Dear Democrats,
We do not have the luxury of being mad, disappointed or emotionally depleted as we move forward from Tuesday. It appears that former President Donald Trump not only decisively won the Electoral College, but also secured the popular vote — making him the first Republican to do so since George W. Bush in 2004. This moment sends a clear message to the Democratic Party, and it should be heard: the current Democratic platform is a losing one.
Please, hear it.
In 2016, the party chose former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — someone who had long embraced agendas of globalization and free trade — to be its nominee. In doing so, Democrats forgot about one of their key constituencies: working-class Americans whose jobs had been automated or sent overseas with increased global interconnectedness. Trump was able to develop a profound emotional connection with those voters, just as former President Barack Obama successfully appealed to Americans struggling during the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
Trump again appealed to that block of Americans this week. By choosing him, a majority of voters in the United States sent a clear mandate to the Biden Administration: they feel worse off now than they did four years ago. That reality — and the true causes of economic phenomena — can be debated, but the feelings of those Americans cannot be. We need to take a step back to empathize with these people, diagnose the problems they and their families have been facing and then design an agenda that is rooted in compassion, hope and practicality.
It is likely that many of the voters who opted to elect Biden in 2020 voted for Trump this year. An agenda grounded in their interests is a winning one. Ultimately, the Democratic Party should be defined by both its amplification of middle and working class interests over corporate ones and its safeguarding of the liberties of all people. We have lost sight of the former.
However, let’s be absolutely clear. Empathy does not entail the abandonment of values.
The danger of a Project 2025 — the Heritage Foundation’s agenda designed for a Trump victory — is existential: ending no-fault divorce, banning contraceptives, defunding the FBI and institutionalizing Islamophobia, among other terrifying objectives. With Democrats’ chances of flipping the House of Representatives fading with each poll update, it’s clear the Republican Party may control all three branches of the federal government. If this occurs, they will be free to execute whatever agenda they please. Personally, I want to live in a country where history is taught completely, love is legal and women are empowered to make choices for themselves. In these areas, we must resist. We will keep our values. Compassion, fairness, justice and equality will continue to drive our behavior. Concurrently, we should search for common ground. Your neighbor may have voted for Trump, but that does not mean they are as radical as a horrible Fox News host or TikTok pundit. We must find a place for some moderate Trump voters if we intend to win in 2028.
The Biden-Harris Administration will end in January. Watch closely as President-elect Trump assembles his Cabinet. Wall Street has been boiling with hatred for figures like Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan and Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust division Jonathan Kanter, as they have fiercely litigated to reduce anticompetitive behavior and shatter monopolies in an unprecedented way. If Trump panders to those elites by installing weak officials in the FTC and Department of Justice, it will become a major opportunity for Democrats. Americans relate to anti-monopoly messaging and the work that Khan has done to, for instance, lower the price of inhalers. We will spend the next four years looking for similar opportunities.
After an emotional election cycle, I can still say that I have immense hope for the future of the United States. I am proud to be an American. There will be fantastic Democratic candidates in 2026 and 2028 who should be subjected to normal primary processes. They will build trust with the American people and shine with innovative policy proposals. Until then, be resolute in your principles and understanding in your conversations.
Opinion articles represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.
