Wow. That really just actually happened. Every single prediction got it wrong…. including mine. It did not come down to those few states I. I thought that the election would come down to a tight race in New Hampshire, Nevada, Florida, and North Carolina. In the actual election two of those states broke for Clinton, something that I said would doom Donald Trump. I did not expect that the entire Rust Belt would break for Trump. Nobody had Wisconsin and Michigan for Trump, let alone Pennsylvania. Once Fox News had Wisconson breaking for Trump, I knew there was a change in the winds. What this Trump victory comes down to is the overwhelming vote by the ,middle ad lower class white voters. As hypothesized, Trump’s populist rhetoric was clearly popular with the middle class, as even female voters only went to Clinton 54%, shocking for the chance to elect the first woman President. Trumps abilty to galvanize this section of the American electorate, which is traditionally Democrat, can I think be attributed the the change in the Democratic party over the past 8 years. What went from traditional principles like the defense of labor Unions was lost in the noise of the Democratic party trying to build a more diverse coalition of LGBTQ, latinos, and millennials. While efforts were made to appease these voters, blue collar voters began to feel alienated and attached themselves to a new party that traditionally was not in line with their views. It took a populist candidate like Donald Trump to galvanize these voters to the Republican side. He offered a different platform yes, but I think it was his demeanor that won the Pennsylvania voters over.
One aspect I was very much in th wrong about what the turnout of millennial voters. I had thought hat a chance to vote in their first presidential Election would galvanize millennials to vote. Instead of the maps that had ever state but a few going to Trump if millennials only votes, instead they failed the vote allowing older generations to hand Trump the victory in key states
While Trump lost the popular vote, it came down to a few states not traditionally important, which I believe is important for the American democracy as it supports the electoral college as a way to negate uninformed votors and ensure states other than large ones have a hand in the election.
In conclusion, like it or not I guess we’re making America great again