Reflection Nine Days to Election
Reflections on the Final Countdown to Election Day - Oct. 27, 2024
A mere 9 days stand between now and the 2024 presidential election, the first one I find myself eligible to participate in. I feel a slight sense of shame in admitting I have never been so deeply engaged in the political happenings of our world. This seed of interest was planted and took root around 3 years ago, simultaneous to my embracing of my leftist, socialist ideology (not at all unrelated to my embracing of my identity as a queer and black person). As a result of my growing investment in social and political justice, I have experienced a discernible shift in my mental cognition. An awareness that transcends the pattern of passive absorption and compels me to actively apply my compositional tools to parse through the layers and find meaning.
On the state of things today, shadows of doubt don’t begin to describe what orbs of uncertainty loom, and for those who have managed to resist annihilation in the Middle East, of life or death. As we face yet another presidential election fraught with high stakes and entrenched power, the grip of collective psychosis tightens. As with all electoral periods of precarity, staunch party loyalty and strategic alliances have overtaken substantive, humane discussions of progress.
Trump pushes for a second term as he continues his signature weaponization of fear and economic disillusionment, rallying his base with promises to reclaim ‘traditional values’ while pandering to the wealthy and dismissing any meaningful solutions for the working class. His strategic posturing as a 'voice of the people' is all the more jarring against a backdrop of authoritarian promises that include invoking the Insurrection Act, purging civil servants who oppose him, and building vast deportation camps for undocumented immigrants.
Meanwhile, his stance on the ruthless genocide in Gaza aligns with his unequivocal support for Israel—echoed within the Democratic campaign as they both sideline Palestinian humanitarian concerns in favor of preserving U.S.-Israel relations, albeit at differing rhetorical degrees.
Biden’s plot-twist withdrawal from the race, post-debate disaster, thrust Kamala Harris into the spotlight as the new face of the Democratic Party. While her campaign began with a surge of hope, it gradually lost its vitality as it embraced a 'safe' center-right strategy. This approach abandoned all promises of bold, transformative change in favor of the unfounded, fear-based agendas of the right—the most baffling being the adopting of Trump's "border protection" plans, an unflinching facade for the criminalization of asylum seekers striving to build a new life in the United States. By courting the political center and beyond, the campaign blurs the lines between the Democratic Party and the increasingly fascistic right captained by Donald Trump.
As Harris sidesteps to the same tune of Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in their respective campaigns, and Donald Trump doubles down on his authoritarian agenda, I question the narratives handed to the public from both ends. Narratives that have enabled the persistence of a manmade humanitarian crisis—by all measures, a genocide against the people of Gaza. Narratives of neglect that extend to the pressing implications of climate change and the continued erosion of fundamental human decency.
Despite a largely centrist strategy, Harris rekindles the initial hope she sparked with a proven capacity to dismantle Trump’s rhetoric on several fronts while shaping a path forward that reflect the strengths of the Democratic party. Her stance on reproductive rights is firm and empathetic, addressing the devastation of abortion bans on women’s autonomy and healthcare access. Economically, she has championed investments in domestic manufacturing and clean energy aiming to foster an “opportunity economy”—though her support of fracking remains a point of contention, and her strong support of labor rights, evident in her alignment with union leaders, underscores a commitment to working-class concerns and a more equitable economy. Tim Walz's selection as her running mate brings additional signs of stability and a progress, with his support for policies like paid family leave, cannabis legalization, and universal school meals resonating across party lines. Together, Harris and Walz could represent a thoughtfully ambitious vision for practical, progressive change.
During fall break, I traveled home to cast my vote. While I bubbled in Kamala Harris, I recognize that any vision for true systemic change extends far beyond the ballot box. Far from an endorsement, this vote is tactical decision grounded in the critical awareness that the fight doesn’t end here. While denying Trump another term is as pressing as ever, we must also keep our eyes on the structures fueled by capital that underlie both parties' agendas. Real accountability requires continued pressure, relentless demands for action on issues that campaign promises leave behind: from Palestine to climate, immigrant rights, and the dismantling of entrenched power structures. A vote can be a tool, but it’s our ongoing, collective push that must drive true transformation