By Doni Glover, Publisher
(BALTIMORE – November 20, 2024) – I was recently asked if I gamble. I said no. Then again, I do engage in politics.
I was admittedly biased in terms of the recent election. I was ten toes down in support of Vice President Kamala Harris. Although there were indeed issues during the campaign – as noted by political pundits on our daily broadcast (The Emmy-nominated “Doni Glover Show” streaming on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook weekdays at 9 am EST) and via a lot of text messages from less public sources, I believed and still believe that she would be a better president. In any event, Donald John Trump was put back in as Commander in Chief.
For me, I did my duty. I tried to highlight her strengths. I illuminated Project 2025 for our listeners. At the same time, as a news publisher, I had to share the stage with the likes of David Byrd and Raynard Jackson. Both men are strong and proud Black Republicans.
Yet still, there were whispers in the dark by those much more intelligent than me. They had already pulled back the curtain. As a result, they had issues with her. Some even had problems from the very beginning of her abbreviated presidential campaign.
Did President Joe Biden pass the ball too late? Did he campaign for her or leave her on a limb to fend for herself?
Was she battle-tested? Should Vice President Kamala Harris have gone through the Democratic process at the National Democratic Convention rather than being selected to run for President?
Was Harris the ideal statesman, or did she present herself as something else?
Was Harris boxed in where she couldn’t criticize her boss and instead tuck with the Biden track record?
Or, was White America too traumatized from 8 years of a Black president, Barack Obama – along with his Black wife and his two Black daughters – to even think about voting for not only another Black but a woman?
And, unfortunately, some are still hell-bent on proving Kamala isn’t Black at all.
On the other hand, there is the bizarre yet highly effective way in which Donald Trump has tapped into White America’s fear of the browning of this country to be a point of rally for the last hurrah. After all, 2045 is coming fast.
At the same time, many question whether Trump should have been a candidate from “Jump Street.” He has violated the law most egregiously. On January 6, 2021, following his 2020 election defeat, President Trump’s refusal to concede and claims of voter fraud led to a rally where his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, disrupting the Electoral College certification. About 800 rioters breached the building, resulting in violence, vandalism, and threats to officials. Classified as domestic terrorism, the FBI’s investigation became the largest in U.S. history, charging over 1,143 individuals by 2023. High-profile convictions included members of extremist groups, with sentences of up to 22 years for seditious conspiracy. Trump himself faced charges in 2023 but pleaded not guilty. His 2024 re-election raised questions about the case’s future, as his presidency could grant him immunity from prosecution.
Many people are angry. They hate the fact that Trump has weaseled his way to safety and avoided punishment for his crimes. Others, like David Byrd, say: “I told you so!” A Muslim sister in Atlanta told me back in June that the Muslims would not be voting for Kamala. Their issue is the genocide of innocent Palestinians by Israel. She noted the mass protests across the US in support of the Palestinian people.
Anyway, here are thoughts from my sphere of influence …
Clarence “Tiger” Davis, the former Eastside delegate, said she lost because of her “reliance upon bureaucratic statisticians as opposed to” depending on “personal relationships and common sense.”
Andy Pierre, a young superstar manager who has run political campaigns in Maryland and Pennsylvania, had similar thoughts.
He said, “Kamala lost because she spent her money with the wrong contractors.” He continued, “She hired and trusted many people who don’t look like us, and they misled her.”
Richard Elliott, the dynamic Prince Georgian with a degree from Johns Hopkins, said, “In my opinion, Kamala Harris was an outstanding candidate who ran a historic campaign and significantly overperformed: nearly every incumbent political party on earth was ousted in the last year over inflation concerns, despite that American inflation is relatively low.”
He added, “This was a nearly unwinnable election as nearly 3 out of 4 Americans feel the country is ‘on the wrong path.’ Media outlets abdicated their responsibilities in truly explaining the dangers of a new Trump administration: for example, what impact tariffs and mass deportations will look like for the average American family. Misinformation reigned supreme in an environment without civic education, and misinformed voters chose Trump predominantly. This election was lost due to inflation and the perception that Democrats were responsible for flagging financial conditions that were largely the result of the Trump Administration’s historically inept response to the worst pandemic of the 21st century. My largest concern is that the Democratic Party will use this loss as a justification to become more conservative, less supporting of Black leaders, less reliant on Black voters, and less centered on urban communities.”
In Atlanta, my Morehouse brother – Robert Scott, may have summed it up best: “America was not ready to see White Supremacy lose to a strong, qualified non-White man … again!”
Let me say that I do not subscribe to anybody’s supremacy. I call it perceived White Supremacy. My mom put it best on that note: “You are not better than anybody. And nobody is better than you!”
And then there is Jason Rodriguez, a man who is pretty passionate about his political analysis. “She lost because of Joe Biden.” Jason further explained, “Joe was never in support of Kamala and only threw her out there to spite the Democratic Party for asking him to step aside after the troubling debate against Trump. Joe and his family knew about his degrading cognitive issues, for they were dealing with him every day and should have advised Joe to pull out sooner and give Kamala more campaigning time. And when Kamala’s camp asked for additional support from Joe on the campaign trail, she never got that support. Why? We’re talking about a Black woman who stood by Joe Biden for the Presidency (helping to garner the Black vote) and now had to stand alone without her running mate when he should have been a true party partner. America was duped by a man named Joe.”
Radio host Marsha Jews was not feeling the spirit of the Harris campaign. She said, “Kamala presented as giddy and not as a warrior.” She continued, “This nation needs someone with strength and laser-focus on navigating international relationships with global leaders.” Jews added that a good example is Congresswoman Maxine Waters. “Now, that’s a warrior! No question!”
Michael Haynie, host of “60 Minutes in Black America”, said, “Not only stunning but so unfortunate – America is not ready for a woman as president of the United States of America.” He added, “The 2024 Presidential Elections took this country backward at least fifty years.”
David Byrd, who called it first, reported, “It was the old James Carville analysis from 1992. It was the economy stupid. It was right then, and it was right now.”
In reflection, Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign had several challenges and factors that contributed to her loss as Donald Trump returned to the presidency. Key criticisms included Harris’s strategic missteps, such as ineffective spending and overreliance on data, and broader systemic issues like misinformation, economic concerns, and media negligence. There are also questions about America’s readiness for a Black woman leader and President Biden’s limited support for Harris during her campaign. While some saw her demeanor as unfit for the presidency compared to figures like Maxine Waters, others blamed societal biases and Democratic Party strategies. The outcome is widely viewed as a setback for diversity in American leadership. Whatever the case, strap on your seat belt. This is sure to be a wild ride!
