My main observation is that identity politics works. Also expect to see a left wing tea party rise to prominence very soon.
How could that possibly be the thing that you take away from this election? God help us if we see a left wing tea party rise.
I never wanted Trump to be my president, and I fought hard to elect Hillary Clinton, but Democrats moving further to the left is not the answer. We need to humble ourselves and seriously re-evaluate the direction are party is heading towards.
And it's now clear that identity politics works. Donald Trump did it masterfully.
But if just a few votes shifted to where Hillary Clinton eked out a victory from AZ, FL, and an increased Hispanic vote in NC, we'd say she did it masterfully, if we were honest with ourselves.
Donald Trump beat Hillary to the realignment. Arizona is going Democratic, but Ohio and Iowa are going as Missouri have gone, and Michigan and Wisconsin are now on the watch list. Georgia and Texas aren't moving Democratic fast enough for the Democrats to keep doing what they've done in this election.
The Democratic Party doubled down on a campaign that focused on identity politics and support for social liberalism across the board. Those who needed the Democratic Party to stand for working folks, and who grew up seeing them in that light received a rude awakening in this election. Thomas Frank noted that this was the "New Democrat" strategy of the Clintons in
What's the Matter With Kansas?. He referred to it as a "criminally stupid" strategy. Really, this electoral outcome should have surprised no one.
