It is very close and still undecided the morning after, but here are a few thoughts:

The coastal media elites and their polling auxiliaries have proven once again how out of touch they are with the rest of America.

Promising to raise taxes is not a good campaign strategy; nor is attacking the rich.

Calling everyone a racist is not a good campaign strategy. Redefining the American founding and ideal as irredeemably racist is also not a good strategy.

Defunding the police is not a good campaign strategy.

Threatening to pack the courts is not a good campaign strategy.

Promising to shut down entire industries in states where they are major employers is not a good campaign strategy.  Trump is more secure in PA this morning than he is in GA.

Flirting with socialism is not a good campaign strategy, especially for the Cuban and South Americans who have seen it first hand.

At least half of America is not buying the woke zealot narrative. They may remain quiet due to the cancel culture, but you have not persuaded  someone because you have silenced them because:

The polling booth is the ultimate safe space.

Kamala Harris was a terrible VP choice.  She represents a state that brings no strategic advantage; California is as safely blue as any state. Her behavior in the Senate puts her far to the left of center.  A selection from Georgia or Michigan may have proven critical.  She was a low performer during the primary campaigns.  The sacrifice on the altar of identity politics did not prevent the drought.

Mitch McConnell and Lindsay Graham were substantially out spent by their Democratic contender and won substantially.  Once again we face the limits of the power of money in a campaign. Sarah Gideon has massively outspent Susan Collins in ME and Collins seems to be holding on even though it has yet to be called.

We will see a significant improved turnout of Blacks and Latinos for Trump.  They are not buying the Trump is a racist rhetoric.

The Battle Royale is between the the woke zealots and the anti-elite populists.  It is hard to find the center.

We have two competing narratives of America that are becoming increasingly irreconcilable. Close, sharply contested elections will be with us for some time to come.

Whoever wins will be foolish if they think victory brings any sort of mandate for radical change in either direction.

 

 

 

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