It was Trump wot won it

How the Liberal Left hand Populists the win

By 8 am on the 6th of November, it had become painstakingly clear that the so-called “red mirage” was, in fact, a reality. By the time the president-elect stood for his victory speech, the blue crowds gathered at  Howard University, host of the Harris watch party, were long gone. In its wake, many were left to question how the man who boasts thirty-four felonies, two impeachments, and one conviction had taken the White House, the crown jewel of democracy, once again. 

This momentous shift in US politics has caused many on the Left to look externally, searching at a rapid pace for a reason –- why a country credited with a leading role in the construction of the modern Liberal World Order could so easily hand the keys to a man who stands so fiercely in opposition to it.  

However, I suggest that these feverish attempts to pass the blame not only play into the Liberal elitist stereotype, a caricature that was only emboldened by Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” escapade (BBC News, 2016), but is also entirely counterproductive. Instead, a deep, internal reflection is required. This is the only way the US and the wider political community as a whole stand a chance in the fight against the  Populist crusade. 

Since the turn of the 21st century, Populism has been treated as a faceless monster, looming over the great white gates of the Liberal order. With every Populist win, blame has broadly fallen on the shoulders of society as a whole for failing to recognise the ontologically superior morality of such a system. However, if there is any hope for survival, the Liberal Left must first evaluate their part in constructing the overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction that currently saturates the public mood. At present, the only answer that Liberals have to combat the rise of figures such as Trump and Orbán is a quick return to business as usual. But how can a return to the same status quo that the people have time and time again found unacceptable, be the answer? Far-right Populism is a movement that leeches off of the disillusionment and melancholy of others in a system perceived as no longer being able to serve them.

Despite claims from right-leaning media, such as Fox News, that it is the overly progressive nature of the Liberal Left that has cemented its place in the political graveyard, I argue that until Liberals can turn internally and reflect on their pitfalls, the Populist right are the only ones who can offer a progressive reimagining of the structures that shape our society. One that marks the dawn of a horror story for the marginalized minorities of our communities, but a reimagining that has been demanded by the majority of the public since 2016; and as history has shown, when a desperately dissatisfied majority calls for a change, any change will do.

Until the Left can step outside of their self-imposed constraints and bring a new vision for the future, the narrative of what that vision can be will always be shaped by the Right. Until the Liberals can rise to the calls for a new way forward, they will continue to hand Populists electoral victory.

By Jennifer Noble

Bibliography:

BBC News. 2016, US election: Clinton calls half of Trump supporters ‘deplorables’. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2016-37327156 (Accessed 18th November 2024)

Rants, J. 2024, Even Democrat voters rejected leftist policies and politicians in the most surprising places. Fox News. [Online] Available at: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/even-democrat-voters-rejected-leftist-policies-politicians-most-surprising-places (Accessed 21st November 2024)