This election was the culmination of the conservative backlash to progress made on any number of issues that offended their sensibilities while simultaneously overlooking legitimate concerns of the declining (white and non-urban) middle class.
That said, the popular vote was clearly in favor of the electoral loser.
At the state level, you have near 50-50 purple states dominated by Red legislatures.
Both of these results, especially the latter, demonstrate a disconnect with the majority will of the populace and the makeup of the governmental bodies that represent them.
Finally, both of the above results are a clear result of a very successful strategy to deny Dem blocks from voting... be it gerrymandering or prohibitively discriminatory voter ID regulations (called out by the courts, but too late to remedy before the last election).
The Supreme Court seems as partisan as ever, as does much of an overly polorized and politicised DC, even by the swamps illustrious standards.
Finally the Republicans lack of caring for anything but their own selfish interests coupled with the Dems utter malfeasance has led to Gorsuch now being names to the Court. It's quite possible 2 and possibly three even more conservative (and beholden to one party) judges are named in the coming years... all the while all demographics show the nation moving somewhat left on many issues... including the very issues that are at risk of going anachronistically backward in terms of progress through policy. Finally, we may soon have a court that has as much disregard for the individual including their right to vote so long as it serves a political purpose.
ALL these factors could coalesce to move the nation's legislation and government even further to the right while the nation's likely moves somewhat left at least on many social issues.
SO... what happens in the perfect Conservative storm? What happens if/when more actions are taken to disenfranchise minorities, the poor and those on the left and very left of the spectrum? When corporations continue to obliterate the rights of the individuals, the environment etc?
For a decade we've heard the cries of the south, the soft rural middle and other bastions of conservative thinking threaten to secede, how the country no longer represents their views. It was hollow rhetoric but strong nonetheless.
So now those voices hold control and may very well expand that grip on power expansively in the coming decade. All the while representing an even smaller majority of Americans than they Do today.
Anti-city and pro rural fights will be slanted all the more to the latter not only within 50-50 states like NC but perhaps the nation.
At what point does the entire North East corridor and West Coast, with huge urban centrers that provide a vast majority of productivity and economic activity as compared with their rural brethren, say #### this ####. It's bad enough NY for example sends multitudes on taxes more to the Fed govt than it receives back. Now you may have a fed govt that forces MORE restrictions on these liberal areas that are the absolute key economic base and powerhouse of our nation, all the moreso with a world economy more and more based on the knowledge worker and high skilled manufacturing?
Could we see 20 years down the road NY, CA and other states just say #### this ####... we are no longer going to financially support a nation that not only doesn't support us but takes continual active measures to infringe on our local governance while simultaneously harming economic competitiveness?
LETS PLAY THIS OUT:
The Northeast and west coast states band together and withhold all payments to the Feds. Totally cut the Feds off. Don't declare a secession but just say we won't support those who in turn use those resources to not only not tend to our needs but actively harm the local preferred way of living and even moreso perhaps, urban economies?
Do you think the Feds will send in the guards? Literally... what would the end game be. What if residents on these states had just too much and were willing to fight and die to protect their FREEDOM (it's how our nation was founded , let's not pretend it could never happen again)?
Seriously.. if the ruling class is more and more conservative while the nation progresses along expected trends with millennials and more diverse populations, when does that divide become so stark a step to force action by states to protect their residents, way of life, and economy?
maybe this sounds ridiculous, but a true some point enough could be enough. Why not just hand together and withhold funds and let the "states rights" crowd look to what... invade?
Seriously could there be at least an economic civil war and how might that look and what might the reprucussions be for the nation as a whole?
I'll take some callers on the subject...
