Elections have a clarifying, refreshing effect. Whether at the local, state or national level, an election authoritatively settles things.
A nation whipsawed and left on edge for months on end at last gets relief from a hyperventilating, self-contradicting media, venomous political ads, and pundits who know nothing and race to the nearest microphone to discuss public polls that are little better than guesswork.
“This is how it’s going to be,” the electoral majority, the ultimate decider in our democratic republic, decrees every November (at least in Virginia).
The aftermath of each election is a time for introspection, a moment to ponder what the voters have said and what it means. We see which ideas and candidates were validated and which weren’t. The task is to look behind the election results and figure out what they tell us, to distinguish why winners won and losers lost.
Here’s my…
