This election demonstrates clearly that for many people the message is more important than the medium. Many Trump voters want what he promises - safer borders and streets, better paying jobs (buy American cars because Chinese ones will be tariffed etc), fewer wars - and could care less about his curt cases, many of whch seem to be pretty dubious anyway. So he reckoned that Mar El Largo is worth a zillion? So? No bank would lend on the borrower’s say so, what’s the crime? Trump has many faults but many voters don’t care about that, just as they didn’t mind if JFK cheated on Jackie twice a week. It is a stunning victory - literally!
Funny thing about Trump is that before he became President, the first time, everybody in the media loved him, fawned over him, even encouraged him to run - for years beforehand.
I'd never really paid him any mind, until the 2016 election. I do recall seeing a clip, from NYC on 11 Sept 2001, of Trump talking about the demolition of the WTC. He called it as he saw it, as a guy who's business it is to know about these things, so he's honest at heart.
A few days before the '24 election, Michael Moore's epic "Fahrenheit 11/9" popped up on Youtube and I watched it for the first time. It was interesting to look back on the 2016 election, just as this one was about to be decided. It's been like watching a re-run, really, in lots of ways.
And, you know, Trump was always a Democrat, at heart, just like RFK Jnr and Tulsi Gabbard and plenty of other new MAGA supporters. Interesting times we live in, that's for sure; let's all hope he stops the wars.
He could well have his gunsights on Iran. Odious as its regime is, it's much bigger & stronger than Iraq when Dubya invaded, and it could well turn into Vietnam with sand dunes.
Great analysis Grant. Trump had some powerful hitters in the business community backing him but while it is hard to fathom, he also somehow connects with a substantial number of working-class voters (who feel they have been left behind). There is not a lot of logical thinking happening here but at an emotional level, Trump is able to provide a sense that he understands them.
I don't think Harris had much of a chance given how tenaciously Biden clung on and she definitely did more than anyone could have asked. It may well have been different if Democrats had had the time to go through the selection process and that Biden had control of his ego and signaled 18 months ago he would not run again.
But Trump's victory does have something important to say to us here - totally agree that there is a lesson here for the left (especially Labour). We won't see another Social Democrat government in this country unless Labour/Greens can start to connect with the primary concerns of working people (e.g. health, housing, infrastructures and inflation), stop being distracted and come up with a set of pragmatic, well-thought through policies that demonstrate they know what to do if they can get into govt.
Great comments, thanks Mark! We need to understand voters, rather than throw our arms up in horror. And perhaps, in hindsight, the Dems should have had an open convention and given another candidate a chance – but that person could have been trounced too! I notice the Dow Jones has shot up, btw. Cheers, GD
In the absence of another FDR/Michael Joseph Savage-grade policy seachange, reactionary populists have been filling the void left by mainstream centre-Left & centre-Right parties, by waving the protectionism flag.
As a Kiwi that has spent much of my adult life in the US. Last year, during Obama and all of Trumps first term. His rise to the White House started decades ago when all the left supported him as he spoke about how America was being ripped off. After four years of billions going to other nations and the worst economy in the majority of Americans lifetime, the promises from the left are evidently baseless.
Kamala pandered too hard. she lied about her race, her accent, her slave owner history, her merits at AG in California, listening to Tupac in college, working at Macdonald’s and because of Elon buying twitter, people saw the truth. As the first woman VP she did nothing substantially significant for the American people that improved their lives. She was the boarder Czar and everyone in democrat states saw her performance of that position on the news. She was a terrible choice from the elites. They’re too out of touch with the reality of Americans, I think they may have lost left America for more than four years. Giving so much to illegals and ignoring their base if Trump can pull off the mass deportation can improve the lives of inner city America, their won’t be another Democrat in the White House for some time.
Thanks for your comments, Anton! NZ has the advantage of distance and strictly controls its borders. Kiwis can't criticise Americans for wanting to control theirs!
Bet she is NOT happy.
This election demonstrates clearly that for many people the message is more important than the medium. Many Trump voters want what he promises - safer borders and streets, better paying jobs (buy American cars because Chinese ones will be tariffed etc), fewer wars - and could care less about his curt cases, many of whch seem to be pretty dubious anyway. So he reckoned that Mar El Largo is worth a zillion? So? No bank would lend on the borrower’s say so, what’s the crime? Trump has many faults but many voters don’t care about that, just as they didn’t mind if JFK cheated on Jackie twice a week. It is a stunning victory - literally!
Thanks, Grant. My thought is, evidently the US needs to suck another Trump presidency and see.
Funny thing about Trump is that before he became President, the first time, everybody in the media loved him, fawned over him, even encouraged him to run - for years beforehand.
I'd never really paid him any mind, until the 2016 election. I do recall seeing a clip, from NYC on 11 Sept 2001, of Trump talking about the demolition of the WTC. He called it as he saw it, as a guy who's business it is to know about these things, so he's honest at heart.
A few days before the '24 election, Michael Moore's epic "Fahrenheit 11/9" popped up on Youtube and I watched it for the first time. It was interesting to look back on the 2016 election, just as this one was about to be decided. It's been like watching a re-run, really, in lots of ways.
And, you know, Trump was always a Democrat, at heart, just like RFK Jnr and Tulsi Gabbard and plenty of other new MAGA supporters. Interesting times we live in, that's for sure; let's all hope he stops the wars.
He could well have his gunsights on Iran. Odious as its regime is, it's much bigger & stronger than Iraq when Dubya invaded, and it could well turn into Vietnam with sand dunes.
Very good analysis. It’s not often these days I see objective rather than partisan opinion
Great analysis Grant. Trump had some powerful hitters in the business community backing him but while it is hard to fathom, he also somehow connects with a substantial number of working-class voters (who feel they have been left behind). There is not a lot of logical thinking happening here but at an emotional level, Trump is able to provide a sense that he understands them.
I don't think Harris had much of a chance given how tenaciously Biden clung on and she definitely did more than anyone could have asked. It may well have been different if Democrats had had the time to go through the selection process and that Biden had control of his ego and signaled 18 months ago he would not run again.
But Trump's victory does have something important to say to us here - totally agree that there is a lesson here for the left (especially Labour). We won't see another Social Democrat government in this country unless Labour/Greens can start to connect with the primary concerns of working people (e.g. health, housing, infrastructures and inflation), stop being distracted and come up with a set of pragmatic, well-thought through policies that demonstrate they know what to do if they can get into govt.
Great comments, thanks Mark! We need to understand voters, rather than throw our arms up in horror. And perhaps, in hindsight, the Dems should have had an open convention and given another candidate a chance – but that person could have been trounced too! I notice the Dow Jones has shot up, btw. Cheers, GD
In the absence of another FDR/Michael Joseph Savage-grade policy seachange, reactionary populists have been filling the void left by mainstream centre-Left & centre-Right parties, by waving the protectionism flag.
Further reading:
https://annpettifor.substack.com/p/post-us-election-jd-vance-and-the
If he can’t deport them, they will go into concentration camps until he can.
As a Kiwi that has spent much of my adult life in the US. Last year, during Obama and all of Trumps first term. His rise to the White House started decades ago when all the left supported him as he spoke about how America was being ripped off. After four years of billions going to other nations and the worst economy in the majority of Americans lifetime, the promises from the left are evidently baseless.
Kamala pandered too hard. she lied about her race, her accent, her slave owner history, her merits at AG in California, listening to Tupac in college, working at Macdonald’s and because of Elon buying twitter, people saw the truth. As the first woman VP she did nothing substantially significant for the American people that improved their lives. She was the boarder Czar and everyone in democrat states saw her performance of that position on the news. She was a terrible choice from the elites. They’re too out of touch with the reality of Americans, I think they may have lost left America for more than four years. Giving so much to illegals and ignoring their base if Trump can pull off the mass deportation can improve the lives of inner city America, their won’t be another Democrat in the White House for some time.
Thanks for your comments, Anton! NZ has the advantage of distance and strictly controls its borders. Kiwis can't criticise Americans for wanting to control theirs!
By the looks of it, there was a near 20m drop in turnout from 2020, even among 2024 Trump voters.
That's looking true! A collapse in turnout for Dems may explain a lot, then, and not just appeal of Trump.