Right now, in the aftermath of victory or defeat, things look rosy or depressing. Clear away the fog of euphoria or sadness. Settle down. Here’s what I take from the results:
I was wrong about Trump’s chances. I overplayed Trump’s negatives. Not that he doesn’t have any. He’s got plenty. Not that he wasn’t the weakest general election candidate in the GOP stable. He still is. The fact remains that the country is center-right, and the Dems fell off the left cliff. Trump had the advantage of a thoroughly discredited opposition party. At this moment, I wonder if the great bulk of the country just had enough of the left’s culture war; its eco-assault on the kitchen table, shelter, the gas tank, electricity, and the family sedan; and the socialist spending spree fueling an out-of-whack economy.
Thus, this was actually a change election, a dash away from what the Democratic Party has become. Trump didn’t have to be loved. He only had to be viewed by a majority as better than the alternative. Now, no longer facing a billion-dollar smear campaign and a recent history of radical left policies to lambast, I expect Trump’s negatives to eventually revert to norm. Where I went wrong is in not recognizing the very simple and smart calculus of it being either him or them.
But don’t forget, tomorrow is another day.
And don’t dismiss the fact that the Republicans were better organized this time around. The craziness of running an election during a pandemic, and given the Democrats’ chomping at the bit to “never let a crisis go to waste” by pushing through wild election law changes, left the Republicans flat-footed in 2020. Legislative changes were made at the state level to smooth the rough edges, but the asinine mailed ballot remains. Still, kudos to the RNC. It’s proof that even Republicans are open to life’s lessons.
Will Trump II be a repeat of Trump I? The guy may be either more unhinged or older and wiser. We’ll see. Will he be as stubborn as Biden, who forced an Afghanistan bugout at all costs, in imposing a rash of protective tariffs on friend and foe alike? All of this without addressing our own role in hampering American manufacturing. American mismanagement, unions, and regulation did more than Asia to wreak havoc on GM and USX. Will he sellout Ukraine to Putin? What about federal spending which is putting America on a path to Argentina? Early indications aren’t promising.
Storm clouds, many of them possibly of Trump’s own making, loom over a second term. Good luck, America.
Oh, and I don’t blame you for not listening to me.
RogerG