Why Democrats lost the election

OPINION:

As Democrats are forced to contend with the underlying factors underpinning their massive Election Day defeat, there are essentially three camps that have taken form: a quietly reflective cohort, an openly thoughtful and remorseful ensemble — and a small, defiant chorus. 

Defeat is difficult, though one might argue it’s particularly pointed and painful when your general narrative dubbed your opponent a fascist who endangers the very fabric of the democratic republic. With such flagrant warnings aimed at President-elect Donald Trump failing to resonate, the Democrats have been left with a profuse political mess.

First, let’s start with the Democrats who are sharing introspective views on Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat. There is no doubt a multitude of reasons for Ms. Harris’ campaign flatline, though social issues — the cultural elements Democrats seemed certain would catapult them to success — have proven to be a key problem and a progressive kryptonite of sorts. 

Oddly, many liberals are simply unable to process this reality. Consider this: Rep. Seth Moulton, Massachusetts Democrat, has found himself in critics’ crosshairs, as fellow Democrats protest candid comments he made to The New York Times after Mr. Trump’s decisive victory.

“Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face,” he said, taking aim at his party’s handling of biological men in women’s sports. “I have two little girls. I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but, as a Democrat, I’m supposed to be afraid to say that.”

Mr. Moulton is right. The fear of cancel culture has led people to embrace — or remain silent on — some truly unfathomable ideals. The reality is, that polls consistently show the majority of Americans reject allowing biological men to play on women’s teams, with a recent poll finding 66% of the public eschews such a notion.

Rather than kowtow to the mob, Mr. Moulton has refused to back down and is calling on his party to discuss and debate the issue rather than shut down those with opposing views. 

Comedian and “Real Time” host Bill Maher has joined Mr. Moulton and other openly reflective Democrats in sounding the alarm about liberals’ losses at the polls, defending the congressman’s response as “reasonable” and hitting back at the “too woke” faction of his party.

“Stop screaming at people to get with the program and instead make a program worth getting with,” Mr. Maher said on a recent post-election episode of “Real Time.” “What good is liberalism if you don’t win elections?” 

Now, let’s look at the second group: the small, anomalous chorus of Democratic loyalists refusing to introspectively look at these issues. Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki is among the pack of people who seemingly don’t believe Mr. Moulton and Mr. Maher have it right. 

Ms. Psaki recently said she’s worried “some Democrats might reach the wrong sweeping conclusions” as the party continues to explore what went wrong. In particular, she’s nervous it could impact the Democratic Party’s pro-trans ideology. 

“Look, if that was actually an issue at thousands of schools across the country, then it would be worthy of a debate,” she lamented of the sports discussion. “But there are just incredibly few examples of transgender girls playing in youth sports.”

This dismissal is strange for a multitude of reasons, including the fact we have examples of girls who have been injured as a result of biological men in sports. But the issue goes far beyond the sports debate. 

It’s no secret some Democrats have advocated for gender transitioning of underage children, have taken steps to erode parental rights, and have imbued these ideals on children through the public school system.

We can haggle over the details and numbers surrounding girls’ sports, but Ms. Psaki and others fail to see that the broader debate runs much deeper. It centers on worldview and extends into the theological, the cultural — and, of course, the political. 

The issue demands we consider how people view everything from God’s design to the push for ideological control over narratives. To Mr. Moulton’s point, even free speech and expression come into the transgender debate, as anyone who holds a differing view or even questions what’s unfolding can quickly be demonized.

No one should harass or seek to harm others, but the Democratic Party’s radical posture on the transgender issue says a great deal about its disconnect from the general public. While states such as California are hampering parental notification and pushing gender issues, the public simply isn’t on board. For instance, a 2023 Washington Post-KFF poll found 68% of Americans oppose puberty blockers for kids between the ages of 10 to 14 and 58% said the same for kids aged 15 to 17.

The same disconnect extends to the abortion front. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade seemingly helping Democrats make gains in the 2022 midterm elections, Ms. Harris and others hammered home the issue, failing to recognize that most Americans still favor some restrictions on abortion, even if they want to see it legally permitted.

Once again, the extreme, pro-abortive rhetoric was overwhelming.  

The Democrats’ failure to understand just how extreme the party has become is one definitive reason liberals have lost the presidency, the House, the Senate — and even the Supreme Court. It’s part of a broader narrative that was made painfully obvious in exit polling.

While Ms. Harris and others carried on about abortion, transgender issues — and took steps to bolster both — the general public was struggling to pay soaring electric bills, to buy groceries and to cope with increased costs in almost every other arena. 

Ultimately, the Democrats lost the election because they simply couldn’t find the pulse of the American people and were driven by issues and postures that many see as misguided, wrong — and even evil.

Let’s hope the quietly reflective Democratic cohort takes the time to ponder these things, change course and urge everyone under the liberal umbrella to return to the electorate with a platform that truly serves the people’s needs.

• Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” Mr. Hallowell is the author of four books.