By Bruce LaRue

The important thing is to remain calm.

Another presidential election has come and gone. The world did not end. Mountains did not crumble into dried-up seas, although, if one were to pay heed to the handwringing and teeth-gnashing of some segments of the media, one might have braced for a bad moon a-rising. Yet, the world went on spinning, as did the pundits.

What began as post-election analysis, forebodingly referred to by some as “post- mortem,” or “autopsy,” quickly devolved into Blamestock, with a lineup of pundits, politicians and sky-screamers taking the stage to assign culpability. As is so often the case, the losing party woke up with a political hangover, not from what they had consumed, but what consumed them, and blamed it on the ice. Their minds, befogged by hatred, resentment and chronic subjectivity brought about by political myopia, instinctively rounded up the usual suspects: Racism, sexism and misogyny, followed by messaging and communication. Then, it became President Biden’s fault for dropping out — or running in the first place — or top-level Democrats for forcing him out.

At first, there was no mention from the mainstream media about border security, social issues, wokeism, the excessive implementation of DEI or the decriminalization of theft and property damage. A few moderate Democrats, frustrated by years of trying to appease the unappeasable, terminally disgruntled radicals, began to call out the far left for hijacking the party and ceding too much power to the progressive wing. Painfully aware that their party was in need of an intervention, they had been fearful of speaking up lest they be labeled some sort of -ist or -phobic, disinherited from the dysfunctional family, so they allowed the pandemonium to metastasize.

A few left-leaning panelists wondered aloud with seemingly sincere incredulity how someone as immoral as Donald Trump could have won this election. Perhaps they do not remember Bill Clinton, the consummate charming rogue, who, were it not for the 22 Amendment, may well still be president. Clearly, as a society, we can tolerate infidelity and the perception of corruption better than we can tolerate the perception of incompetence. Outlaw country, gangsta rap, John Gotti, and who doesn’t love Victor from “The Young and the Restless?” What we do not love is ineptitude. Our elected officials have been getting our order wrong for some time, and the customers are fed up.

Many of the blame throwers seem to be trying to appear superiorly enlightened by coming up with the reason for the outcome of the election. A few have proffered top five lists, most of which have merit. For anyone that has been paying attention, there is a plethora, perhaps even a cornucopia, of reasons, some carrying more weight than others.

As of this writing, I have not heard anyone mention James Clyburn, Democratic congressman from South Carolina. Rep. Clyburn’s involvement begins four years ago, at the genesis of President Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, and he reasserts himself during President Biden’s exodus from his reelection bid. So deeply entrenched is the congressman, so omnipresent are his fingerprints, the Kamala Harris saga should go down in history as “Clyburn’s Folly.” It was his interference that ultimately burdened the Democratic party with a no-win catastrophe.

Not that long ago, shady deals, threats, extortion and blackmail within the world of politics were confined to smoke-filled back rooms. Today, every whisper is picked up on a hot mic, instantaneously finding its way to social media, 24-hour news outlets, and SETI receiving apparati, light-years away, pointed toward us. Not only did Rep. Clyburn wield his considerable influence to deliver South Carolina if candidate Biden made the right choice for vice-president in 2020, he “warned” fellow Democrats not to pass over Vice-President Harris after President Biden stepped down. His party was reduced to rubble, and he was the wrecking ball, yet bears neither blame nor responsibility. He suggested, no, demanded that one of the most inept political figures in history be placed in a position in which she was doomed to fail, for reasons better explained by the congressman himself. Were it not for Rep. Clyburn’s short-sighted demands, most of the knee-jerk reasons given for the election result would not have been relevant because someone more palatable would have been the candidate.

Republicans, for their part, are declaring a mandate. Not so fast. This election was not exactly, or even approximately, a socio-political Super Bowl, pitting two worthy combatants, majestically contested in a most dignified manner in the grand colosseum of ideas. No, it was a toilet bowl; hold your nose and vote for one of two deeply flawed candidates.

The Democrats were hoping to knock it out of the park with the abortion issue, but they were swinging a Jell-O bat because they could not unburden themselves of the border crisis and the economy, and not being Trump turned out not to be a winning strategy. Mejor el diablo conocido…

As much as anything else, the election was a referendum on identity politics. Had it featured almost any other viable Republican, he or she might have carried all 50 states. Had it featured a viable, centrist Democrat, he or she might have won the election. Maybe we should try that next time. Meanwhile…

The important thing is to remain calm.

Bruce La Rue lives in Mt. Ulla