The people have spoken

hile campaigning in the 2024 US general election, then-candidate Vice President Kamala Harris said that it was time to ‘turn the page’. However, the electorate thought it was time for a new book and they elected former President Donald Trump to serve as the 47th president of the US. Despite being defeated in 2020 by current President Joe Biden, like the phoenix, Trump rose from the political ashes and soared to a historic victory, to secure the Presidency, the Senate and possibly the House of Representatives. President-elect Trump also garnered a record number of votes from Blacks and Hispanics, on his way to winning the popular and electoral votes.

Many respected, domestic and international experts, editors, prognosticators, political scientists, and legacy media pundits who had counted Trump out are still in shock at the decisive victory. Some have been driven to public humiliation and shed tears, and even turned to finger-pointing to blame each other. A few distressed students sought therapy, and a couple of educational institutions cancelled classes. Others adopted a ‘Henny Penny’ attitude, implying that the ‘sky is falling’ and fellow Americans should prepare for the coming doom and gloom.

It’s apparent that the voters rejected some of the Democrats’ liberal policies, like Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), men competing in women’s sports, and open borders. High inflation, which increased the cost of living, had also negatively affected the spending power of the poor, middle, and working-class.

Voters were probably attracted to the no tax on tips, overtime and social security benefits, more oil drilling, and more tax cuts, that Trump was promising.

Harris’ use of celebrity star power, voter shaming and scolding by former presidents and first ladies were not enough to move the needle towards her. Also, inflammatory words like fascist, racist, and convicted felon didn’t seem to tarnish the former president’s reputation or cause any irreparable damage.

The people have spoken – in record numbers.

Michael Headley