Ron Brownstein

You may have seen the one data point that really underscored this to me was in 2008 when Barack Obama won to succeed the unpopular outgoing president of the other party, right? 62% of voters who said the country was on the wrong track voted for him.

In 2024, when Donald Trump won to succeed the unpopular outgoing president of the other party, wait for it, 62% of voters who said the country was on the wrong track voted for him. For all the things that make Donald Trump a distinctive candidate.

In 2024, when Donald Trump won to succeed the unpopular outgoing president of the other party, wait for it, 62% of voters who said the country was on the wrong track voted for him. For all the things that make Donald Trump a distinctive candidate.

In 2024, when Donald Trump won to succeed the unpopular outgoing president of the other party, wait for it, 62% of voters who said the country was on the wrong track voted for him. For all the things that make Donald Trump a distinctive candidate.

I mean, all of the personal baggage, all of the remarks that could alienate various groups, all of the extreme policy proposals, enough of the electorate treated him as if he was Dwight Eisenhower after Harry Truman or Warren Harding after Woodrow Wilson. I mean, maybe that's a better analogy than Dwight.

I mean, all of the personal baggage, all of the remarks that could alienate various groups, all of the extreme policy proposals, enough of the electorate treated him as if he was Dwight Eisenhower after Harry Truman or Warren Harding after Woodrow Wilson. I mean, maybe that's a better analogy than Dwight.

I mean, all of the personal baggage, all of the remarks that could alienate various groups, all of the extreme policy proposals, enough of the electorate treated him as if he was Dwight Eisenhower after Harry Truman or Warren Harding after Woodrow Wilson. I mean, maybe that's a better analogy than Dwight.

Yes, exactly. Exactly. You know, so or Grover Cleveland again after Benjamin Harrison, you know, McKinley after Cleveland. Like basically, you know, there are other things going on. I mean, clearly the long term shift among non-college, non-white men is something that Democrats have to worry about. But if you ask me, what was the biggest thing that decided this election?

Yes, exactly. Exactly. You know, so or Grover Cleveland again after Benjamin Harrison, you know, McKinley after Cleveland. Like basically, you know, there are other things going on. I mean, clearly the long term shift among non-college, non-white men is something that Democrats have to worry about. But if you ask me, what was the biggest thing that decided this election?

Yes, exactly. Exactly. You know, so or Grover Cleveland again after Benjamin Harrison, you know, McKinley after Cleveland. Like basically, you know, there are other things going on. I mean, clearly the long term shift among non-college, non-white men is something that Democrats have to worry about. But if you ask me, what was the biggest thing that decided this election?

it was that a distinct, a considerable, a comfortable majority of Americans were dissatisfied with the Biden presidency and voted for the other party in a reflection of the historic hydraulics of American politics. And one last point that I think really underscores that,

it was that a distinct, a considerable, a comfortable majority of Americans were dissatisfied with the Biden presidency and voted for the other party in a reflection of the historic hydraulics of American politics. And one last point that I think really underscores that,

it was that a distinct, a considerable, a comfortable majority of Americans were dissatisfied with the Biden presidency and voted for the other party in a reflection of the historic hydraulics of American politics. And one last point that I think really underscores that,

Which is, you know, as I have written, Trump won a substantial number of votes from people who still expressed significant doubts about him and his agenda. Right. I mean, I didn't go back to my stories to look, but basically somewhere between one sixth and one fifth of his voters would agree with sentiments like he was too extreme. Or he would steer the country in an authoritarian direction.

Which is, you know, as I have written, Trump won a substantial number of votes from people who still expressed significant doubts about him and his agenda. Right. I mean, I didn't go back to my stories to look, but basically somewhere between one sixth and one fifth of his voters would agree with sentiments like he was too extreme. Or he would steer the country in an authoritarian direction.

Which is, you know, as I have written, Trump won a substantial number of votes from people who still expressed significant doubts about him and his agenda. Right. I mean, I didn't go back to my stories to look, but basically somewhere between one sixth and one fifth of his voters would agree with sentiments like he was too extreme. Or he would steer the country in an authoritarian direction.

Or he lacks the character to be president. You know, he won a higher share of women who identified as pro-choice in 2024 after Dobbs than he did in 2020 before Dobbs. OK, more than a quarter. Just let that sink in for a minute.

Or he lacks the character to be president. You know, he won a higher share of women who identified as pro-choice in 2024 after Dobbs than he did in 2020 before Dobbs. OK, more than a quarter. Just let that sink in for a minute.

Or he lacks the character to be president. You know, he won a higher share of women who identified as pro-choice in 2024 after Dobbs than he did in 2020 before Dobbs. OK, more than a quarter. Just let that sink in for a minute.

A quarter of Latinos, more than a quarter of Latinos who said they oppose mass deportation voted for him. And what all of these different data points tell me is that the dissatisfaction, primarily over inflation, to some extent on the border, just simply outweighed at this moment voters' hesitations and concerns about Trump. I've been thinking about this.