As much as I acknowledge Trump has outperformed for someone of his persona, this was a GOP year. I am thoroughly unconvinced that only Trump could have pulled it off when a hard-core conservative like Ernst wins by 8 points in Iowa.
Kasich would have likely carried rural Midwest by a bigger margin and wouldn't have needed a huge late break from undecideds to win. Anyone who carries OH by 13 probably is carrying WI, MI, and rural PA by a good margin as well. He would have won the popular vote.
Cruz would have probably done no worse than Trump. It isn't as if he hasn't talked about securing borders or repealing Obamacare. He also would have appealed just as much to evangelicals with his promise on Supreme Court justice.
This election was beyond just rejection of Hillary or "establishment". Look at McGinty and Feingold. They did no better than her.
Agreed.
We were coming off two terms of a Democratic president. The GOP took both chambers of congress by an earthslide in 2014. The economy wasn't great. Obama's approval ratings were in the 40s before the election season started. Anti-incumbent and and anti-establishment fervor was sky high.
The Democrats, the media, and Hillary herself were kidding and deluding themselves all the way to Tuesday night. Geopolitical undercurrents are far stronger than the candidates on the ballot, pure and simple.
And before anybody replies "But she won the popular vote!!"...just take a look at the swing/trend maps from 2012. My point is still valid.
Poll
