I completely disagree and I think you’re missing the big picture. Progressivism collapsed under its own weight this year. You need to go back a few months earlier. Progressive candidates for down ballot races got absolutely decimated in their primaries.
Yes, economic hardship absolutely was the leading factor. Whether you wish to believe it or not, voters were blaming far-left/progressive policies for the economic mess. That’s the messaging Trump ran on, and that’s the messaging that won. Plain and simple.
Things were so bad for progressives that they had nothing left to champion other than justice for Palestine. The outrage against student loan forgiveness was absolutely brutal. Treating homelessness became an unmanageable and very noticeable problem. Hospitals are literally failing and there wasn’t a peep about Medicare for all. Hell, not once did progressives talk about increasing minimum wage this year.
I believe progressives are misinterpreting the voter alignment on defunding Israel. It’s absolutely wild progressives don’t talk to actual voters. The overall sentiment is isolationism. In other words, complete apathy towards genocide as long as it doesn’t cost me my wallet.
I understand your feedback and I apologize for my tone. I just cannot get on board with the idea a more progressive campaign would have garnered any more votes. The proof is in the pudding. New progressive challengers failed at taking down any Democrat stalwarts in their primaries. Even worse, progressive incumbents struggled to hold on. It’s important to call out that these problems in races existed months before Harris even entered the scene.
That is why I see the anger at Harris as misplaced. If more progressive policies were the true desire of voters, it would have shown in the primaries just like in 2018 and 2020. The winds were out of the sails.