How did this happen? I'll offer my opinion: there weren't enough sensible Republican voters like me to nominate Nikki. I cannot for the life of me explain the Trump appeal, but here we are, less than 24 hours before I head to the polls and I'm forced to vote in a remarkable election, one in which I can see no redeeming value in either candidate.
I do know Trump supporters, and they are rabid in their love and defense of him. Your analysis of his final stretch is spot on--doing "the weave" (and I don't mean his hair) and not staying on a winning message of the economy and immigration. Despite endless speeches, Kamala still has not defined what her governing philosophies will be.
I am heartsick. Between the election and P'nut the Squirrel, I have to rhetorically ask: what the hell is this world coming to?
Thanks Sharon. Starting in 2015, Donald Trump essentially staged a hostile takeover of the Republican Party. We can only hope that if he loses tomorrow, "normie" Republicans will regain control of the party and turn it back into something resembling a serious political entity. The Trump story is a cautionary tale: do not become so enamored of a politician that you become a member of a cult. That is what has happened to some Trump supporters (numbering in the millions). Trump came along at an opportune time and he tapped into a vein of resentment. As we may soon learn, defeating Trump is one thing. Defeating Trumpism, however, is quite another.
How do you define "Trumpism"? And--was it a hostile takeover? I don't think so. I do think that Trump has tapped into something that more traditional Republicans overlooked. The character of the Republican party has shifted--it is not the party of the country club and wealthy, but because of the left's emphasis on social issues that do not appeal to working class Americans, The Democrat party has become a gathering of well-educated upper-class elites from either coast. Republican registration is growing, but not in that demographic.
The polarization continues apace. I do not support student loan forgiveness--even though one of my daughters would directly benefit from it. I could go on, but I won't--suffice it to say, culturally and socially, that's not where I'm at, and I'm not alone. There has to be a place for those of us who feel the same way I do. Trump, win or lose, is done. Who will the next generation be? Nikki? JD Vance? Someone else out there in the weeds? And what about the Democrats? Who will rise to the top --Gavin? Gretchen?
I have to look ahead. I feel demoralized about tomorrow, regardless of who wins.
Trumpism is precisely what Trump stands for: disdain for the elites; the wholesale embrace of working class grievances; isolationism on the world stage. I'm sure I've left something out ...
I call it a hostile takeover because when Trump announced his candidacy, he was denounced in the harshest of terms by the party establishment, notably Jeb Bush, Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina et al. There was great resistance among the entrenched elite in the GOP but once Trump's dominance was established, they became scared of his followers, so all but few fell in line.
I share your grief about the aftermath. This nation is in a sorry state.
Perhaps people saying that they're u happy with the direction of the country aren't referring to the white house. Perhaps they're referring to the enormous divide, the refusal to compromise, or the fact that one party seems fine with the end of democracy.
You could be right, but you know how Americans are. If they don't like the status quo, many will reflexively blame the White House, even though there are many other factors contributing to their dissatisfaction, including the mood of the nation generally.
In 1980, the polls were tight and I looked forward to an evening watching dueling pundits. But when I finally tuned in at 9:30 it was all over as last-minute deciders had jumped to Reagan. This one too might not be that close. If last-minute deciders jump toward Harris, she could carry all of the swing states and make it a "landslide" (by Trumpian standards). That isn't implausible: feedback from the phonebooks I've been managing this week confirms that the gender gap is deep and women voters are highly motivated.
Thanks Michael. Absolutely. If a handful of swing states break early for Harris, it will be over earlier than most of us expected. One problem though is that many of these states forbid the counting of early votes and absentee ballots until Election Day. This rule clearly needs to change.
Well done my friend. If I could, I would buy the first round! ~J
How did this happen? I'll offer my opinion: there weren't enough sensible Republican voters like me to nominate Nikki. I cannot for the life of me explain the Trump appeal, but here we are, less than 24 hours before I head to the polls and I'm forced to vote in a remarkable election, one in which I can see no redeeming value in either candidate.
I do know Trump supporters, and they are rabid in their love and defense of him. Your analysis of his final stretch is spot on--doing "the weave" (and I don't mean his hair) and not staying on a winning message of the economy and immigration. Despite endless speeches, Kamala still has not defined what her governing philosophies will be.
I am heartsick. Between the election and P'nut the Squirrel, I have to rhetorically ask: what the hell is this world coming to?
Thanks Sharon. Starting in 2015, Donald Trump essentially staged a hostile takeover of the Republican Party. We can only hope that if he loses tomorrow, "normie" Republicans will regain control of the party and turn it back into something resembling a serious political entity. The Trump story is a cautionary tale: do not become so enamored of a politician that you become a member of a cult. That is what has happened to some Trump supporters (numbering in the millions). Trump came along at an opportune time and he tapped into a vein of resentment. As we may soon learn, defeating Trump is one thing. Defeating Trumpism, however, is quite another.
How do you define "Trumpism"? And--was it a hostile takeover? I don't think so. I do think that Trump has tapped into something that more traditional Republicans overlooked. The character of the Republican party has shifted--it is not the party of the country club and wealthy, but because of the left's emphasis on social issues that do not appeal to working class Americans, The Democrat party has become a gathering of well-educated upper-class elites from either coast. Republican registration is growing, but not in that demographic.
The polarization continues apace. I do not support student loan forgiveness--even though one of my daughters would directly benefit from it. I could go on, but I won't--suffice it to say, culturally and socially, that's not where I'm at, and I'm not alone. There has to be a place for those of us who feel the same way I do. Trump, win or lose, is done. Who will the next generation be? Nikki? JD Vance? Someone else out there in the weeds? And what about the Democrats? Who will rise to the top --Gavin? Gretchen?
I have to look ahead. I feel demoralized about tomorrow, regardless of who wins.
Trumpism is precisely what Trump stands for: disdain for the elites; the wholesale embrace of working class grievances; isolationism on the world stage. I'm sure I've left something out ...
I call it a hostile takeover because when Trump announced his candidacy, he was denounced in the harshest of terms by the party establishment, notably Jeb Bush, Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina et al. There was great resistance among the entrenched elite in the GOP but once Trump's dominance was established, they became scared of his followers, so all but few fell in line.
I share your grief about the aftermath. This nation is in a sorry state.
We shall be hoping for a column that eve
Perhaps people saying that they're u happy with the direction of the country aren't referring to the white house. Perhaps they're referring to the enormous divide, the refusal to compromise, or the fact that one party seems fine with the end of democracy.
You could be right, but you know how Americans are. If they don't like the status quo, many will reflexively blame the White House, even though there are many other factors contributing to their dissatisfaction, including the mood of the nation generally.
In 1980, the polls were tight and I looked forward to an evening watching dueling pundits. But when I finally tuned in at 9:30 it was all over as last-minute deciders had jumped to Reagan. This one too might not be that close. If last-minute deciders jump toward Harris, she could carry all of the swing states and make it a "landslide" (by Trumpian standards). That isn't implausible: feedback from the phonebooks I've been managing this week confirms that the gender gap is deep and women voters are highly motivated.
Thanks Michael. Absolutely. If a handful of swing states break early for Harris, it will be over earlier than most of us expected. One problem though is that many of these states forbid the counting of early votes and absentee ballots until Election Day. This rule clearly needs to change.