The election told us–or, perhaps, reminded us–about three features of American politics:
- The culture wars and the unequal geographic distribution of power create the framework for our system. Urban and suburban residents whose vision of America is a tolerant multi-racial liberal democracy vote for Democrats; exurban and rural residents who think of America as a white Christian country under threat from other races and cultures vote for Republicans. The former group is a clear majority of the country; the latter enjoys disproportionate power, in spite of its minority status, due to the workings of our federal system and the Electoral College.
- Trump’s failures with the pandemic, attacks on our political system, and obvious personal shortcomings ultimately swayed just enough votes to cost him the election. That they were not sufficient to create a blue wave is a testament to the overriding importance of #1 above.
- The idea, much cherished by the left, that there is an army of left-leaning apathetic voters who are just waiting to be mobilized is false. Unprecedented efforts to get out the vote by both parties resulted in something close to a deadlock. Millions of the previously apathetic voters turned out to be Trump supporters, not closet socialists. Bernie, Liz, and AOC, take notice.