Democratic Party values that could have cost Kamala victory

The United States held its 60th quadrennial presidential election on November 5, 2024, to elect its 47th president. To the chagrin of many liberal supporters, Donald Trump got 75 million votes, translating to 312 electoral college votes, while Kamala Harris garnered 72 million votes, resulting in 226 electoral college votes. Kamala’s defeat reveals a lot about the world’s restraint towards Democratic politics.

Had she been elected, Kamala could have become the first woman president of the United States. As a feminist and a Black woman, combined with her liberal (Democratic) stance, she faced some of the toughest battles of her life, testing the Democrats in the United States. The election outcome has exposed American society as still highly prejudiced against Black people and misogynistic.

However, there is something about Democrats that needs to be understood globally. In Africa, for instance, most opposition parties are labeled “democratic.” Although this term seems to mean little in terms of ideologies in African politics, they share a characteristic of pushing for political liberalism and rejecting conservative approaches.

In Kenya, for example, conservative politics draws significant support from the church, as many Democratic ideals are at odds with church teachings. The current president, William Ruto, rose to power through conservative approaches to politics. Since Kenya is a largely Christian country, and they consider him a Christian, the Church was loudly behind him during the 2022 general elections.

Similarly, in the United States, Donald Trump’s open stance against LGBTQ rights and his pro-family rhetoric align with the Church and other religions that encourage traditional family structures and values.

Across millennia, we have observed that any political movement perceived as disrupting the ‘natural laws’ of human existence is bound to clash with the Church. This is why issues of family formation and sexual orientation are highly sensitive topics in conservative and liberal politics, defining election outcomes in many democracies.

Democratic politics are seen as elevating human-centred laws over nature’s laws in their stance on moral values and identity. Conservatives, on the other hand, place a high value on individual freedom, limited government, and traditional values. These principles attract voters who prioritise these aspects, sometimes aligning with candidates who embody these values, regardless of gender, character, and background.

This is a crucial point to consider when analysing the 2024 US presidential election results. Despite widespread perceptions, both domestically and internationally, that Trump was unfit in character to be president, he still won the election. The interpretation can be one: The world is not ready for liberal ideals, especially on progressive stances on various issues such as reproductive rights and sexual orientation. The conservatives have argued that when total freedom, as envisioned by Democrats, is achieved, the world will be chaotic and nearly at its end—that is not a point to dismiss.

Another argument is that Democrats are unpredictable in their stances when pushing for freedoms and rights. Sometimes, they are seen as going to the extremes to prove their point, thus elevating ideas which hurt the conservative society. For instance, in a record 100 days into the Joe-Kamala administration, over 200 known LGBTQ people were appointed into their administration. That was too extreme in trying to prove a point to a larger majority who do not subscribe to LGBTQ ideals.

Much of Democrats’ policies rely heavily on written law to push for rights that are not always politically, culturally, and socially accommodated. On the other hand, conservatives endure because they attempt to preserve the laws of nature in their policies, which they believe should adapt slowly, and not erratically, to changing social norms and cultural dynamics.

Democratic politics are fundamentally about disrupting the status quo, both of men and nature. Such a radical stance has made it difficult for Democrats to secure easy victories in societies that prefer gradual change.

Therefore, the 2024 US election results highlight the ongoing tension between progressive and conservative values. It is a dynamic that continues to shape political landscapes both in the United States and elsewhere.

Dr Ndonye is a senior lecturer at Kabarak University’s Department of Mass Communication