Staff Reports
The social media sphere exploded with predictable outrage from Vice President Kamala Harris’s supporters following President-Elect Donald Trump’s stunning return to power as the 47th president of the United States. It’s almost comical how some folks can’t seem to handle the heat of a fair and square election night, especially when their dreams of progressive governance go up in flames faster than a student loan cancelation plan.
One of the more amusing spectacles on the ‘net was Gen Z “influencer” Harry Sisson, who oscillated between declarations of American catastrophe and pleas for humility in defeat. In a rhythm that would make any DJ proud, he expressed sorrow for how the nation “failed” itself and women, only to soon pivot back to his favorite pastime: berating Trump and anyone else who might dare support him. It’s like mixing a cocktail of outrage with a splash of self-contradiction.
I really thought better of America. I thought we wouldn’t elect a criminal, sexual abuser, fraudster, and bully to be president. I was wrong. I’m so sorry.
— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) November 6, 2024
David Hogg, the teenage activist turned full-time social media critic, took to the platform to describe this electoral outcome as “the bad place,” a phrase steeped in irony given how many progressives have long suggested that embracing traditional values is a one-way ticket to destruction. Is it really a bad place, or just that the left’s vision of utopia didn’t quite resonate with the average American?
A former Chicago Tribune editor chimed in with a warning that voters had chosen “a dictatorship.” A lack of understanding seems to permeate the complaints; dictators don’t arise because of a vote—they simply seize power without consent. The irony of lamenting a loss at the ballot box while calling it a dictatorship would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic. Those bemoaning this outcome essentially argue that the average American made a grave error that will haunt future generations. Quite the exaggeration for a democracy.
Progressive commentators wrung their hands over perceived racism, misogyny, and disinformation, lamenting that their progressive dreams were dashed. It’s fascinating how when elections don’t go their way, the culprit is always the electorate or some darker societal force rather than the ideas being offered. One podcaster reflected on the supposed hopelessness in America and the expectations placed upon citizens to toe the progressive line, while another decided that educated people voting for Democrats somehow absolved them of any responsibility for spreading division.
As the left rehashes these dramatic responses, a clear narrative emerges: it isn’t just about a loss at the polls; it’s about their inability to face that the American people might not be as enamored with their ideology as they once thought. It’s a classic display of hubris—that somehow education and enlightenment must preclude anyone from thinking differently. The only thing truly hostage here appears to be their grasp on reality.
