An analysis of the 2024 American election

Donald J. Trump has won America’s elections and will soon be inaugurated as the 47th president. This will be his second term since his previous win in 2016, where   Joe Biden replaced him. The two men competed once more for the presidency in this year’s election. Joe Biden dropped out , and  Vice President Kamala Harris replaced him. Less than a few months before Trump takes office, America and the rest of the world seem to be reeling as they take in the results of these elections, including Canadians.  I too am processing the results: and thinking about what lies ahead for America, Canada and the rest of the world. 

I come from a very specific context, being a newcomer to the Western world with African origins. Back in Africa, I had a very different view of what the West represented. I grew up during the tenure of the Democrats, specifically with Barrack Obama’s hope campaigns.  During that time, it seemed that America wanted to project itself as a nation of progress. 

From picking an African American president whose own father was Kenyan, to the assigning of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, a lot of Obama’s popularity came from the belief many people had that his was the signaling of a new era.  

I want to prioritize symbols and aesthetics, images and representations within my analysis.   

Symbols are all about meanings, allusions and hints as to what is to come. Like all aesthetics, a lot of the time they can be surface level and superficial.  Though Barrack Obama and his administration did portray themselves as forward thinking, there are valid criticisms and indictments to be made against them and their tenure. I can think of many — particularly their foreign policy. Obama’s tenure was at the height of the war on terror, and he has been accused of being too liberal with drone strikes —some of which killed innocents. 

Though what lies inside the book will always have much more substance than how aesthetically pleasing its cover is, I still believe a book’s cover still holds importance. Covers and appearances speak to how one idealizes themselves, what one strives to be alongside their aims, objectives and deepest desires.   

When Obama and Harris present themselves as campaigning for hope and progress, I personally believe that still holds weight, even if it is meager. The ultimate judgement will always be their actions, but words still have power and that’s why many of us are raised to be careful when it comes to what we say and how we say it.  

With an eye on aesthetics, Trump’s campaign has posited itself as a return to a greater past. The very phrase “Make America Great Again” evokes this. I now wonder what that past is, particularly when at odds with the previous messages of progress toward a better tomorrow. 

If the past is so great, is that to say that our efforts to go forward and progress are in fact wrong? From the progress of #MeToo Movement, to BLM and even the current Pro-Palestine movements, how is MAGA to fit within this context. 

What is this greater past? I suppose we shall all find out soon enough. 

This article was originally published in print Volume 24, Issue 4 on Thursday, December 5.