Facing Reality At Last?

Ah, yes, that mythical beast, the progressives getting something spot on, according to their deepest desires...

In the aftermath of the 2016 election in the US, there was a hope among Democrats that rose to the level of conviction: the results were devastating, yes, but they were also surely anomalous. Donald Trump had won, it would be a lousy four years, then his celebrity would wear off, he would do a terrible job, and the argument of his awfulness would make itself. For the first time in history, people would soberly examine the evidence, come to their senses and, without need of a crushing military defeat, admit they’d been horribly wrong.

Emma isn't the only dreamer, of course:

 

When you're wrong, you're wrong. 

Not only have the Democrats failed to secure a resounding win, but in plenty of constituencies, support for Trump has actually increased. Early electoral data showed that in parts of Texas, for instance, while record numbers in the state voted – 6.6% more than in 2016 – in some rural communities, turnout for Trump more than doubled, and Biden lost counties won four years ago by Hillary Clinton.

So...what do you do? Well if you're a progressive, you rail against the people who looked at what you were offering and said 'No, thanks!'. 

...the only possible response to all this is to scream: “My God, what is wrong with these people?” What can be said to be wrong with the people of Florida... What’s in the water in rural Pennsylvania?

It must be their fault, of course. It couldn't possibly be what you were selling, could it?  

After the election in 2016, there was a rush to understand and empathise with Trump’s supporters with a view to understanding exactly how this had happened. This time, there is only disgust.

Well, that's a winning strategy.  

There may be small increases in the numbers of black and Hispanic voters for Trump, but those numbers are still dwarfed by support in what nobody calls the “white community”.

The increases aren't small. And if you want that crushing blow, that 'blue wave', you need those white people. And this shows you've no more idea of how to get them onside than before the 2016 election...