A political earthquake is a natural social event that happens when the whole political crust suddenly releases pent-up energy, causing the entire American political ground to shake. This has happened in America because severe political stresses that built up during the last 8 years have exceeded the strength of the solid rocks that keep our politics stable. The released stresses are causing the politics to break along the left-wing Progressive or Liberal Democratic Party and the right wing Conservative Republican Party fault lines.
This earthquake has released massive political energy in the form of seismic social waves which are now fast travelling through the political landscape causing the shaking. You may or may not feel the shaking political ground depending on how far you are from this quake’s epicenter. Even if you are in Zambia 7,600 Miles or 12,000Kms away, you will eventually feel the tremors from this political earthquake. What caused this political earthquake? How did it start? What are the consequences?
When Republican Party candidate Donald Trump narrowly won the presidency in 2016 while the Democratic Candidate Hillary Clinton lost but won the popular vote by 3 million, there was shock, fear, anxiety and tension all over the country. Trump was clearly seen as a poor candidate. During the next 8 years, Trump behaved and conducted himself in the most provocative and unusual way everyday saying terrible divisive things, breaking norms, committing crimes, and advocating bad policies. Among other terrible things too many to mention, there were two impeachments of Trump, he instigated the January 6 insurrection in which Trump supporters violently broke into the United States Congressional Capital, and he has 34 criminal court convictions as a felon, the political tensions rose between Democrats and Trump supporters who call themselves Make America Great Again or MAGA Republicans.
Democrats and President Biden were sure they could beat Trump again at the polls just as they had done in 2020 winning with 7 million popular votes. The Trump and Biden debate on June 27, 2024 changed the political landscape. President Biden performed very badly. All these events that happened over the last 8 years built the stress and tensions in the country. The massive political earthquake happened on July 24, 2024 when President Biden withdrew his candidacy and endorsed a black woman Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Within a matter of minutes, hours, and days, numerous internet groups formed on their own on zoom on the internet in support of the Harris campaign. That Sunday 44,000 Black women raised $1.6 million dollars on zoom to support the Harris campaign. Later that week 7,500 Latinas joined two calls, and more than 9,000 women were on zoom for South Asian women. White women constitute the largest voting block that met on Zoom in support of Harris with 164,000 participants. The biggest shocker is that 70,000 members of the Republican Party opposition who have switched and now want to support Harris Democratic Party candidate met online. This would have been unthinkable a month ago.
These political aftershocks are continuing as you read this. After Harris chose Tim Walz as Vice-President running mate, the pair took a trip through 5 United States crucial political swing states addressing massive rowdy rallies. The Harris-Walz campaign says 12,000 people attended rallies in Philadelphia, 12,000 in Wisconsin, 15,000 in Detroit in Michigan, 15,000 Arizona and 12,000 in Nevada.
The consequence of this political earthquake is that everything negative that Americans knew, felt and believed the last 8 years is being turned upside. Many opposition party Republicans are now coming out to openly support Democratic party Harris without fear of the intimidation and threats of violence from Trump MAGA supporters. There was a feeling of despair, misery, frustration, and a dark cloud hanging over the whole nation because Trump MAGA Republicans had spread, and instigated so much hate, name calling and fear in the nation. Through project 2025, Trump and MAGA Republicans were threatening to impose autocracy or dictatorship and end democracy in America if Trump won the election in November. This sent chills of fear among most Americans.
During one of the massive rallies with 15,000 people, Harris and Walz said that Trump and his Vice-Presidential running mate JD Vance and MAGA Republicans “had robbed the country of joy!!!!!” The electric crowd roared with joy. Harris and Walz Democratic candidates have unleashed joy again in the country. The chant at the rallies has been: “We are not going back!!!” Aftershocks of the political earthquake that the Democratic Party has ignited will continue at the party’s political convention next week in Chicago.
Since I have been living here in America for the last 47 years since 1977, I never saw a political earthquake. I was a foot soldier or cadre and campaigned for President Obama in 2008. That was very historic as Obama was the first Black President. Nothing compares to what I am experiencing in the political excitement around Kamala Harris’ political campaign.
If Vice-President Kamala Harris wins the election this November, she will be the first woman, Black woman, and Asian-American woman to be President of the United States. In Zambia we would call her colored. She will be the most powerful woman in the world and the Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful country in the world , the United States of America.
She will command the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Air Force, United States Space Force and the United States Coast Guard. Her Presidency will have a huge impact in the 195 countries of the world. There are too many countries in the world where women are powerful political leaders. But women in those countries are told that they cannot be President of the country because they are women. But this will change that. Will Zambia be one of the countries that will have a woman as President? There are only 79 days until election day.
By Mwizenge S. Tembo, Ph. D.
Emeritus Professor of Sociology
I don’t think there’s a Political earthquake in America…the only problem is immature and personal attacks which is being exhibited by Trump…and this is definitely going to cost him the Presidency….name calling…insults…belittling opponents etc and that has caused the momentum to shift in favor of Harris….i live in a pro Republican County
Late John McCain and Barack Obama did put up a very good Presidential race…even Mitt Romney but Trump’s campaign is very hostile and he doesn’t have any message apart from calling immigrants rapists……i live in a pro Republican County and I haven’t seen any Trump campaign signs or even Trump bumper stickers on cars……but from what i can see from this Presidential election….whoever wins either Trump or Harris…expect some serious violence on the streets more especially if Trump loses
“It’s the economy, stupid!” tRump tramps Harris on the economy as well as border control, key issues in this election.
And for the sake of world peace and ending the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza wars, I would unfortunately prefer a tRump presidency. We need someone who will put the war-mongering and expansionist NATO in check!
Humans are endowned by free will. But like the quote that suggests that “we all have rights until our rights infrige on the rights of others”. I wonder why you base your assertion of NATO’s expansionist policy when even Hungry whose position is not pro west but is accomodated in NATO? Yet when that similar free will is expressed in the East(China, Hong Kong) or Russians…they suddening fall off buildings or end up in jail ? Doesnt say alot about free wind that God endowed us with.
Nice article, very hopeful if the political change happens.
Did the columns make a mistake with this sentence: “There are too many countries in the world where women are powerful political leaders.”
Isn’t the opposite true?
@ Mayo Mpapa
Politicians talk a very good game when they’re looking for employment …but once they get what they wanted then its game over….they start telling stories after stories
I always had the feeling that common sense was going to triumph in American politics. If Donald Trump loses, soul-searching will start in the Republican Party. This will be good news, very good news.
Couldnt agree with you more. It would inturn lead to a shake up in their supreme court whose recent verdicts are driven by conversative short sighteness than common sense that their constitution is built on.
Wish people could distinguish Hama led government and the people of Palestine. A deep dive into the lives of the North Koreans we see a pitiful sight. Yet the Palestinians could rid themselves of the Hama yoke that suggests a two state solution is not a a solution; so co existentance as two separate states isnt a solution?
Then what do they want as Isreal also has the right to exisit.
Most people like myself are indifferent to who becomes President after November elections. America will still be the same. The US Constitution is not as porous as the few might think. Let Americans choose their own leader without undue influence. Do they want to Make America Great Again or it has already reached that pinnacle? Is it true that Talampu is the worst leader America ever had? Only Dems agree to that, but not the entire country.
@MyZambia..Americans do not actually out a President in the White House. The president is selected by forces that you will never see in your lifetime. Besides, there is the Electoral College vote which complicates the popular vote.Ea
The race between the Democrats and the Republicans is an unpalatable multiple choice question. A choice between the woke-LGBTQ cult or anti black racism. Unfortunately our black brothers in America have not mastered the collective to play the the Democrats and Republicans against each other for their own benefit. They keep voting for dems and yet complain (about neglect of their kind and freebies to migrants) when the dems bring bus loads of illegal immigrants in dem controlled cities like new York and Chicago. Karmala came Africa 2 years ago and all she brought was the LGBTQ agenda. Do they really care about black people or we are just a means to meet their ends?
Bamudala is sarcastic. I didn’t expect to hear what came from him during the CNN interview. Sad.
This is a race of two radicals, one is far right and the other is far left. Both are specialists in fake news and alternative facts. America needs a third party on the ballot.
America is controlled Israel. Ever heard of AIPAC?