As we “walk each other home” through lively community debate (if you’re on TikTok then, you know what I mean) to the grand finale of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, I can’t help but compare the dynamics between the two largest political parties in these United States; playing out like the two societies in Charles Dickens' “A Tale of Two Cities.” 

How This Election Was Like a Dickens Novel, With a Dash of Looney Tunes

In the book we are given stark contrasts between one society striving for unity and justice through shared effort, against another steeped in division and self-serving actions. The Democratic Party's focus on coalition-building and democratic inclusivity mirrors the pursuit of communal (a connected community that cares) progress, while the GOP's deepening internal divisions under Trump's influence reflects the struggle of a society where factional interests overshadow collective goals. 

The elections in our country go far deeper than the story ever could, with a cast of characters more colorful and explosive than we could ever see in a “soap opera” or season of “Game of Thrones”. One often might think to themselves “If this real life or did I just stumble into a psychotically written action-horror-adventure-romcom movie”?  

I do recognize that it may just be myself with my cinephile background that thinks this way. I could easily say, however, that 1/3 of the comments that fell out of Trump of JD Vance’s mouth sounded like something they were anticipating a meme, cartoon and character sketch to be born out of. 

I’ll take a gamble and explain my claim to this most psychotically-written, or genius, movie. Ever.And it happen to be real life.

Weirdest Elections “Movie” Ever, Depending On Genre Preference (And They Tried Everything)

Action movie, because we had snipers, dramatic allegiance shifts and heated debates. Horror movie, because we were introduced to the psychological war games of a potential dictator. “Wether they like it or not…” a chilling line from Donald Trump in regards to “protecting women”. Adventure movie, as both candidates toured and rallied so fiercely that we thought they were playing “Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?” 

Then we had a RomCom movie period in this election, because we could all tell how hard both candidates were trying to “woo” us over with their VP picks and their good, down-home moral principles. And we delighted, with some comedic relief, around all the people on social media pretending to eat their dogs and cats. Thanks to Trump highlighting events that never happened in Springfield, Ohio. And JD Vance, as we now know, confirmed these “pet eating” activities never happened. I couldn’t help but wonder if we asked to be this entertained somehow. Or was all this entertainment whiplash designed by a higher power to get us to pay more attention, collectively growing-up in this rapid-changing, tech-forward world?

I want to set the tone of our nation’s unique “Tale of Two Cities” in the broader themes I’ve seen play-out, from a 30,000 foot view, within the Republican Party verses the Democratic Party. These themes are the very public “cannibalizing” of the Republican Party by MAGA, not necessarily Republican. And I want to contrast this theme with the deepening democracy (little “d”: democracy is what we all strive for) that we witness some how activate within the Democratic Party. 

Defining “Cannibalize”, Depending on Context

• Business and Industry: In business, “cannibalize” refers to a situation where a company introduces a new product that negatively impacts the sales of its existing products. It means that the new product takes market share away from another product offered by the same company.
• General Use: More broadly, “cannibalize” can mean to take parts from one entity to use in another, thereby diminishing the original. For example, a company might “cannibalize” an older machine to use its parts in repairing another machine.
• Metaphorical Use in Politics: When used metaphorically, especially in a political sense, “cannibalize” refers to the act of one part of an organization or entity consuming or undermining another part to gain advantage. For instance, saying that a leader “cannibalized” a political party implies that their influence or actions significantly changed or weakened the traditional structure or unity of the party.

The Cannibalizing of the Republican Party

The phrase “cannibalized the Republican Party” in reference to Donald Trump implies that through his leadership and influence, Trump significantly reshaped or consumed the traditional Republican structure. This shift often sidelined conventional conservative voices and policies to align with his distinctive brand of politics, altering the party’s direction.

Arguments Supporting This View:

• Shift in Party Dynamics: Trump's presidency reoriented the party's priorities toward populism, nationalism, and loyalty to him as an individual, rather than traditional Republican values like fiscal conservatism and free trade. This shift led to notable changes in party leadership and an ideological split within the GOP.
• Impact on Republican Leadership: Leaders and figures who did not align with Trump’s approach or criticized him were often marginalized or ousted, consolidating his control within the party.
• Polarization and Division: The party became increasingly divided between “Trump Republicans” and traditional or moderate conservatives. This division was evident in primary elections and the loyalty tests imposed on GOP candidates.

Arguments Against the Term:

• Some argue that Trump’s influence did not “cannibalize” the Republican Party but instead amplified trends that were already present within the party's base.

Overall, referring to Trump's impact as “cannibalizing the Republican Party” underscores how his tenure reshaped the GOP’s identity into a movement centered around his persona, highlighting a shift away from broader conservative principles.

The Strengthening Democracy of the Democratic Party

The Democratic Party, by contrast, has positioned itself as more democratized, emphasizing unity and coalition-building. This approach has brought together a diverse range of supporters, including third-party advocates and disillusioned Republicans.

Support for the Idea:

• Broad Coalition-Building: The Biden-Harris administration has focused on creating an inclusive political tent, attracting not just traditional Democratic voters but also moderates, disaffected Republicans, and independents. Myself included.
• Republican Endorsements: High-profile Republicans and former GOP officials have endorsed Democratic candidates, signaling a cross-party alignment that reinforces the idea of shared democratic values.
• Centrist Policies: The Democratic Party’s centrist stance on certain issues, such as economic policy and healthcare, has made its platform more appealing to moderates and former Republican voters.
• Third-Party Appeal: Efforts to incorporate progressive and moderate ideals into the Democratic platform have strengthened its appeal to third-party groups advocating for social and economic progress.

Arguments Against:

• Progressive-Moderate Tensions: While the party has made strides in inclusivity, tensions between its progressive and moderate wings sometimes challenge its unity and democratization efforts.

It’s now time to move onto the Democratic Party and how I feel they were somehow able to exude a new level of democracy that I frankly haven’t seen from the democratic party, being a lifelong Independent myself. 

How the Democrats Changed In This Election and How They Got My Independent Vote

I don’t think the Harris camp planned to find life-long Republicans shaping up to be their strongest allies, like Liz Cheney, but one could sense the Harris/Walz campaign’s complete embrace of the “go with the high-energy, fast pace flow” of doing everything they can to win this race. And their enthusiasm and kind-hearted spirit towards “justice” became infectious. In a good way, as we could see people from all walks of life gravitate towards them as their seeming impossible crusade. 

Regardless of what happens in the next few days, I can 1000% earnestly say that Harris//Walz won my vote not by any one moment. It was the total and consistent sum of their energetic hearts going “all-in” with their hope-filled messaging. And I almost missed it with all the pro-choice debate as I wanted to see where she stood on so many other issues. Kamala Harris isn’t perfect, but she shares our shared pursuit of balance and equality. We seem to expect a president to be super-human. And in some ways they are. But they are mainly human.  

A consistent, continual and collective coherence started clicking and resonating in me just in the last few weeks as I saw the civility and shared purpose messages rise out of the Harris camp. This rise in collective, synergistic purpose starkly contrasted Trump’s quickly escalating belligerence and masked rage in his rallies. Scrambling to work at McDonalds to show he could “do it better” than her. Then in the last days of the race, making sexually suggestive gestures towards a microphone, suggesting “guns be trained on (Liz Cheney’s) face” and suggesting “(guns) shoot through fake news (journalists)” in a crowd at his rallies. 

In these last few days watching the campaigning from both parties, I started to realize that Trump supporters want to rage with him because they see themselves in him, in some way. I had no clue that we, as AmeriCANS, were so willing to give so much of our power away. I heard conversations on live social media segments where people bold-faced stated “We need a dictatorship.” And I can only hope and pray these people don’t feel that way forever or want to be like him. 

Confronting Influencers from the MAGA Supporter Camps

Regardless of how MAGA supported feel now, I have to believe this condition, and feeling, in one third of Americans’ psyche – with people pushing to be “ruled”- is fleeting and not long-lasting. It can also be a symptom of a greater problem where American Pride and American Lack collide to shake us out of the American Dream fairytale we are all still desperately grasping for. But that Titanic already sunk, and we’re left clinging to a floating, wooden door. For lack of better words, our first-world dream is in need for a dramatic “makeover”. 

I didn’t know that I was going to vote for Harris until I looked at my mail-in ballot. I am that third-part voter. Ew, gross (some of you would say). I know. But there is an important space in the collective consciousness for us third-party believers. One-third of eligible voters in our country don’t vote. I’ll leave that breakdown around “why” for another article.

Defining “Democratizing” (Happening Now in the Democratic Party)

In politics, “democratizing” refers to the process of making political structures, decision-making, or practices more inclusive, participatory, and reflective of broader public input and consensus. When political parties on opposing sides collaborate more deeply, democratizing involves breaking down rigid partisan boundaries to encourage cooperative governance and policy-making. This can mean working together on legislation, policy initiatives, or electoral reforms that reflect a broader spectrum of opinions and needs across the political divide.

Key elements of democratizing in this context include:

• Bipartisanship: Engaging in bipartisan efforts to build consensus and pass legislation that incorporates input from different political ideologies.

• Inclusivity: Ensuring that diverse viewpoints, including those from both moderate and extreme ends of the spectrum, contribute to discussions and decisions.

• Shared Governance: Collaborating to solve national issues in ways that strengthen democratic practices and trust in institutions by reflecting a wider range of constituents' voices.

Now here is how the Democratic Party has become more democratized, with third-party and Republican support:

Support for the Idea:

• Broad Coalition-Building: Under the Biden-Harris administration, the Democratic Party has emphasized inclusivity, pulling in not just traditional Democrats but also moderates, disaffected Republicans, and independent voters. This coalition-building signals a broader ideological tent than in previous eras.
• Republican Endorsements: Prominent Republicans, including former officials and party strategists, have publicly endorsed Democratic candidates in recent elections. Examples include figures like former Ohio Governor John Kasich and other GOP members who joined Democrats in opposing Trump’s policies and re-election efforts.
• Centrist Policies: The Democrats have adopted more centrist positions on certain economic and social issues, making their platform accessible to moderate Republicans and independents. Policies focusing on infrastructure, job growth, and healthcare reform have resonated beyond their traditional voter base.
• Third-Party Appeal: The Democratic agenda has attracted support from third-party groups that advocate for social and economic progress. Efforts to collaborate with these groups and incorporate progressive and moderate ideals have strengthened the party’s broader base.

Arguments Against:

• Progressive-Moderate Tensions: Despite efforts at broad inclusion, there remain divisions within the Democratic Party between its progressive and moderate wings. This tension sometimes challenges the party’s unity and broader democratization efforts.

Overall, the Democratic Party’s recent trajectory shows a move toward a more open, coalition-based model that has welcomed a wider range of political affiliations and ideologies. This strategy aims to build electoral strength by aligning with shared values across the spectrum.

A “Tale of Two Cities” in our nation may persist if we don’t bridge the media-manufactured divide, engage in identifying and wanting to help our nation’s most vulnerable, and become courageous enough to ask for help when we, too, become the most vulnerable. 

That last bit, all of us willing to be vulnerable, is the toughest to express as we have been born with American Pride. This pride can “atrophy” into an excuse to cover-up all of our shared grievances. We must not let it escalate into American Arrogance, American Elitism or American Indifference. 

It is our differences that make us American. It’s our embracing and celebrating of our differences that once fueled our American Pride. And happiness.

Can a vote be an extension of our will to seek happiness?

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