The United States once celebrated its elections as a triumph of democracy, a ritual of participation and voice.
In recent years, though, the process has come to resemble theater, with corporate donors and foreign interests as directors and the public cast as unwilling extras. The script is written before voters even arrive, and when they question the futility of their role, they are chastised for refusing to perform.
The 2024 election stripped the pretense away.
What should have been a decisive rejection of authoritarianism instead became an indictment of the Democratic Party itself. Rather than galvanize its base, Democrats alienated key communities, distancing themselves from trans allies, shelving popular social policies like universal pre-K and healthcare, and endorsing genocide abroad.
The consequences were catastrophic — not only for the country, but for a world still tethered to the promise of U.S. democracy.
The numbers told the story.
Turnout reached 63.7%, high by historical s…
