The last month has been nothing but unprecedented. Few predicted that Kamala Harris would be the presumptive nominee heading into Democratic convention week. We often get caught in the minutia of election season. For this very reason, let’s step back and take stock of what this election really means.
To get the big picture, we must look deeper at the structural undercurrents shaping the race. Polarization is one of them. But there is more going on here. The polarized conversation around the culture wars represents a battle between two political groups, one in ascension and pressing to gain the reins of power and the other in decline, holding on tooth and nail. Long-term social change and the reaction to it are driving this conflict, which in turn shapes our politics.
