There is a lot of laughing going on, spurred by Kamala Harris and Tim Walz who are pushing an agenda of “joy” as an antidote to the Trumpian gloom and doom that wants us to be grieving for a failed America. The underlying meaning of MAGA—Make America Great Again–is that in reality, America is not a great country, and Trump is happy to point out to his voters all the things that are wrong with it.
Harris and Walz are taking a diametrically opposed position: celebrate America, be happy to live here, but let’s do better. The two candidates demonstrate the classic paradigm of glass half empty or glass half full.
Elections are a time of heightened emotions, especially when the candidates are so far apart in the images they wish to convey in their campaigns. Recent polls have highlighted a fascinating dichotomy: voters are experiencing both increased joy and anxiety. This emotional tug-of-war is not just a curious psychological phenomenon but a reflection of the deeply personal stake individuals have in the political process and the future direction of their country.
Joy is uplifting, it’s wonderful, but it can court disaster if it leads to smugness. As the legendary cracker barrel philosopher Yogi Berra famously said: “it ain’t over till it’s over.” November is still almost three months away and if either of the candidates think that they have the victory locked down they are in for a surprise. Despite the exuberant optimism of the Democratic party after Biden’s withdrawal, Harris supporters would be remiss in making any optimistic assumptions.
“She’s going to win in a landslide,” Aleksy Federov, 36, a delegate from Washington State who recently became a citizen, said at the Democratic National Convention. Federov cited the “energy in the air,” adding, “it’s a generational change in politics.”
Hours before Harris formally accepted the Democratic nomination for president at the convention in Chicago, Federov added, “She brings the joy to the people.”
But in a series of high-profile admonitions during the four-day convention, several Democratic Party elders issued stern warnings for anyone believing that Harris and Walz’s path to the White House will be a cake walk.
Joy is not the only emotion prevailing. On the flip side, anxiety is also on the rise, fueled by the uncertainty of election outcomes, the polarized nature of political discourse, and the pessimistic rhetoric of the Republican Party. We might add that the aftershocks—both economic and psychological—of the Covid-19 pandemic are not over yet. A trip to the supermarket is a constant reminder of the price we are still paying for it–literally.
The American Psychiatric Association’s annual mental health poll released in May reported that 73% of Americans are feeling “particularly anxious” about the 2024 election. This anxiety can stem from concerns over the economy, social issues, and the general direction in which the country is headed.
More specifically, the outcome is impossible to predict because both candidates have strengths and weaknesses. Harris’s main weakness is that she still has not defined her platform and the policies that she is banking on. Trump allies, namely Fox News, are keeping a running tally of how many days have passed with still no press conference where reporters could ask pertinent questions. On the other hand, Trump’s Achilles heel is that he is as undisciplined and abrasive as ever. The Trump show has gotten old and tired for many who have been tolerating his shenanigans till now.
Still, at this point there seems to be no end to the honeymoon period that Harris has enjoyed since Biden’s withdrawal. As for Trump, Kennedy’s endorsement is the 800 pound gorilla in the room and most pundits agree that while it may be impossible to determine how many percentage points of voter support it will bring, in a race that promises to be one of the tightest in history, any number will help him.
A few political figures are keeping a tighter rein on their expectations and curbing their joy. Amid the extraordinary optimism, former first lady Michelle Obama offered a sober warning: “No matter how good we feel tonight or tomorrow or the next day, this is going to be an uphill battle,” she said in her speech at the Democratic National Convention
Another warning came from John Anzalone, a pollster who has served the last three Democratic presidential nominees. “We can’t put our heads in the sand. She’s a Black woman. The bar is going to be higher for everything… That means, even mistakes. Mistakes are going to be magnified.”
It is refreshing to see any political campaign propel itself forward on joy, but let’s not forget that in the real world there is joy and disappointment—and sometimes, grief.
