Political pundits blaming Democratic “elites” and their supposed indifference to working people for Trump’s election are wrong. The Biden administration did all it could to help working-class people.
We came out of the pandemic’s extreme economic upheaval far better than any other country, with more jobs and less inflation. Investments in U.S. manufacturing more than doubled during the Biden administration.
The American Rescue Plan, signed by President Joe Biden at the beginning of his administration, provided billions of dollars to state, local and tribal governments to help with public health responses to the pandemic, promote infrastructure investment and create good jobs for workers, including rural workers and workers in distressed areas. The majority of these jobs do not require a college degree. It also funded the increased child tax credit and shored up union pension funds.
Biden’s signature accomplishments during 2021-22 included the Infrastructure Act, the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. Together these measures provided billions of dollars to:
- Shore up America’s aging infrastructure, including improvements in roads and bridges, power systems, availability of electric vehicle chargers, and broadband development.
- Bring semiconductor production back to the U.S. to secure our supply chain and create more manufacturing and construction jobs across the country.
- Lower prescription drug prices, provide funds for transitioning to alternative energy sources and reduce the budget deficit.
The latter was the largest investment in combating climate change in history. These bills were focused on creating jobs, improving economic conditions for working people, rebuilding America’s industrial capacity and saving our environment.
Likewise, the Harris/Walz campaign focused on helping working people and improving the lives of all Americans, proposing concrete solutions to many of our most pressing economic problems including housing, economic disparity, food costs, child care and elder care, and help for small businesses, as well as restoration of our personal freedoms, with respect and dignity for all.
Donald Trump offers none of this. Instead, he has done nothing to help working people, trying again and again to repeal the ACA, disparaging unions and minorities, discrediting the media and the courts, giving huge tax cuts to billionaires, and massively increasing the deficit, not to mention refusing to accept his election loss, making false claims of victimization by a supposed “deep state,” promising retribution against his perceived enemies, negatively impacting our national reputation and security by threatening to abandon our allies and leave NATO, and inciting an insurrection.
Understanding the real reasons Trump won must include an examination of the impact Fox News, right-wing media, and now Elon Musk’s X, have on the public’s perceptions, pitting Americans against each other, spreading grievances and conspiracy theories, and channeling people’s frustrations into hatred of migrants, liberals, the opposing party and anyone who disagrees with them.
This echo chamber has created a hyper-partisan environment that constantly reinforces negative beliefs, spewing lies and running 24/7 commercials for Trump, while falsely disparaging Democrats and Democratic candidates.
At the same time, many business, media and elected leaders have failed to speak out, fearing Trump’s threatened retribution. Remember Trump telling his supporters that if they just vote for him this one time, they’ll never have to vote again? That prospect is chilling.
Blame misogyny, which is clearly alive and well in our country. Blame the profound lack of funding for quality public education. Blame wage inequality. Blame racism. Blame Citizens United. But don’t blame Democrats or the Kamala Harris campaign, which offered voters a hand up and a new way forward.
Her election could have saved our country from its worst impulses but, instead, I fear we will see massive steps backward, including business deregulation, a weaker safety net, fewer workplace protections, lowered health regulations, increased climate risks, more tax cuts for the wealthy and the exacerbation of inflation.
I can only conclude that America is no longer the country I thought I knew.
Carol Cure served as chairwoman of the La Plata County Democratic Party from 2018-2022. She lives in Durango.
