On “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart talked about why Kamala Harris lost the election to Donald Trump. He shared his thoughts on what went wrong for the Democrats and what might happen next.
Stewart started by looking back at election night on November 5th. As the night went on, it became clear that Trump was winning by a big margin. Many experts had predicted a close race, but Stewart said the Democrats ended up losing not just the electoral vote but also the popular vote.
They even lost support in major cities and nearby areas. “We were all told it would be close,” he said. “But in this coin-flip country, I thought the Democrats had a secret weapon.”
The Harris campaign raised a huge amount of money — $1 billion. Stewart called it a “war chest” for data analytics, polling, and hiring experts. With this kind of cash, they hoped to have a big advantage in reaching voters. However, despite the money, the plan didn’t work as expected.
A key strategy of the Harris campaign was door-to-door canvassing. They sent many volunteers to knock on doors and talk to people. Stewart joked about this, saying, “If there’s one thing people love, it’s someone showing up at their door to talk politics.
And if they come back two or three times? Even better,” he added sarcastically. He compared it to annoying visits from vacuum salesmen or Jehovah’s Witnesses, who are known for repeated door-knocking.
Stewart admitted that he had criticized the Democrats’ campaign tactics before. Still, he saw some sense in their plan. The party focused heavily on protecting democracy, a key message throughout the campaign.
But Stewart pointed out a twist: their efforts seemed to protect democracy for the other side instead. “They prepared for almost every scenario except one,” he said.
The big mistake? “Nobody brought the voters,” Stewart noted. He pointed out that while the Democrats had lawyers and election officials ready to ensure a fair process, they forgot the most important thing — getting enough voters to show up.
Stewart also mentioned that Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, stayed away from “woke” slogans like “Defund the Police.” Instead, they tried to appeal to more conservative voters by acting more like Republicans.
He joked that they even wore camouflage hats and attended Cheney family events, trying hard to fit in with right-leaning voters.
Stewart explained that many people felt the government wasn’t working for them. Voters thought that Democrats were taking their tax money and giving it to people who, in their eyes, didn’t deserve it. This feeling played a big part in why the Democrats lost so badly.
Despite the defeat, Stewart ended on a hopeful note. He reminded viewers that political power can change quickly. He talked about the 1984 election when Ronald Reagan won by a huge margin, leaving the Democrats with only one state, Minnesota.
At that time, people thought it was the end for the Democratic Party. But just eight years later, a Democrat was back in the White House.
“I want to assure people, this isn’t forever,” Stewart said. He emphasized that we can’t predict what will happen in four years.
His message was clear: even though Trump’s win was a big loss for the Democrats, the future is unpredictable. There’s always a chance for change in the next election.
Stewart’s take was a mix of humor, honesty, and serious reflection. He pointed out the mistakes but also left room for hope. He made it clear that nothing is permanent in politics. The next four years will bring new challenges, and it will be interesting to see how both parties respond.
