A few weeks ago I had an idea for an article. I would set out the arguments in favor of a political position which I deeply want to be true. And then, I would set out the evidence which proves that it’s actually false. The idea is that if you’re really in favor of evidence-based policy, you’ll be in favor of it even when your own sacred cows are being made into policy hamburger — so why not demonstrate that with an article?
First of all, this is not an article about why the Republicans lost. The answer to that question is pretty obvious, and they know it; they’ve painted themselves into a corner as the party of angry scared old straight white misogynist guys. That’s a very narrow demographic that’s dying out rapidly.
No, this is an article about why the Republicans didn’t realize they were losing, and reacted with such anger and shock when reality hit them on election night.