platform for criticizing analysts who are intent on finding the cause behind the Democrats’ lackluster performance. He presented a series of clips from different American news networks in which pundits attributed the Democrats’ downfall to their too ‘woke’ approach, excessive ‘virtue signalling’, and engagement in ‘identity politics’.
Stewart did not hold back his own skepticism towards the ‘wokeness’ explanation, stating, ‘I have issues with the woke theory. I don’t remember encountering a lot of Democrats campaigning on woke stuff.’ He proceeded to display a series of campaign videos from the Democratic Party, all of which emphasized border control and the immigration crisis, issues that also heavily featured in Republican campaign messaging.
Further unraveling mainstream narratives, Stewart screened even more compelling Democratic campaign ads that advocated for policies largely seen as ‘pro-police’, ‘pro-guns’, ‘anti-immigrant’, and against transgender healthcare. A clip of Kamala Harris asserting that she owns a ‘Glock’ was also shared.
Reflecting on this strategy, Stewart noted, ‘For the past several months, they behaved akin to Republicans.’ To emphasize this, he humorously added, ‘They even sported camo hats and attended Cheney family gatherings. Can you comprehend the peril tied to flaunting a hunting hat around Cheney?’
He further expressed, ‘The Democrats seemed to be largely campaigning against an identity that was imposed upon them basing on a few months of post-George Floyd, ‘defund the police’ Instagram uploads dating four years back. The public perceived a disconnect between the government’s actions and their interests. And they specifically criticized the Democrats for taking their hard-earned money and redistributing it to those who, in their opinion, did not merit it as much as they did. Democrats need to take a breather.’,
Endorsing a broader examination of better policies, Stewart looked towards the future with optimism, ‘I am confident a thorough review of better strategies will be welcomed. But let’s reassure people: This situation is not permanent.’
Stewart ended his segment with a 1984 presidential election map, demonstrating the historical volatility of American politics. In that election, all states except Minnesota voted for the Republican candidate, Ronald Reagan. The symbols shallowly suggested the demise of the Democratic party.
In Stewart’s own words, ‘Many people assumed that it was the end for the Democrats. But merely eight years later, a Democrat reclaimed the seat in the Oval office.’ This historical parallel served to underscore the cyclical nature of political power, reminding viewers that the political pendulum continues to swing, now as it has in past electoral cycles.