How the DNC lost the 2024 Election (hint: it ain’t because of racism or misogyny)

Richard Graves, MA American History 04/03/2025

Was Racism and Misogyny really why they Lost?

The Democratic Party's loss in the 2024 presidential election has, predictably, been attributed by some within the party and media circles to systemic racism and misogyny. This argument rooted in the identity of their candidate, who was both a woman and a person of color. However, this framing oversimplifies the outcome and risks ignoring a range of contributing factors that played a far more substantive role in voter behavior and election results. Notably, the candidate in question previously served as both the first female and the first person of color to hold the office of Vice President—an achievement that was celebrated nationally and indicated a significant level of public support across diverse demographics.

To reduce the loss solely to bias is to overlook deeper issues within the Democratic Party’s platform, strategy, and engagement with key voter blocs. It suggests a reluctance to engage in meaningful introspection about policy failures, messaging disconnects, or shifts in the electorate’s priorities. Political analyst Ruy Teixeira (2024) argues that Democrats have increasingly alienated working-class and moderate voters through a combination of cultural overreach and policy positions that fail to resonate with the economic realities faced by everyday Americans. Rather than confronting these challenges head-on, the tendency to default to accusations of bigotry may serve more as a deflection than a genuine diagnosis of the party’s shortcomings.

The Democratic National Committee's (DNC) defeat in the 2024 presidential election can be attributed to several interrelated factors:

1. Candidate Selection and Perceived Qualifications: Following President Biden's withdrawal on July 21, 2024, the DNC nominated Vice President Kamala Harris as the presidential candidate. This decision faced criticism, with some perceiving the selection as influenced by identity politics rather than solely on qualifications, potentially diminishing support among certain voter demographics (Reuters, 2024).

2. Alienation of the White Working Class: Over the past two decades, segments of the white working-class electorate have felt marginalized by the Democratic Party, as the Democrats have simply labeled them uneducated or racist. This sentiment has been exacerbated by debates surrounding critical race theory (CRT) and other cultural issues, leading many in this demographic to shift their support away from Democratic candidates, feeling that their values and concerns were not adequately represented (Associated Press, 2024).

3. Challenges in Securing African American Support: Despite nominating the first Black and Indian American woman for president, the DNC faced challenges in mobilizing African American voters. Notably, past comments, such as President Biden's "if you don't vote for me, you ain't Black" statement, contributed to reality of condescension to Black people by the Democrats. This type of condescension for further confounded in October 2024, when former President Barack Obama addressed Black male voters during a campaign stop in Pittsburgh, expressing concern over their hesitancy to support Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential bid. He suggested that some Black men were offering "all kinds of reasons and excuses" for not backing Harris and implied that gender bias might be influencing their reluctance. Obama stated, "Part of it makes me think that... you just aren't feeling the idea of having a woman as president" (Thompson, 2024). This again ignored real world concerns many Black Ameircans had about the economy, illegal immigration and other issues. These factors led to a decline in support, with approximately 10% of Black women and 20-25% of Black men shifting their votes away from the Democratic candidate (Associated Press, 2024).

4. Misalignment with Latino Voter Priorities: The DNC's stance on immigration, particularly its support for illegal immigration, did not resonate uniformly with Latino voters. Many American Latinos, like other working-class groups, prioritized issues of fairness and the well-being of American citizens. The assumption that pro-immigration policies would automatically garner Latino support overlooked the community's varied perspectives and concerns (Associated Press, 2024).

5. Overemphasis on Abortion Rights: While reproductive rights are significant, the DNC's strong focus on "unlimited abortion for all" may not have aligned with the primary concerns of many American women. Voters were also deeply concerned about economic issues, healthcare, and education. The singular emphasis on abortion rights may have alienated voters whose priorities encompassed a broader range of issues (Associated Press, 2024).

6. Transgender Participation in Sports: The debate over transgender women participating in female sports emerged as a contentious issue. While most Americans agree with equality for people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity,* many Americans, irrespective of political affiliation, expressed concerns about fairness in competitive sports. The DNC's position on this issue was simply out of touch with mainstream opinions, leading to further electoral challenges (Associated Press, 2024).

In summary, the DNC's 2024 electoral defeat can be attributed to a combination of strategic missteps, disconnects with key voter demographics, and policy positions that did not align with the priorities of the broader electorate.

7. Illegal Immigration: The Democratic Party has historically underestimated the extent to which working-class Americans oppose lenient immigration policies, particularly those perceived as “open borders” approaches. This disconnect has been exacerbated by the party's tendency to downplay or rationalize crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. For instance, arguments highlighting that American citizens commit more crimes than undocumented individuals, while statistically accurate, often come across as dismissive of legitimate public safety concerns (Vera Institute, n.d.).

Such rhetoric has alienated working-class voters who feel that their anxieties about crime and job competition are being ignored. The Guardian (2025) notes that the Democratic Party's focus on identity politics and liberal cultural values has further distanced it from its traditional working-class base. This sentiment is echoed by NPR (2019), which observes that the party's shift towards more permissive immigration stances has not aligned with the priorities of working-class constituents.

To rebuild trust and support among these voters, the Democratic Party needs to acknowledge and address these concerns substantively, rather than resorting to arguments that are simply dismissive and tone-deaf.

Ultimately, the fundamental question confronting the Democratic National Committee is whether it will continue to be influence, if not outright held captive, by the more radical elements of the American political Left? Will they continue to persist in a pattern of excuse-making to rationalize electoral setbacks? Or, will they undertake a necessary course correction? Such a shift would involve re-centering its priorities around the concerns and values of the working-class electorate, a demographic that once formed the backbone of the Democratic coalition but has, in recent years, become increasingly alienated.

This moment presents a pivotal opportunity for the party to engage in honest self-assessment, rather than deflect criticism by attributing losses solely to external factors such as systemic bias. The path it chooses could determine not only its future electoral viability but also its capacity to effectively represent the economic and social interests of everyday Americans.

References

Associated Press. (2024, December 3). Democrats still don't agree on the seriousness of their political problem. https://apnews.com/article/democrats-political-problem-2024-election-0674765f082ba6116107e1e7cad4e536

The Guardian. (2025, April 1). Democrats still misunderstand working-class voters – to their peril. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/01/democrats-working-class-voters

NPR. (2019, February 19). The Democratic Party's long shift to the left on immigration. https://www.npr.org/2019/02/19/694804917/democrats-used-to-talk-about-criminal-immigrants-so-what-changed-the-party

Reuters. (2024, December 3). Democratic officials blame Harris election loss on outside factors. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/democrats-post-harris-election-message-it-could-have-been-worse-2024-12-03/

Teixeira, R. (2024). Where Have All the Democrats Gone? HarperCollins.

Thompson, A. (2024, October 10). Obama makes appeal to Black men to back Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh campaign stop.

Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/10/obama-pittsburgh-black-men-00183379

Vera Institute. (n.d.). Debunking the lies politicians say about immigrants. https://www.vera.org/news/debunking-the-lies-politicians-say-about-immigrants

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*Recent public opinion surveys indicate that a majority of Americans support equal rights for individuals regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. For instance, a 2022 Gallup poll revealed that 71% of Americans favor legal recognition of same-sex marriages, reflecting a steady increase in acceptance over the past few decades. Additionally, a 2025 Gallup poll found that almost six in ten Americans support allowing openly transgender individuals to serve in the U.S. military. These findings suggest a broad consensus among the American public in favor of equality for LGBTQ+ individuals

References:

Gallup. (2022, June 1). U.S. support for same-sex marriage holds at 71% high. https://news.gallup.com/poll/393650/support-sex-marriage-holds-high.aspx

Gallup. (2023, June 5). Fewer in U.S. say transgender people face discrimination. https://news.gallup.com/poll/505715/fewer-say-transgender-people-face-discrimination.aspx