- Mar 25, 2023
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Setting aside my personal views on the candidates, and approaching this at an objective level, I fund the results of this election shocking and unexpected.
We have to ask seriously, "how could a candidate with twice the money (record amounts), the entire MSM behind her--to the point where it was literal propaganda 24/7 on the news networks, fanatical devotion from her party, and support from foreign leaders, get completely demolished in the election by a controversial and polarizing opponent? And not only this, she saw her party lose both chambers of congress"
The polls had this election 50/50, and guys like Allan Lichtmen predicted her to win. Surveys of viewers after the debate said Harris won. Democrats interviewed expressed unwavering support for her. All of this was wrong.
Trump gained additional percentages of votes from virtually every demographic and economic group, including black males, latinos, etc. he won 51% of the women's vote in the country--when many predicted women would vote for Harris to the tune of 60-70%. The electoral map is an ocean of red. This is a realignment.
So what happened?
Some theories:
1. The one thing voters do not tolerate is inflation. People will put up with corruption, war, and even some chaos, but they will not tolerate inflation. The Biden administration's attempt to downplay inflation, and then blame it on Trump, the pandemic, etc. fell on deaf ears--no one bought that narrative save for far-left, partisan Democrats. Economists were saying for 2 years that much of the inflation was caused by excessive government spending (the ARA & IRA--and spending during the Trump years), artificially low interest rates, etc. --it wasn't just supply shocks. And even if people accepted that supply shocks were largely to blame, it was Democratic governors who shut down their states and ports. Inflation is a tax on the middle and lower classes.
2. Underestimating the public's concern over foreign wars and chaos. Forever wars (Ukraine) make people angry, as they see billions of dollars going overseas, and worry about escalation. Many Muslims and people on the left were outraged by what is going on in the ME. Harris simply ignored these issues after she was handed the nomination. She briefly touched on Ukraine during the debate, but basically said that there would be more escalation. Her rhetoric involving Gaza was empty, as it contained no policy proposals or objectives.
3. Backlash against identity politics and far-left lunacy. Transgenderism, DEI/CRT, cancel culture, etc. --people are really sick of this stuff. A buddy of mine who has voted Democrat his entire life voted for Trump, because he is just tired of all this nonsense, and couldn't bring himself to vote for Harris
4. Harris was a terrible candidate--historically bad. She comes off as vapid, empty, weak, and arrogant all at the same time. But what was interesting is that the MSM wouldn't touch on this at all, and lionized her. When she made contradictory statements, flip-flopped, became evasive, etc., they typically covered for her. I wonder how off-putting she really was to the average voter?
I am curious as to what others think, because this wasn't simply a candidate losing an election, it was an entire political party getting wrecked.
We have to ask seriously, "how could a candidate with twice the money (record amounts), the entire MSM behind her--to the point where it was literal propaganda 24/7 on the news networks, fanatical devotion from her party, and support from foreign leaders, get completely demolished in the election by a controversial and polarizing opponent? And not only this, she saw her party lose both chambers of congress"
The polls had this election 50/50, and guys like Allan Lichtmen predicted her to win. Surveys of viewers after the debate said Harris won. Democrats interviewed expressed unwavering support for her. All of this was wrong.
Trump gained additional percentages of votes from virtually every demographic and economic group, including black males, latinos, etc. he won 51% of the women's vote in the country--when many predicted women would vote for Harris to the tune of 60-70%. The electoral map is an ocean of red. This is a realignment.
So what happened?
Some theories:
1. The one thing voters do not tolerate is inflation. People will put up with corruption, war, and even some chaos, but they will not tolerate inflation. The Biden administration's attempt to downplay inflation, and then blame it on Trump, the pandemic, etc. fell on deaf ears--no one bought that narrative save for far-left, partisan Democrats. Economists were saying for 2 years that much of the inflation was caused by excessive government spending (the ARA & IRA--and spending during the Trump years), artificially low interest rates, etc. --it wasn't just supply shocks. And even if people accepted that supply shocks were largely to blame, it was Democratic governors who shut down their states and ports. Inflation is a tax on the middle and lower classes.
2. Underestimating the public's concern over foreign wars and chaos. Forever wars (Ukraine) make people angry, as they see billions of dollars going overseas, and worry about escalation. Many Muslims and people on the left were outraged by what is going on in the ME. Harris simply ignored these issues after she was handed the nomination. She briefly touched on Ukraine during the debate, but basically said that there would be more escalation. Her rhetoric involving Gaza was empty, as it contained no policy proposals or objectives.
3. Backlash against identity politics and far-left lunacy. Transgenderism, DEI/CRT, cancel culture, etc. --people are really sick of this stuff. A buddy of mine who has voted Democrat his entire life voted for Trump, because he is just tired of all this nonsense, and couldn't bring himself to vote for Harris
4. Harris was a terrible candidate--historically bad. She comes off as vapid, empty, weak, and arrogant all at the same time. But what was interesting is that the MSM wouldn't touch on this at all, and lionized her. When she made contradictory statements, flip-flopped, became evasive, etc., they typically covered for her. I wonder how off-putting she really was to the average voter?
I am curious as to what others think, because this wasn't simply a candidate losing an election, it was an entire political party getting wrecked.