Staff Reports
CNN’s Van Jones certainly displayed some dramatic flair as he announced that supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris would be heading to bed with “nightmares” after Election Day. This came at a time when Harris’s campaign decided that the Vice President would skip her Election Day watch party, leaving them all in suspense until the following morning. Just hours earlier, Donald Trump was busy flipping swing states like Georgia and Pennsylvania while his path to victory in Michigan and Wisconsin appeared ever clearer.
Jones, ever the dramatist on CNN, bemoaned the fate of Harris’s supporters, making a special mention of the crushing disappointment felt by black women, whom he claimed were “facing rejection.” As if predicting a future where emotional turmoil spreads across the land, he warned that those elated by the prospect of hanging onto political power would wake up to a grim reality. Apparently, when the election results went south, someone had to put the blame on Trump, rather than the shortcomings of Harris’s campaign.
People woke up this morning with a big dream. They are going to wake up tomorrow in a nightmare. But we will find a way through. pic.twitter.com/uzR5DpYytk
— Van Jones (@VanJones68) November 6, 2024
The comment by Jones about parents of transgender kids did get a few eyebrows raised, as he lamented that these children were being used as mere “springboards to power.” One can only wonder how he believes folks feel about their world imploding, especially when they’ve bet their hopes and dreams on a political figure who may be left trying to figure out her next move after a staggering loss. The underlying implication was that if Trump wins, it would be these groups who would be “paying the price.” Seems fair to blame a political opponent for causing nightmares rather than reflecting on the leadership and messaging of the candidates themselves.
Then, in a flash of reason—a rare gem on CNN—Republican strategist David Urban pushed back against the emotional rhetoric. Urban rightly questioned whether some of those feeling crushed might have actually cast their votes for Trump. In the world of political commentary, it appears a little logic goes a long way. Urban asserted that the Democratic Party, not Trump, had let those black women down, perhaps shining a light on a simple reality: when candidates fail to inspire, it isn’t the opposing party’s fault.
Last night’s conservative celebration was marred only by feelings of schadenfreude for many watching the Democrats fumbling through yet another disheartening election. As supportive rhetoric turned alarming and rhetoric turned into tearful predictions, folks across the aisle chuckled, knowing that the Halloween fright would soon give way to a more hopeful and optimistic reality for America. If Harris’ camp was really as frightening as Jones made it out to sound, perhaps it is time for some internal reflection rather than relying on tearful spectacles reminiscent of a soap opera’s grand finale.
