Guest: A Sigh of Relief?
Kimberly Ross
The 2024 presidential election cycle was marked by utter chaos. The season was so wild that if its plot elements had been suggested for some political thriller television show, it might be considered a bit too much. An addled incumbent sold by the legacy media as fit and capable of committing to another 4-year term battled against a former president whose post-White House history was marked by constant claims of a "stolen" 2020 election, among other things. A late June debate spelled the end for Joe Biden. Then in mid-July, there was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump's life. Thankfully, it was unsuccessful. Roughly a week later, Biden dropped out and his vice president was hand-picked by party leaders as the substitute.
And that's just a general summary.
Safe to say, Americans are collectively relieved the campaign is behind us. The 2024 election cycle was the last time Joe Biden would be on the national stage in that capacity. And Kamala Harris will never be closer to the Oval Office than she has been these past four years. But it's more than that. Donald Trump's win, while decisive, begins a final chapter for the man. In 2016 and 2020, the unknown future lay ahead. What would his political influence be? How long would he be in office? Now, that page of history has been written. Trump will begin his second term as president of the United States on January 20, 2025. Then, as it does with every administration, the clock starts counting down.
There may not be an audible sigh across the nation. But you can feel it - and see it - in the data.
To be sure, there are Americans who are scared that Trump will once again be president. (Granted, the legacy media leans heavy on hyperbole and creates a terrifying future narrative.) But I believe most people are just glad to be done. The election is over, Trump won, and moving on is preferable. No matter if you voted for Trump or not, you should want what's best for the country. And if you believe Trump will erode norms, you should want to be proven wrong, not right. For all our cynicism, Americans are a largely optimistic people. This should extend to politics and the happenings in Washington, D.C. It doesn't mean we should wear blinders. But regardless of election win, we should hope for a free and prosperous America.
Recent polling by CBS News points to a sense of relief. Concerning "Trump's handling of presidential transition", 59% approve and 41% disapprove. When asked how they believe Trump will do as president, respondents split along party lines with 15% of Democrats either excited or optimistic compared to 95% of Republicans. But importantly, the desire to oppose the president-election isn't strong. While the majority of Republicans are either motivated to support him or are not motivated either way, only 44% of Democrats polled are enthusiastic about taking part in opposition. A full 10% of Democrats are "motivated to support him" while 46% of Democrats aren't motivated either way. The campaign season binary where Trump is evil incarnate isn't the majority opinion. Even CBS noted in the article, "...at the same time, there seems to be a sense of exhaustion, as fewer than half of Democrats feel motivated to oppose Trump right now." When asked about the economy, 44% of respondents believe the new administration will make prices of food and grocery items go down compared to 35% who believe it will go up and 21% who say it will not change.
Regardless of personal feelings about Trump, hoping for a glass half full situation in the coming years sure beats the alternative: continued doom and gloom.
On X, left-wing commentator Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks show tried to express why he feels better. I don't believe he is alone in this. In 3-post thread, he said:
"I've been trying to figure out why I'm more optimistic now than I was before the election, even though I was so against the guy who won. I know now. MAGA is not my mortal enemy (and neither is the extreme left). My mortal enemy is the establishment. And they have been defeated!
It's not just that the establishment candidate lost, it's that their media is mortally wounded. The source of their strength was not insipid politicians like Mitch McConnell and Joe Biden. The source of their strength was their propaganda machine - the mainstream media.
Now, online media is strong enough that their oppressive monopoly on the American mind has been broken. Now, we're in the jungle. They hate that! I love it! This uncontrolled marketplace of ideas is where I'm home. I'd rather be in the populist woods than an establishment prison.
Unlike Cenk Uygur, I don't know that Trump is anti-establishment. In fact, I would say he currently represents the Republican Party establishment. He has been the de facto GOP leader for quite a while. But he is a big middle finger to the legacy media. He is their ultimate disappointment. And for some, that kind of win is good enough.
Donald Trump won both the electoral college and the popular vote. That's a mandate. And it was given to him by Americans, an unknown number of whom don't actually like the man but dislike Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party establishment even more. Some, such as myself, could not vote for either major party candidate. I know of many others who don't particularly like Trump and his attitude, but had to vote against Harris-Walz, wokeism, and the mainstream media. Trump is a known quantity. And for them, going that route was far and away the better alternative.
Whether Trump's second and final term is successful remains to be seen. His time in the White House was marked by some major Republican victories. It also included less than ideal and downright embarrassing - and borderline criminal - behavior. As with the first term, the good should be praised and the bad should be called out and criticized. These reactions should be standard, no matter who is in the Oval Office.
When Trump emerged on the political scene as a serious contender in 2015, no one could have guessed that nine years later, we'd be preparing for his second term as president. He is an incredibly divisive figure. But since his win in 2016 and loss in 2020, the mood has shifted. Now, Americans both know what to expect from the man and can see an end to his time in office. The latter has never happened before. It brings with it a flicker of optimism. He only has four years left. He has to make them count. His legacy is at stake. No matter what, the country will continue on after he is done with his second term. And perhaps, Americans on the left and right will be pleasantly surprised along the way.
I am certainly never shy about posting anti Trump content. I do not think he is a true conservative and recent cabinet choices ranging from RFK Jr to Lori Chavez-DeRemer prove my point. The latter has the support of Liz Warren of all people and the former probably should.
But the reaction of Trump's leftist opponents, and his rejection of their ethos has been a bit of cleanser to those who lived through the Obama years. I see a withering of DEI and race baiting. I see a diminution of using false bigotry to abrogate real debate,. I see the possibility to actually address some of the issues that have plagued the Republic for the past 30 years. I am cynical enough to note that entitlements are not being addressed but Musk is looking, and he is just crazy enough to talk about them.
And even more than Biden shuffling off the stage with his disgusting pardon of his odious son, the fact that Obama put his back into the election and failed gives me hope that he too will fade out. People talk about Trump as the divisive figure but for me it is Obama - at least since Nixon. Farewell Barack, I wish I had never met you.