Not my circus, not my monkeys.
But congratulations to the GOP for pulling out what appears to be a pretty big win at most levels of government last night, and commiserations to the Democrats who appear to have not.
As I stated last night on Twitter there's going to be a LOT written on this election outcome over the next few days. Much of it, especially what's coming from the progressive left, is going to be 100% incorrect.
The left is going to tell you that America is now a racist, sexist place and that racist, sexist mouth-breathers on the right voted in a modern-day version of Hitler to office. Trumps brown-shirt proclivities aside (which, to be fair, we really don't know whether or not they even exist at this point) there are data points aplenty showing the 'racist/sexist' meme to be false.
For one, David Duke, titular head of the KKK and running for office in Louisiana, received a mere three percent of the vote in a district, and State that Trump carried. Second, the same so-called sexist voters who carried Trump also made it a very good night for female Republicans down ballot.
But these are facts, and the people such as Krugman, Blow, Bouie and countless others that are spouting the 'racist/sexist' line are literally too stupid to be confronted with facts. To quote the Hangover "you are literally too stupid to insult." As such, they are best ignored.
What really happened, what drove new voters to the polls in massive numbers, and what led to a deficiency in Democratic enthusiasm is two-fold.
First, the Democrats nominated as their standard-bearer the most unlikable, scandal-ridden, rent-seeking, self-serving public figure in the last 20 years. In short, there was nothing for Hillary supporters to be FOR. They were all against something else. And unless you have a rallying cry that's more than "beat the other side" history has shown us that you're in a heap of trouble if the other side does.
And they did. Because in addition to the 'stop Hillary' crowd (which was sizable) Trump also had the "Trumpets" or people who were fired up about what Trump was telling them. The overlooked and marginalized, the people who had fallen behind and who have spent the last eight years being lectured by Democrats, progressive and social justice warriors on just how stupid they all are. Combine those angry people with the 'anyone but Hillary' crowd and you had a coalition that had the ability to pull out the win.
Already though, the progressive left, too insipid to see where they're wrong, is doubling down. Already there are cries and gnashing of teeth on social media, in online outlets, print journalism etc. The blame game is in full gear, and they're blaming the great unwashed, the same majority that just beat them into an electoral pulp nationwide.
As long as the Democrats continue to do this, as long as they target anyone who is not wealthy, Caucasian, progressive or somehow dependent on them as a lower class they will continue to not experience the electoral success they think they are entitled to.
Trump didn't win because people are racist/sexist/ whatever -ist, he won because he gave people who have been besmirched as such for years now by Democrats, and ignored by Republicans an outlet for their anger. Trump won because he was FOR something, no matter wrong-headed it may seem.
Again, congratulations to him and the GOP for a huge win, across the board.
Don't squander it.
