Soul-Searching vs. Finger-Pointing: The Aftermath of the Democrats’ ‘Crushing Defeat’

The gentlest way to describe the outcome of the 2024 presidential election is that the Right secured a “decisive victory”—winning control not only of the White House, but both chambers of Congress as well. That means the Left has experienced a “crushing defeat.”

Those on the Right aren’t gloating that Democrats are suffering. (Mostly.) We’re too concerned about Americans in every geographical place and identifiable demographic who’ve been suffering for the last four years. Those voters rebelled against an oppressive, illegitimately imposed, out-of-touch elite. They aimed their ire at legacy media, censorial social media platforms, and the off-the-cliff Left academia.

The denizens of far-Left institutions will now show us their character by the way they grapple with this crushing defeat. Their options are basically these: finger-pointing and soul-searching.

Which figures on the left are choosing from Column A, and which from Column B?

Legacy Media: Between Denial and Reflection

So far most in legacy media are pointing fingers. Some are turning publicly on their colleagues and chosen candidates. Figures at The New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, and MSNBC, et al, are thrashing and flailing, barely able to conceal their contempt for the millions who voted “wrong.” They’re keening about “misinformation” and blaming Elon Musk for refusing to censor X users.

Even before Election Day, the Washington Post’s decision not to endorse a presidential candidate led to an avalanche of canceled subscriptions and wide-scale resignations among staffers.

Who’s soul searching? A few. Some, like Jon Stewart, are suggesting that such media have lost touch with the American populace. An occasional panelist will poke his head above the trench and point to “diminishing trust in mainstream media.” Gallup’s surveys show the media is the least trusted institution in the U.S. And this is an industry where its only commodity is trust! The media has become a bakery with no carbs.

In the day-late-and-a-dollar-short department, some outlets timidly creep toward reflection. Like the letter from WaPo owner Jeff Bezos explaining the paper’s nonendorsement, or The New York Times launching initiatives aimed at understanding why its audience feels alienated. Uh, maybe years of lies without apology, correction, or repentance played some role in that?

Try lying to all your friends for 10 straight years and see what happens.

Social Media and Academia

On social media, the battle lines between finger-pointing and soul-searching are starkly drawn. Platforms like X (formerly Twitter), where influential figures like Joe Rogan and Donald Trump have a significant presence, have been instrumental. They created a place where citizens can actually communicate without Karen from HR getting them banned or even doxxed. Rogan’s endorsement of Trump, coupled with his critique of the media’s suppression of free speech, garnered millions of views. Social media influencers, rather than the politicized graduates of Columbia Journalism School, are shaping the way people think.

There’s a quieter, perhaps less visible, movement towards self-reflection. Platforms like Substack have provided a space for journalists and thinkers to engage in long-form analysis and critique of both their industry and their personal biases. Some are actually talking about the need for things like “nuance.”

Within academia, the reaction has been mixed. Plenty of “scholars” are gassing around TV shows deploring the “end of democracy” and the resurgence of “xenophobia.” Behind committee room doors, things are even darker. Most colleges follow the Ivy League in promoting ideological groupthink and censorship. It’s parents and alums who are holding symposiums and panels worrying about the politicized bubble that has enveloped almost every school.

Which Option Prevails?

Finger-pointing is highly visible in social media and certain segments of legacy media, where instant reactions and the need for engagement often overshadow thoughtful discourse. The rise of figures like Rogan, whose success lies in his willingness to listen, counterbalances the chorus of elite condemnation aimed at voters.

Soul-searching, on the other hand, is more prevalent in quieter corners of social media and within academia. Here, the focus is on understanding the underlying causes of political shifts, reevaluating the role of media and education in democratic societies, and attempting to rebuild trust through transparency and engagement with the public.

The real test will be in the long-term actions our institutions take. Will there be a genuine overhaul in how news is reported, how social media consumers learn to read and look out for falsehood, and how academia engages with society? Or will the initial soul-searching fade into the background, overtaken by the louder, more immediate blame game?

As the established elite, both in America and globally, moves forward from its grand rejection and bruising defeat, the evolution of these responses will matter a lot. If looking inward can overtake pointing fingers, we can all begin to return to a more responsible establishment, and our important public institutions may regain their footing. But failing sufficient introspection, the establishment elite will continue to be seen as out of touch with the American electorate’s evolving expectations and realities.

Finger-pointing might capture headlines, but the depth of soul-searching is the hope and path to meaningful change. The true measure of which approach prevails will be reflected in how these institutions adapt over time, whether they choose to engage in genuine reform or continue to shun and cancel everyone who doesn’t conform to their ideals.

Frank Kaufmann is the founding director and editor-in-chief of the Wikipedia alternative New World Encyclopedia. In 2020, he founded The Settlement Project in response to a spike in clear and open attacks on America, especially from within. Through The Settlement Project, he organizes, writes, travels, eats, and sleeps the mission to protect, honor, and rebuild a strong and healthy America.