citationsneededpodcast

Episode 222: The Empire Strikes First Part I — Party Elites Who Lost to Trump (Twice) Blame Everyone But Themselves

Added 2025-06-04 14:50:16 +0000 UTC

“Democrats Need to Face Why Trump Won,” states The New York Times' Ezra Klein Show. “Democratic strategist issues ‘hard truth’ to party members after losing election,” CNN tells viewers. “This Is Why Kamala Harris Really Lost,” writes Eric Levitz for Vox.

Since the 2024 presidential election, elite Democrats and the pundits in their orbits have taken to newspapers, podcasts, and cable channels to attempt to explain why Kamala Harris lost and Donald Trump won. Chief among the explanations is this one: Democrats became controlled and overtaken by the "Wokes," becoming overly concerned with pronouns and political correctness, too soft on immigration and crime, while the electorate drifted to the right and that, to win the future, Democrats have to––alas, and with the putative heavy heart––go right with them.

Instead of contending with how the Democratic Party has abandoned a working class composed of all races and gender identities, chased big money and been overtaken by venal PR flacks and lawyers, Democratic party officials, big donor funded “pollsters,” “strategists,” and elite media have done what they’ve always done whenever there's an alleged “soul searching” in the Democratic party: scapegoated vulnerable people, insisted on a fixed, intrinsically conservative voting base and repackaging what is simply a newer version of corporate-friendly status quo liberalism.

On this episode, part one of a two-part series we’re calling "The Empire Strikes First,” we examine how party elites sought, before the election was even called on the night of November 5, 2024: to control the narrative and maintain their status and power within the party, blaming everyone but themselves, relying on tortured data and transparently self-serving conclusions which permit them to continue their longstanding process of justifying elite-serving, center-right policy, feigning Deep Concern for the preferences of Joe Six Pack, all while making sure their “consultant” gravy train chugs along unabated.

Our guest is UC-Berkeley professor Jake Grumbach.

Guest

Jake Grumbach is associate professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.

Show Notes

Does Higher Turnout Now Help Republicans? A Data-Driven Analysis of Partisan Turnout Dynamics

Adam Bonica, Jake Grumbach, Ernesto Tiburcio Manon and Rachel Funk Fordham | April 1, 2025 | On Data and Democracy

Did Non-Voters Really Flip Republican in 2024? The Evidence Says No.

Adam Bonica, Rachel Funk Fordham, Jake Grumbach and Ernesto Tiburcio Manon | April 10, 2025 | On Data and Democracy

Democratic Elites Blame Everyone But Themselves for Historic Collapse

Adam Johnson | November 8, 2024 | In These Times

Once Again, the Democratic Leadership Has Failed Us All

Nathan J. Robinson | November 6, 2024 | Current Affairs

Six Months Later, Democrats Are Still Searching for the Path Forward

Shane Goldmacher | May 25, 2025 | The New York Times

More in U.S. See Health Coverage as Government Responsibility

Jeffrey M. Jones | December 9, 2024 | Gallup

Lashing Out at ‘Identity Politics,’ Pundits Blame Trump on Those Most Vulnerable to Trump

Adam Johnson | November 20, 2016 | FAIR

***

Transcript

For a full transcript of this episode, go here. You can also find transcripts of past episodes, live shows, Beg-a-Thons, Interviews and News Briefs here.

****

Citations Merch

Summer swag is the best, so remember that the Citations Needed merch store is open! Please consider further supporting the show by picking up a t-shirt, tank top, hoodie, tote, water bottle or mug for yourself or your favorite Citations fan (or everyone you know!).

*****