Beyond the Ballot: Election Results
“Beyond the Ballot” is a column presented and created by the PHHS Politics Club. This column will explore electoral information, congressional controversies, and senatorial stories! Stay tuned for biweekly updates from your brand-new news source.
This article will examine the fallout of the election, the numbers in the election, and the political implications for 2028 and beyond.
It happened. The election has been confirmed and the results are surprising, but not necessarily unexpected. The American people have spoken in a way unforeseen by many, but they have spoken nonetheless.
Without a doubt, there is a mandate for a conservative-style government to come into power and enact change. Ladies and gentlemen, Donald J. Trump will be the 47th President of the United States, simultaneously becoming the second president to serve a second non-consecutive term.
Election night and the days following proceeded smoothly, with little problems arising from either side. Vice President Harris gave her speech, conceding the election results and noting that while her fight is over, the people’s fight will not end, rallying the Democratic party.
President Joe Biden gave a poignant five-minute speech in the days following, calling for unity in the nation and congratulating President-elect Trump on his victory. Just recently, President Biden and Trump met during Trump’s tour of the capital, where the two were seen together, grinning.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the talks between the two were “substantive.” Trump reflected over the last few years, acknowledging his fierce campaigning and noting that “politics is tough.” Joe Biden committed to ensuring a peaceful transfer of power.
Trump has been quite busy due to the hefty job of appointing key officials for the incoming administration. While there are many to note (and more to come, of course), the most notable of these are Rep. Mike Waltz for National Security Advisor and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Trump’s picks, as to be expected, have faced heavy criticism for their patchy history or otherwise “extreme” rhetoric. RFK Jr’s disdain for the pharmaceutical industry was notable, especially because Pfizer and Moderna stocks tanked.
Now, let us examine the ‘numbers’ of the election. While votes are still being counted and finalized, the consensus is that Trump won the Electoral College 312-226. In a race to 270, this is a blowout victory. This began with Trump’s victory over Pennsylvania at 1 am ET on Wednesday, November 6th. In terms of the popular vote, he won 76 million voters over Harris’s 73 million.
Interestingly, RFK Jr, despite being part of the Trump administration, was voted for over 700,000 times. Nationally, there has been a considerable shift in public rhetoric in favor of the Republicans, which was to be expected given the relative discord in the nation concerning the last few years of liberal rule. Vice President Harris failed to overperform Joe Biden in several different categories.
According to the above graph, the general trend in this election cycle is an overwhelming amount of counties shifted red this year. This trend was mirrored across the country in battleground and even politically consistent states, where the cities tend to vote liberally and the rural areas conservatively.
However, what may have tipped the scale this year was how close the urban races were. New York City, famous for being a ‘true blue’ state for many years, had a tight race in this election.
So-called “purple” areas became red, while low-propensity areas became light red. This trend was replicated nationally, including counties like Miami-Dade, once a true-blue county.
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While a lot has happened over the past few weeks, the impact of the election has not been felt yet (truly). While the markets have been moving rapidly, the fact of the matter is that we have yet to see the consequences of Trump’s victory because he is not currently president. However, the future ramifications of this win can be considered.
In 2012, presidential nominee Mitt Romney was considered to have ‘lost his face’ in his party, and, as someone also relatively young, Harris will likely also ‘lose face’ in her party and not find a grand future politically.
On the other hand, Vance, now only 40, can expect to see acclaim from the people and his party, given that the upcoming administration is successful. While many see Vice Presidential nominees as unexceptional, Vance’s youth is sure to make a substantial shift in public perception.
The most interesting thing about this era of Trumpian politics is American political polarization and how the country will move forward. From 2016 to now, both sides of the spectrum have embraced radicalism and have found their footing in less civil discourse. However, with displays of real humanity as with the vicepresidential debate and a possible foreign threat of China incoming, it is not difficult to believe that a more unified America is impending.
Sources:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/president-joe-biden-president-elect-151849302.html
