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Only grocery prices can salvage America’s democracy now
Los Angeles Times
|August 29, 2025
Most voters care most about the economy. That helped Trump last year, but now it’s a tailwind for Democrats.
DEMOCRATS shouldn't just talk about Trump's empty promises. Talk about empty shelves.
TOWARD THE END of her 2024 campaign, Kamala Harris made a big mistake. Having gained traction by talking about “joy” and “freedom,” she panicked and reverted back to apocalyptic warnings about Trump.
Today, those warnings read like a prophecy. But — and this part is key — she still lost.
The lesson? Shouting “democracy is on the ballot” isn’t a cheat code for winning elections.
In fact, in 2024, many voters who claimed democracy was their top issue pulled the lever for ... Donald Trump (which is sort of like saying your top priority is dental hygiene, and then brushing your teeth with a Hershey's bar).
This, of course, brings us to current events. Trump is working overtime to prove Harris was right. He has federalized and militarized the Washington police, deployed the National Guard and threatened similar action in Chicago and Baltimore.
Trump’s FBI searched John Bolton's house, and he floated reopening the “Bridgegate” — because nothing screams strength like digging up a 10-year-old scandal to punish Chris Christie for being mean.
He also signed an executive order against flag burning — complete with talk of a one-year mandatory jail sentence. Because, you know, free speech.
This story is from the August 29, 2025 edition of Los Angeles Times.
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