{"id":3814,"date":"2026-07-07T14:50:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T14:50:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/?p=3814"},"modified":"2026-07-07T14:50:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T14:50:34","slug":"reflections-on-election-losses-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/2026\/07\/07\/reflections-on-election-losses-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections on election losses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following a surprising election outcome,&nbsp;<em>The Conversation with Al McFarlane<\/em>&nbsp;captured the sentiments of Minnesota\u2019s community, bringing in voices who grappled with disappointment yet called for resilience and unity. Host Al McFarlane opened with the day&#8217;s pressing question, stating, \u201cI think that towards 3:00 today, we can expect a press statement from Vice President Harris conceding the election\u2026we want to talk about that.\u201d Inviting Minnesotans to weigh in, McFarlane encouraged the community to voice their thoughts on what the path forward should look like. \u201cWe want to know how you feel, what you think we are going to be doing going forward as a community,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most poignant voices of the discussion was Haley Taylor Schlitz, a young assistant attorney general for the state of Minnesota, who spoke for her generation\u2014particularly Black Gen Z women who felt the weight of both racism and sexism in the election results. \u201cThis election reminded us how far we still have to go,\u201d she said. Reflecting on her Nigerian and European heritage, she emphasized, \u201cI\u2019m 50% Nigerian, and this election is a reminder of what my ancestors knew all too well: that progress is fragile. We still wake up to the reality our ancestors faced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Schlitz, the results echoed a long history of struggle for Black Americans, especially Black women who continue to show up for progressive change. She observed, \u201cThis was supposed to be a turning point, a new chapter in HERstory. We thought America was ready, but this result\u2026this is the reality check that our ancestors experienced. It\u2019s painful, but we\u2019re not done fighting.\u201d Her words conveyed both a deep frustration and an unyielding drive to press forward, grounded in the legacy of generations before her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adding to the conversation, former state senator Jeff Hayden, who had been watching the election unfold live from the Care 11 Studios, offered insights into the factors that swayed the outcome. \u201cThe message that resonated was the economy, plain and simple,\u201d Hayden said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t about who caused it or why; it was the here and now. What people are paying for gas, what they\u2019re paying for food.\u201d He noted how the campaign strategically framed these issues, often overlooking systemic factors but still resonating with voters\u2019 immediate concerns. \u201cImmigration and public safety, those became central issues,\u201d he said, explaining how Trump\u2019s messaging tapped into worries that, for many, felt urgent and pressing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This conversation didn\u2019t stop at the surface issues but delved into how political parties communicate, or fail to communicate, with communities of color. Hayden emphasized that outreach needs to be more than a last-minute scramble. \u201cIf the only time we\u2019re talking to people is a month before an election, we\u2019re taking that vote for granted,\u201d he stated, pressing on the need for consistent connection. The Democratic Party, he warned, must deepen its engagement if it wants to retain loyalty among voters of color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nonprofit leader Jonathan Palmer, another guest on the show, expanded on Hayden\u2019s points, emphasizing that systemic barriers play a pivotal role in shaping these outcomes. \u201cWe have systems that were built to keep Black and brown people, women, and immigrants on the margins,\u201d Palmer explained. \u201cUntil we start deconstructing those foundations, we\u2019ll keep seeing the same results\u2014systems penalizing people for being poor rather than providing real solutions.\u201d Palmer\u2019s words drew attention to the structures beneath policies, hinting at the historical roots of many contemporary challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McFarlane then invited Schlitz to provide insight into how Gen Z views this shifting political landscape. Schlitz painted a picture of a generation both disillusioned and emboldened, describing Gen Z as driven to defend freedoms that prior generations have fought to secure. \u201cWe\u2019ve grown up watching, we know what\u2019s at stake,\u201d she stated passionately. \u201cThis election, especially for Black women, was a blatant act of sexism and racism. But we\u2019re not going anywhere. We\u2019re in this fight for our liberty and our rights.\u201d Schlitz\u2019s perspective underscored a broader generational shift toward more active social justice advocacy, particularly among young women and marginalized communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a powerful closing moment, Hayden reflected on the importance of engaging even with those who might not agree, recognizing that all voices, even opposing ones, are essential in understanding broader community concerns. \u201cWe have to listen,\u201d he said, emphasizing the necessity of open dialogue. \u201cIf we cancel people out because they don\u2019t align with us, we\u2019ll end up with these silent blocks that only emerge at the polls.\u201d His words underscored a need for an inclusive conversation, resonating with The Conversation\u2019s mission of fostering dialogue across diverse perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The discussion, which saw McFarlane, Hayden, Palmer, and Schlitz exploring complex layers of identity, policy, and community connection, echoed a common message: Minnesota\u2019s path forward lies in conversation, unity, and an enduring commitment to change. Through platforms like The Conversation with Al McFarlane, these dialogues offer a chance to understand, to listen, and, as McFarlane aptly put it, to &#8220;stay present.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following a surprising election outcome,&nbsp;The Conversation with Al McFarlane&nbsp;captured the sentiments of Minnesota\u2019s community, bringing in voices who grappled with disappointment yet called for resilience and unity. Host Al McFarlane opened with the day&#8217;s pressing question, stating, \u201cI think that towards 3:00 today, we can expect a press statement from Vice President Harris conceding the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3815,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[2528,2529,29,2527],"class_list":["post-3814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-world","tag-haley-taylor-schlitz","tag-jeff-hayden","tag-minnesota","tag-vice-president-harris","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Insight-News-Website-Images-27.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3814"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3816,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3814\/revisions\/3816"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}