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A flag is left at the event held by Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during Election Night, at Howard University, in Washington, U.S., November 6, 2024.
Where do Democrats go from here?
One month out from the election, the dust is settling around Democrats’ new reality. The final outstanding congressional race was called on Wednesday, solidifying Republican control of the House and Senate. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is entering the White House after winning the Electoral College and the popular vote, and the conservatives hold a majority on the Supreme Court.
But enough about the Republicans. We get it, they’ve got a lot of power. So, where do Democrats go from here?
Analysts are still picking apart exactly what doomed Kamala Harris in the last election, but it’s clear that the Democrats bled base voters. Trump made gains among Black voters, Latino voters, and voters who make under $50,000 a year. These groups are at the heart of who the Democratic Party sees itself as serving and standing for, leaving the party “listless and leaderless,” according to Eurasia Group US analyst Noah Daponte-Smith. “The shift toward Trump among ancestrally Democratic voters has really jolted the party,” he adds, but what will they take away from this reckoning defeat?
In the short term, the Democrats will undergo a leadership transition, and new faces are likely to skew younger. Part of this is generational, as the party’s “old guard” of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer fade from the scene. Lining up to take their places are representatives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is poised to win control of the powerful House Oversight Committee and is far more politically adroit than her fellow progressive “Squad” members. Meanwhile, governors whose names were floated to replace Joe Biden’s on the ticket — including Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, Gretchen Whitmer, and Josh Shapiro — will spend the next four years positioning themselves for a fierce primary fight in 2028.
In the long term, Democrats will be looking to win back the House in 2026, which Daponte-Smith predicts “should be eminently possible” thanks to Republicans having only a narrow majority and because the opposition party almost always makes gains after losing a presidential election.
“That will allow them to block the Trump legislative agenda in 2027-28,” he says, “and will give them the gavels to conduct investigations, as they did in the first Trump term.” A win in the House would give them renewed hope going into 2028. That being said, if they don’t win, true panic will set in.
But sometime between then and now, Democrats need to find clarity on their platform. The problem? There is no consensus on what led to their downfall in this election. While Harris’ defeat has some Democrats ready to start from scratch, many blame her loss on the party moving too far left and alienating dependable Democrats in the center. Others believe that the party’s message was fundamentally sound, but Biden’s late withdrawal and unpopularity doomed Harris from the get-go. Meanwhile, supporters of Bernie Sanders echo that the party lost because they left the working class behind.
Daponte-Smith says his big question about the Democrats’ next platform is which parts of the Trump 2.0 agenda they concede, like how Biden maintained Trump’s China tariffs. Potential contenders, in his view, could be RFK’s Make America Healthy Again agenda or a more restrictive stance on immigration.
We will get some clarity on the Democrats’ new direction on Feb. 1, when the party elects a new chair. Back in 2016, this election turned into a proxy fight between progressives and mainstream Democrats. This time around, it has the potential to be the same. So far, the field remains wide open, with four candidates who have officially put their hats in the ring and a dozen or so others whose names are being circulated. We will be watching this race as it will undoubtedly be an inflection point for how the party plans to move past their disastrous 2024 performance.
Will the DNC momentum take Democrats all the way?
Watch full episode: Kamala Harris makes her case
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don''t miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO’s YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).
Kamala Harris makes her case
Vice President Kamala Harris closed out a historic week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that rallied Democrats around themes of freedom, joy, and unity. Harris used the DNC to try to show US voters that she can unite all Americans behind a ‘new way forward,’ but did she succeed in making the case for a Harris-Walz ticket? On GZERO World, former Congresswoman Donna Edwards and presidential historian Douglas Brinkley joined Ian Bremmer to give their take on a truly unprecedented DNC that capped off one of the most extraordinary months in modern political history. Joe Biden and Democrats passed the baton to a new generation of political leaders, showcasing the talent and diversity within the Party. While the energy in the United Center was like nothing Dems have seen since Barack Obama led the ticket, Harris will be the first to point out that she is still very much the underdog in this election. And with polls showing the presidential race is essentially tied between the two parties, will any convention bump be too little too late to defeat Donald Trump?
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don''t miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO’s YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).
Kamala Harris' big moment — Rep. Donna Edwards and Douglas Brinkley weigh in on a historic week at the DNC
Listen: Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for president after a historic week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which focused on messages of freedom, optimism, and unity. On this episode of the GZERO World Podcast, former Congresswoman Donna Edwards and presidential historian Douglas Brinkley join host Ian Bremmer to share their insights on a truly unprecedented DNC and history-making month in US political history. Harris pitched herself as a pragmatic leader who could unite all Americans behind a “new way forward,” but how successful was she in making her case for a Harris-Walz ticket? From powerful speeches on the convention floor to a dance party roll call, the four-day event showcased the talent, diversity, and optimism within the Party. As the dust settles, the challenge for Harris will be maintaining that enthusiasm all the way to Election Day. With the latest polls showing the presidential race is neck and neck between the two parties, the biggest question will be whether the DNC won over a crucial demographic: the undecided voter.
Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.
Defining Kamala Harris at DNC 2024
From Chicago's United Center on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Jon Lieber, Eurasia Group's head of research and managing director for the firm's coverage of United States political and policy developments, recaps the key takeaways from the DNC.
We're here in Chicago wrapping up the Democratic National Convention for 2024. You can see the balloons are falling behind us, and the benediction is going on as folks are starting to file out of the convention hall into what I think are going to be long lines to get home.
So a couple of key themes that jumped out over the four days of the convention. One was, of course, to introduce and define Kamala Harris, and what they sort of did was embrace her record as a prosecutor, giving her this persona as a loving family member, but a tough, no-nonsense person that you don't want to mess with. And that was a theme that was repeated over and over again in testimonials from her family and friends, and also a message pretty directly given by her.
Second, of course, they wanted to create a contrast with Trump, and the way they did that was to attack his character over and over again, talking about how, “They wouldn't trust him to move their furniture,” a really great line by Senator Elizabeth Warren, and making a contrast about the schemes and frauds and criminal convictions that are in his background versus, again, Kamala Harris's record as a prosecutor, standing up for a little guy.
And then, of course, another big theme, especially one that came out on day four tonight, was to define the Democratic Party as the party of freedom and the future of the USA. A lot of flags waving in the audience. There was an extended section speaking about the military and military strength, right in prime time. Clearly, Democrats trying to set themselves out to be the party that can defend America.
I would say three groups were really targeted over the course of the convention. The first is union members. There was a lot of shout-outs to organized labor, who are, of course, a key Democratic constituent. Black voters who are going to be absolutely critical to Kamala Harris' ability to win, particularly if they want to compete in Georgia and North Carolina. And then, Republicans, gettable on the fence Republican-leaning independents who don't like Trump all that much and want to feel comfortable voting for Kamala Harris. Very clear themes directed to those three groups throughout the week.
Overall, probably a pretty successful convention. Certainly played well here in the convention hall, but of course, it's how it plays on TV and social media that really matters.
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Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris applauds from the stage on Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 22, 2024.
Harris lays out her vision for America: ‘Write the next great chapter’
Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday, delivering a speech that was a calculated mixture of vibes and substance. She sought to balance bashing former President Donald Trump with laying out her vision for the future of the country.
"In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious," Harris said, in one of many comments taking aim at the former president.
Though she didn’t hold back in criticizing Trump – a trend among speakers throughout the convention – Harris also sought to assure voters that she would vie to end the divisiveness that has plagued the nation’s politics for years.
“I promise to be a president for all Americans. You can always trust me to put country above party and self,” Harris said.
Harris’ highly anticipated address came at the tailend of a week filled with appearances from party heavyweights like former President Barack Obama as well as celebrities like Oprah Winfrey. There was A LOT of starpower at the convention — and even a rumor that Beyoncé would show up on Thursday, which turned out to be false.
The convention began less than a month after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Though Harris has enjoyed significant momentum in the time since, she faced the tough task of proving that her campaign is the real deal and not a frantic, last-minute effort by the Dems to defeat Trump.
In her speech, Harris touched on issues ranging from border security and abortion to health care and the war in Gaza — a topic that led to protests in Chicago throughout the week, including on Thursday night. Though the city had been bracing for massive demonstrations with the potential to disrupt the convention, the protests never reached a scale that had a palpable impact on the week’s proceedings. Still, Harris addressed the issue head-on in her speech — and sought to touch on at least some of the concerns of the protesters out on the street.
“President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination,” Harris said, which led to a massive round of applause in Chicago’s United Center.
She concluded her speech with a unifying call for Americans to “write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told,” saying that it’s “our turn to do what generations before us have done.”
“Guided by optimism and faith, to fight for this country we love, to fight for the ideals we cherish and to uphold the awesome responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on Earth — the privilege and pride of being an American.”
“So, let’s get out there and let’s fight for it. Let’s get out there and let’s vote for it,” Harris added.
The convention was probably “pretty successful” for Democrats overall and they were able to target three key groups throughout it, including union members, Black voters, and Republican-leaning independents who don’t like Trump, says Jon Lieber, Eurasia Group’s managing director for the US. It played out well in the convention hall, Lieber added, but how “it plays out on TV and social media” is what really matters.
We’ll be watching to see if her messaging resonated with voters, particularly undecideds and those in crucial swing states.
Plus: Be sure to watch Jon Lieber recap the main takeaways from the DNC here.
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The Democrats’ DNC rebrand: Is the shoe on the other foot now?
Well, the Democratic National Convention is over, and as rebrands go, this was a turnaround the likes of which we haven’t seen since, say, Birkenstock went from hideous hippy sandal to high fashion icon.
Remember, barely a month ago this was a party in trouble. It was trailing in the polls, led by a visibly diminished president, and at war with itself about what to do about both of those things. The vibe was worse than hopeless; it was listless. Like, early 1990’s Apple hopeless and listless.
So much for all that. Over the past week, the Democrats reinjected a sense of energy and optimism into a party that was not long ago getting shelled with “Weekend at Bernie’s” jokes.
In doing so, they achieved three important things:
1. They passed the torch
Not just from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris but to a younger generation of Democrats altogether. I mean, whatever your view on Bill Clinton — mixed feelings over his legacy were reflected in the response to his speech – it was a moment for him to head off into history with a speech to a party that welcomed him 30 years ago as the face of the future.
2. They unified around a decent and reasonably positive message
They took shots at Donald Trump and his agenda for sure (Harris might have spent too much time on this in her speech), but the story felt less like “vote for us or else X” and more like “vote for us because of Y.”
The Democrats told a nice story about a progressive, inclusive future America, where middle-class people have nice places to live, well-fed kids don’t get shot at school, and where women are free to choose what they do with their own bodies.
3. But, mostly, they showed something they didn’t seem to have a month ago: energy
The convention, in the end, was a party for a party that needed it.
To be fair, not everything was great. Some of the speakers were duds, not all the jokes landed, and the programming ran late – Democrats appear to have adopted California’s idea of “prime time” in honor of their nominee. And there were, of course, maggots in the breakfast buffet. But these are nitpicks.
The bigger question is: What happens now? The landscape for Democrats outside of Chicago’s United Center is still a sobering one. Polls show Harris in a statistical dead heat with Donald Trump.
RFK Jr., the strongest third-party US presidential candidate in 30 years, is about to bow out of the race and pledge his support to Trump, which could give the ex-president the decisive few extra points worth of voters he’ll need.
In the end, branding and rebranding have their limits. A political party, and a presidential candidate, have to do more than sell sandals. They have to – in the words of Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Harris herself – “Do something! Do something! Do something!”
Now that the party’s over, Harris and the Democrats have just 70 days to show what they are going to do – and how.
DNC unites around 3 key themes
Jon Lieber, Eurasia Group's head of research and managing director for the firm's coverage of United States political and policy developments, shares his perspective on US politics from the DNC in Chicago.
What we're watching in US Politics: The running themes at the Democratic National Convention.
I'm here in Chicago for the third night of the Democratic National Convention, where Tim Walz, the vice presidential nominee, just spoke this evening at the United Center.
A couple of key themes have jumped out to me so far in this convention. The first is the attempt to turn the focus on Donald Trump thinking only of himself. This is something that you heard Pete Buttigieg talk about, it's something you heard Bill Clinton talk about, and it seems like this is an emerging major theme for Democrats to hit on, is that Donald Trump doesn't actually care about America all that much. He cares about himself. So, that's going to be one thing you hear about a lot going forward.
The second thing is the Democrats trying to reclaim "freedom" as a concept and as a term that actually it fits more with their values than what they say are Republican values. And this has been something that Tim Walz has talked a lot about, you heard Michelle Obama talk about it, and you heard Oprah Winfrey talk about it. That freedom is about people being free from the government messing around with what's going on inside their bedrooms or what's going on inside their doctor's offices, obviously references to social policies where Democrats and Republicans have large differences; and attempting to flip the script on several decades of political rhetoric about who actually is the party of freedom. So, that's another thing you'd expect to hear a lot about in the coming weeks and months.
The third big theme of this convention so far has been celebrating Kamala Harris's background as a prosecutor. Now, this isn't really something we heard a lot about in the 2020 campaign; perhaps because of the George Floyd riots that were happening at the same time, and the fact that many Democrats were turning openly skeptical of police and policing. But now, fast-forward four years later where crime is a growing issue in the political discourse, and you have a lot of focus on Harris's background as a prosecutor; they talk about her prosecuting transnational drug gangs, her prosecuting people like Donald Trump, who of course has felony convictions now in his background.
So, those are three themes we've heard so far at the Democratic National Convention, and I think those are things we're going to hear a lot of over the next 74 days. On night four, Kamala Harris is set to make her own pitch for why she should be president. And of course, the crowd in Chicago will be euphoric and jubilant listening to her. But the real question here is, do any of these messages resonate with moderate voters that they need to win?
So, thanks for watching. We'll be here tomorrow in Chicago, and we'll see you then.
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