Trump Can Still Win
The many analysts, including me, who had argued that Trump could not win the general election were relying on pre-Babel intuitions, which said that scandals such as the Access Hollywood tape (in which Trump boasted about committing sexual assault) are fatal to a presidential campaign. But after Babel, nothing really means anything anymore––at least... See more
The Atlantic • Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
Once the fog of political warfare that surrounds an election has cleared, we could discover that most of our fellow citizens are not irredeemably indifferent to Trump’s evident vices; that whatever explains their attachment to the president, it is not that they repudiate the values he does not respect. Our tribal prejudices are at their worst in mo
... See morenytimes.com • Should I Stop Speaking to My Trump-Supporting Friends?
Jonathan Simcoe added
As Trump wins Florida and other key states, news outlets report it as if it were a Greek tragedy. Not only does Trump win, but Republicans also end up holding on to a majority in the Senate. And although double-digit gains by Democrats were widely predicted for the House of Representatives, they pick up only six seats; the GOP retains a strong majo
... See moreSharyl Attkisson • The Smear: How Shady Political Operatives and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think, and How You Vote
Amid all the attacks, Trump proves as incalculable as Wildcard. A bully one moment, kindhearted the next. Brash and unapologetic. He’s savvy yet reckless, reliable only in terms of his unpredictability. There’s no way to accurately poll his popularity or place odds on his voter appeal. He throws the whole “establishment” into disarray. His strength
... See moreSharyl Attkisson • The Smear: How Shady Political Operatives and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think, and How You Vote
So that is the why of Donald Trump. He was the chosen instrument of an insurgent public, and no established centers of power stood in his way. The somewhat different question of how this transpired now needs to be posed. In 1980, 1990, even 2000, Trump’s bizarre trajectory would have been not just impossible but politically suicidal. What has chang
... See moreMartin Gurri • Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium
The most persuasive description of Trump’s ordinary supporters appeared just after the 2020 election, in a reader’s comment on a New York Times op-ed that had attributed his 74 million votes to white supremacy: I grew up in rural America. My home county went 80–20 for Trump. I also spent 6 months in my hometown since the 2016 election. I’m here to
... See moreGeorge Packer • Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal
In the same way that the Democrats could not fathom Ronald Reagan’s victory or the Republicans Franklin Roosevelt’s, Trump was incomprehensible.
George Friedman • The Storm Before the Calm: America's Discord, the Coming Crisis of the 2020s, and the Triumph Beyond
Donald Trump won the election by grasping the alienation of broad sectors of society, not only from the federal government, but also from those who serve in it. There was a collision between the federal technocracy and those who had experienced and distrusted it.