Many thought COVID-19 and its lockdowns would be what changed the direction of politics in the United States. While there have been some political shifts, the lockdown reckoning pales in comparison to the shifts brought on by the Black Lives Matter riots, which included total control over the direction of the Democratic Party.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, showcased this perfectly. Harris chose Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to be her running mate, selecting him over the more sensible political choice, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA). It has turned Harris’s ticket into a referendum on the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020 in the general election but, on the Democratic side, the referendum has now reached its conclusion.