The best analysis of Donald Trump’s victory I’ve seen

 By Jim Denison, Phd - Posted at Denison Forum:

Why we want more of what we want most

Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove called Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election “the most astonishing campaign in modern history.” After reading scores of reports on the results, I cannot find anyone who disagrees.

Analysts are citing the economy in general, inflation in particular, President Biden’s ego, Kamala Harris as a candidate, her failure to distinguish herself from Mr. Biden, vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, the Democratic Party, the media, and the American electorate.

However, one of the most insightful critiques I have found takes a completely different approach.

“This was no ordinary contest”

Daniel McCarthy is the editor of an intellectual journal called Modern Age: A Conservative Review. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, the Spectator, the National Interest, and a variety of other publications. Immediately following Donald Trump’s re-election, he published a guest essay in the New York Times titled, “This Is Why Trump Won.”

He writes:

This was no ordinary contest between two candidates from rival parties: The real choice before voters was between Mr. Trump and everyone else—not only the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, and her party, but also Republicans like Liz Cheney, top military officers like Gen. Mark Milley and Gen. John Kelly (also a former chief of staff), outspoken members of the intelligence community, and Nobel Prize-winning economists.

Framed this way, the presidential contest became an example of what’s known in economics as “creative destruction.” His opponents certainly fear that Mr. Trump will destroy American democracy itself.

To his supporters, however, a vote for Mr. Trump meant a vote to evict a failed leadership class from power and recreate the nation’s institutions under a new set of standards that would better serve American citizens.


In this view, those who gave Mr. Trump and his party such a strong mandate want them to forge a different and better future for our nation than previous administrations from both parties have been able to create. I am not only convinced Mr. McCarthy is right—I think his explanation provides a vital, even crucial insight for Christians seeking to serve Jesus in our post-Christian culture.

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