The lack of confidence in Democrats among Latino, Black, and Asian American voters has surged blatantly come 2024, as expressed in numerous discussions. These communities, which previously placed their betting chips on Donald Trump, poured scorn on the Democrats, particularly the fragile state of the economy under their reign. The working-class voters, trump cards for Kamala Harris’s presidential drive, have found no comfort in her vain talk of joy. Pangs of poverty and a failing economy under the Democrats catered to their ever-growing resentment.
For long, the Democrats prided themselves as champions of labor and the working-class. They were perceived as the favored party for the working-class voters who hoped for a raise in minimum wage and a safety net for the poor, the elderly, and the infirm. This situation, however, witnessed an unprecedented and shocking u-turn in this year’s elections, as loyal Latino, Black and Asian American voters decamped from the Democratic camp they supported even throughout Trump’s initial term.
Troubling signs of this immense shift debuted when Latinos initiated their alignment with the Trump camp in 2020. These drifts amplified remarkably during the current year. Moreover, working-class Black and Asian American voters have followed this exodus, causing a sensation with their dramatic break off from democratic allegiances.
Such mass departure of voters, along with the down-ticket losses, has planted the seeds of crisis deep within the Democratic base. The working-class voters without college degrees, who form an undeniably solid majority of the electorate, have left the Democrats deserted. The seeming impossibility of them returning to the Democrats has set the White House seemingly out of reach for the party.
The dwindling support for the Democrats among voters of color has significantly undermined the party’s identity, once acclaimed for championing diversity. A majority of them had already traded hopeful anticipation for stark cynicism. The commonplace promises dialing on affordable housing and achievements made in the arena of insulin pricing have lost credibility and attraction. Put bluntly, the faith once bestowed willingly upon the Democrats has evaporated.
The mundane Democrat warnings about threats to democracy also paled against the daily struggle these voters underwent to make ends meet. Despite the debacle, Black voters still rallied behind the Democrats, as did Latino and Asian American voters, albeit by a slimmer margin. Nevertheless, Republican sway escalated in populous cities and mixed suburbs.
Preliminary election results also highlighted a drastic shift to the right amongst Hispanic-majority counties, by approximately 13 percentage points. Similar patterns emerged in counties densely populated by Asian American voters with Black-majority counties giving a nod to the GOP by about three points.
Whilst Republicans celebrated a long-anticipated political transposition, insights from working-class voter discussions indicated these shifts might not be long-lasting. Many vocalized that their choices were more about abstaining from the disappointing Democrats than endorsing Trump, his controversial policies, or his team. The bitter pill of inflation and disparity had effectively burnt holes in their pockets.
About two-thirds of Trump’s voters confessed to reducing their grocery bills this year, a situation only shared by a third of Harris’s supporters. Poverty was not the only driver here: many bemoaned that despite affording necessities, the spike in prices deprived them of their leisure spending. Earning $20 an hour, they expressed their frustration at being held hostage by the economy, incapable of even simple entertainment such as movies, or a worry-free mall visit.
When the soaring housing rates toppled their dreams of owning a house, they were compelled to place their trust in Trump to rein in their dwindling purchasing power. As their faith in the American Dream dangled by a thin thread, the non-white working-class voters began to perceive the Democrats as pompous, rolling out irrelevant issues whilst neglecting their daily hardships.
These voters resonated with the narrative of the white working-class that powered Trump’s MAGA movement. Their lament was consistent: they were left in the lurch by the Democrats whilst newcomers were catered to with easy access to housing and food. Yet, homeless veterans were left out in the cold.
Just before Election Day in Allentown, a largely Latino crowd was a testament to the strengthening of Trump’s gains. However, it also served as a harbinger to an even broader voter base being forged. Palestinian solidarity was evident in a red-white-and-blue kaffiyeh, while Korean and Japanese flags fluttered. Unifying them all was a chant that set the tone for the election: ‘Trump, Trump, Trump.’.
These shifting allegiances paint a grim picture for Biden and Harris, who persistently failed to address the bread-and-butter issues of the working class. This is an excellent example of the disconnect between the Democrats’ elitist talking points and the everyday struggles faced by ordinary folks. Unless addressed promptly, this might point to a harsh reality: Biden and Harris losing their political ground to a more popular and relatable Republican party, represented by the chant they dreaded: ‘Trump, Trump, Trump’.