A Presidential Election for the Ages
We are more than a week removed from the 2016 presidential election and most of the so-called political experts are still scratching their heads over this one.
It’s doubtful there has ever been a time in the history of presidential campaigns in this country where so many polls have been so wrong. Of course, the “experts” were proven wrong time and time again about Donald Trump so it was almost a fitting way to end the campaign for him to do what many felt was impossible and win the race.
This column is not to debate the merits of Donald Trump as our next president (although it can be noted he did easily carry Jasper County in the 2016 General Election). The voters have spoken in that area and it’s pointless to argue his qualifications at this juncture. What is interesting is to look at a campaign that began with almost a comical response from many that ultimately ended up at the White House.
Back during the summer of 2015 I was on vacation in Gatlinburg. The 2016 presidential race was in its early stages at that time with new candidates throwing their hats into the ring practically every week. It may have already become a forgotten aspect but remember there was a double-digit number of high profile candidates running against Trump for the GOP nomination.
Already Trump was involved in some controversy or another and I remember the cable news hosts seeming to be surprised that he was even being considered a serious candidate for the highest office in our country (and most important office in the world to be honest.) At the time, I remember thinking people had better not underestimate Trump for his campaign. You simply cannot ignore someone with Trump’s wealth and his name recognition. Those two things are vital in any presidential race.
As the months passed and the first contested events approached in early 2016, Trump seemed to be taking steps toward front-runner status. However, a strange thing began to happen. While it was expected that the left-leaning media would be against him, the so-called right-leaning media also began trying to derail him.
Most remember his bitter feud with Fox News host Megyn Kelly, as well as numerous conservative pundits saying they would not support him under any circumstances.
After a brief stumble in Iowa, however, Trump began earning victories in numerous primaries to the point it seemed he now had a legitimate chance at winning the GOP nomination. Still many had to wonder if the insiders in the Republican party would allow it. Many could not stand Trump and when it comes to insider politics, anything can happen.
After Trump earned the nomination with the help of a rock solid base of supporters, he was set for a match-up with Hillary Clinton, who had a tougher than expected time with Bernie Sanders in the Democratic race.
Once again, Trump was given little, if any, chance of winning. Even just a couple of weeks before the November 8 election, polls showed Trump trailing by double digits overall and well behind in most of the key battleground states.
However, led by a massive turnout of blue collar Americans, Trump turned states like Wisconsin and Michigan and earned key victories in Florida and North Carolina. The impossible, as some described it, had happened. The November 8 election not only gave us a new president in Donald Trump, but also signaled the end to the Clinton dynasty. I can’t imagine we will hear from them again on the national level when it comes to politics.
This year’s election shows that polls don’t really matter. The only thing that matters is when people cast their ballots. Don’t even allow the polls to influence the way you vote or whether you take the time to vote. This year’s presidential election was a perfect example of why.
It will be some time before we experience another presidential election like the one from 2016. The next four years will also be fascinating to watch and many have plenty of crow to eat as Donald Trump moves into the White House.
Monticello native Chris Bridges is a long-time newspaper columnist. He welcomes feedback from readers of The Monticello News at pchrisbridges@gmail.com.