As much as I’d like to avoid the phrase “I told you so " to avoid seeming arrogant, well … I did tell you so!
Back in August, I wrote my first article for 1819 News, attempting to guide the “Trump Train” back onto the tracks it had been traveling on full steam ahead against Joe Biden. I described how they should return to a disciplined campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris. I made these suggestions with a promise: “Follow my advice, and Trump supporters’ daydreams of early morning victory on November 6 will come true.”
Trump did restore discipline to his campaign, with the exception of a poor debate performance and the typical Trump-isms that the media like to feast upon. Trump ran the campaign I suggested, and although I had no sway on his strategy personally, the promise attached literally came true – most platforms called the race soon after midnight, followed by a Trump victory speech.
In my previous piece, I put my neck out there, boldly predicting that “Trump is going to win the 2024 presidential election … and I don’t think it will be close.”
Trump won, and it wasn’t close.
I say this not to pay service to my own “political wisdom” or anything of that sort, but to point out my justification for that claim. It was partly based on the polls, with the assumption that they were underestimating Trump significantly. Needless to say, I was vindicated. I don’t even need to give you the numbers – the polls were incredibly wrong and lost all merit, and you and everyone else should pay little attention to them until they regain their accuracy.
But the main reason I gave for my landslide prediction was not the polls, but the media’s messaging leading up to Election Day. If you recall, my observation was that their attempt to fashion historically weak and untrue narratives about Trump indicated they were worried about the outcome. Well, if this election had any broader political messages, one of them was that mainstream, corporate media is dead. MSNBC, ABC, CNN, CBS, and every other three-to-four-letter channel told America that Trump was Hitler, that Joe Biden was in prime mental shape, and that Harris ran “a flawless campaign.” The American people obviously no longer afford them influence over their minds, writ large.
This brings me to the magnitude of what just happened. Trump, considered the most polarizing, most hated president – who once had a ceiling of about ~45% in approval ratings – not only won an electoral college landslide but is on track to win the popular vote by about 51% - 48%. Not only did our constitutional-republican system of government elect him, but the American people outright gave him the mandate to be our leader. On top of that, Republicans won the Senate, and the House is likely to follow suit, each with comfortable majorities.
Many conservatives are in celebration mode, rejoicing that Trump won and declaring victory. I share the excitement but am not basking in the glory.
Trump’s emphatic win means many things: the media’s impending doom, the polls being meaningless, America’s rejection of a Democratic Party operated by elites who assume average Americans are stupid, and that the right can finally seize the moment and GET THINGS DONE.
But none of those other impacts will take effect unless this movement prioritizes that last part. We must get meaningful things done, and quick, without the usual Republican infighting and chaos.
Yes, the Republican Party has built the groundwork of a broad, promising coalition for future elections. Yes, the country is trending more conservative. Yes, the electoral map continues to shift in ways that benefit Republicans.
But none of those glimmers of hope will take shape unless there are significant, impactful accomplishments made in the next four years. Out of the many reasons Trump won this election, maybe the most important was the fact that millions of Americans experienced life under a Trump administration, and then life under a Biden administration, passionately preferring the former. Only by rebuilding that American experience through reformative policies can we deliver again a more prosperous America and hold onto that swath of Americans into the foreseeable future.
I think Trump will do just that. In the coming months, you will read pieces analyzing this administration’s actions, observing trends in the conservative movement, and casting visions ahead into the next election cycles. But for now, be content with the present. The radical left is not in power, we are, and better days are ahead.
Carter Ashcraft is a 21-year-old from Tuscaloosa, Ala., who is majoring in political science at the University of Alabama. You can contact him at carterashcraft12@gmail.com.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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