Academic Rants

History teaches us that we can develop possible interpretations for historical events. Currently, three theories have emerged to explain the results of the 2024 presidential election. Often, we identify with causations or interpretations that look best or cause the least pain. As a result we may error in judgement. Such mistakes lead to a revisionist interpretation becoming the more dominant or more widely accepted viewpoint.   The first theory suggests an underestimation or a misreading of the strength of former President Trump and his MAGA movement. It argues that the MAGA secretly grew since 2021 and that more Americans embraced President Trump's policies. I find fault with this theory as it is underdeveloped and confusing. Numerically staunch MAGA has remained unchanged. It has never exceeded more than 35% of the Republican base. What did change is the empathy for the former president and a greater conversation on the border and prices, but neither of these issues necessar...

 I began writing this entry in December 2023 and then got sidetracked. At that time I was hoping that the 2024 election would be between two new faces. I thought if Nikki Haley and Kamala Harris respectively represented the Republican and Democratic Parties, that the country would have a reset and the parties could start again. Then Joe Biden would have fulfilled his mission of being a bridge to a new American decade. A Haley or Harris administration would give America the dominate female perspective, an immigrant perspective, and a minority perspective. All important qualities as we move closer to 2045. Unfortunately, things went terribly wrong! Instead we ended up with a Trump-Biden rematch. And then even that went horribly wrong. As Nikki Haley argued, in a perfect America, older Americans, those over 70 would be discouraged from running for president. Hence, neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden would be candidates for president in 2024. Also eliminated from contention would be fo...