Bradley Fitzgerald
Contributing Writer
When all the electoral votes were finally counted, the tally stood at 312 to 226. There are several words I would use to describe these numbers, but ‘close’ is not one of them. I recall just four years prior, it took until the weekend for outlets to call the election for Joe Biden. I found out at 2 a.m. the next morning.
The 78-year-old president-elect addressed a crowd of animated supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida to announce his victory that early Wednesday morning. The tone of his speech came off as if even he, Donald Trump, was surprised he had won such a decisive victory. Whether or not he expected it, he certainly must have been feeling pretty good. Why else would he have announced his victory before all the votes were in several states?
After all the trivial name calling, grandiose rallies, and celebrity endorsements, the election is finally over. Ever since the first presidential debate between Trump and Biden on June 27, I have been keeping a distant eye on politics. This year, with every twist and turn it felt like a soap opera my mother watches every night after work. Nov. 5 concluded in a way that most Americans clearly wanted it to end; at least the ones who voted did.
Trump’s victory was not the result of a flawless campaign. It was the result of a campaign that capitalized on the mistakes of the Democratic party. It began with Joe Biden’s appearance on the debate stage on June 27. It must have been embarrassing for Democrats to muscle through that night. They wanted the Joe Biden they knew and loved, but instead got a tired looking, befuddled Joe Biden who had difficulties making a complete statement.
Then came the fateful day, July 13. If it weren’t for my brother’s birthday, perhaps I wouldn’t remember the date so well. When I had heard Trump had almost been killed, I was afraid a riot might break out nation-wide. But when I finally saw the video, and saw him stand with his fist, I thought, “This thing is over. There’s no way he can lose.”
When Biden finally stepped down, and Kamala Harris finally became the nominee, I was shocked. After every calculated move Democrats had made, and trying their best to keep Biden appearing healthy, they had just given up on him. I had a feeling this would come back to bite them in the end. I will be completely honest. I had no idea who Kamala Harris was before July 21. I also believe many Americans also did not know who she was. I found it hard to believe how someone who had never run for president before could run a campaign well enough in 3 months to win the presidency.
Donald Trump won because he heard the cries of the average American. He promised lower prices for everything from gas to grocery items. Kamala Harris was unable to renounce Joe Biden, giving Trump a key argument for his campaign. Trump tied Biden and Harris together at the hip. Even though she could only do what the president mandated her to, Trump made it appear as if it was both of them that caused the problems haunting Americans.
Donald Trump was never an ordinary politician. What would have destroyed the chances and have been a public relations nightmare for any other campaign seemed to only fuel his popularity. I couldn’t decide what was the most ridiculous stunt Trump did during the election cycle. Maybe it was Trump in a bright-orange vest addressing his supporters? Or perhaps it was the video of him handing out McDonald’s fries at a drive thru window? Maybe even Dr. Phil and Hulk Hogan both speaking at the Madison Square Garden rally? I could go on and on, and if he had lost this election, Democrats would rightly have laughed in his face.
For every silly decision his campaign seemed to make, they also made incredible ones. He did a handful of hard interviews, and went on a popular podcast show to get younger people to vote for him. Trump held a massive rally in Madison Square Garden, as if he were Led Zeppelin or Billy Joel. All this seemed to pay off big time. He won every swing-state and won the popular vote. Trump made massive gains in urban areas like New York and Philadelphia. Even though Democrats kept the majority in key demographics like younger Americans and African-Americans, their numbers appeared to have slipped dramatically for Latinos and Women.
Trump made a comeback for the ages and solidified his name in American history books for years to come. America had its voices heard, and it wanted some big changes. Republicans owe a lot to Trump, and I think they know it. I don’t think they would have been celebrating that Monday morning if his name wasn’t on the ballot.