Some presidential elections are decided by tactical moves: a stronger ground game to get out the vote, for example, or by superior media messaging. Donald Trump’s sweeping victory over Kamala Harris was none of those things. It was strategic and epochal—far beyond the reach of mere maneuvering by Harris or her team.
On November 5, a strange patchwork coalition, with scant resemblance to the traditional Republican Party, overwhelmed the massed institutional forces of the progressive establishment and the Democratic Party. That misfit coalition won not just the White House, but the Senate and the House. Votes are still being counted as I write this, but the consequences will be social and cultural as much as they are political.
Speculation has centered on what, beyond the obvious partisan reversal, actually transpired at the polls. Was it the triumph, long foretold, of digital over traditional media? Of restless young bros over scolding cat ladies? Of outraged “normies” over our arrogant and out-of-touch elites?
In my view, it was all of that plus one crucial thing more: the improbable elevation of Trump from the carnival barker of our politics to the leader of a potent cultural movement that is set to reshape many aspects of American life.
The Collapse of Old Media
The campaign saw the news media, as an institution, take a giant leap toward irrelevance—and ultimate extinction. From The New York Times to CBS News, the grand old brands of the industry gambled what shreds of trust remained in them—31 percent by one measure—to exert influence on behalf of Democratic candidates and progressive positions. They lost the public’s trust, yet failed to move the needle. What was left?
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