In August, I spoke with my Opinion colleagues Ross Douthat and David Brooks about an idea: Could we kick off the post-Labor Day general election campaign by publishing a pair of pieces — "How Harris Wins" and "How Trump Wins" — that give original arguments to readers about how Kamala Harris and Donald Trump might each prevail in November? The point wasn't for Ross or David to be an advocate for a preferred candidate or to be predictive for the sake of it. Rather, the goal was to draw on their years of work covering presidential politics and the ideas that shape the country and influence voters, in order to explore arguments about the race and further prepare readers for either outcome. As we discussed the two essays, we struck upon a conceit: to write both pieces as if it were the morning after Election Day and we were illuminating the political dynamics and strengths and weaknesses of each candidate that led to an Electoral College victory (as well as pinpointing obstacles that might cause each side to blow it). In "How Harris Wins," Ross hits upon a novel argument for the vice president: that she is running on what he calls "progressive minimalism." At a time when many voters are turned off by ideological rigidity on the left and the right, Ross argues that Harris — by choosing a few issues to champion — "sparked a sincere and unfeigned relief among many Democrats — not just because it gave them a real chance at electoral victory, but because it was genuinely exciting not to feel imprisoned by progressive dogma." David, in his essay on "How Trump Wins," zeros in on an axiom of presidential politics: "It's always misleading to follow campaign news day to day. The ephemera distracts you from what really matters. Elections are driven by a few core realities. Trump had several fundamental issues that drove support to him, no matter how jerkish he could be." To that end, David describes what he calls "the five turbines of Trumpism" — people like the red model more than the blue model; Democrats are the party of the ruling class; social and moral cohesion; general dissatisfaction in America; and "the Blue Bubble problem." The columns and conceit are a bit of an experiment for Opinion, but they are reflect the values of our department: to bring fresh ideas and novel arguments to our readers to help them think anew about issues and people that affect their lives. Read the columns: Here's what we're focusing on today:
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Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Opinion Today: It’s the morning after Election Day. Here’s what happened.
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