I don’t study politics, but I do study culture, and there have been some signs that a cultural shift leading to this election result has been brewing for years in America. Most of the professional political analysts just completely missed it.

Some of these may seem absurd, but hear me out.

1. The Popular Success of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

After the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent protests and rioting in 2020, it seemed to many in the intelligentsia that “culturally relevant” films needed to directly address DEI or “systemic race issues” to find wide appeal. But by the time we could comfortably get back into theaters in 2022, the biggest box office success in America didn’t do any of that.

“Top Gun: Maverick” instead leaned heavily on classic modernist heroism themes, embodied by a white, male protagonist (Tom Cruise as Maverick) who is a traditional, rule-breaking figure dedicated to honor, duty, and meritocracy.

Maverick represented the more traditional American values of meritocracy over aristocracy amid what was supposed to be a cultural revolution intended to set up a new inverted aristocracy.

2. The Mass Cultural Influence of ‘Anti-Woke’ Comedians

While it seems that many of the political talking heads had no idea who Tony Hinchcliffe was until his Puerto Rico joke at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, Hinchcliffe’s show “Kill Tony” is one of the most watched and listened-to podcasts in America.

His show has sold out Madison Square Garden and other major arenas numerous times, and he is

Journalists seem poised to learn all the wrong lessons from Donald Trump’s victory this week, repeating a pattern they’ve been unable to shake since the frenzied days of 2016. A moment from CNN’s “Inside Politics” on Thursday is especially instructive — and an ominous portent of the media’s ability to recapture influence.

Laura Barrón-López is the White House correspondent at PBS News and a political analyst at CNN. On a panel with Dana Bash and John King — the network’s chief political and chief national correspondent respectively — Barrón-López made a claim so objectively false is almost defies believability. Bash and King, of course, found it deeply compelling. 

Reflecting on Trump’s success, Barrón-López mused, “Maybe it’s not so much Democrats policies or messaging or the words that they use specifically, but there is an entire right-wing media ecosystem doesn’t exist on the left, does not exist in center or mainstream, and people are getting their information in very different ways now.”

No self awareness! @lbarronlopez, a correspondent for PBS, while on CNN, blamed Kamala Harris loss on how “there is an entire right wing media ecosystem that doesn’t exist on the left and it does not exist in the center or mainstream.” pic.twitter.com/QKPjTGHhvO

— Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) November 7, 2024

“Oh yes. It does not exist on the left,” agreed Bash. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,” King repeated.

“And,” continued Barrón-López, “Donald Trump and Republicans and Elon Musk and Joe Rogan know exactly how to reach Americans where they

Journalists seem poised to learn all the wrong lessons from Donald Trump’s victory this week, repeating a pattern they’ve been unable to shake since the frenzied days of 2016. A moment from CNN’s “Inside Politics” on Thursday is especially instructive — and an ominous portent of the media’s ability to recapture influence.

Laura Barrón-López is the White House correspondent at PBS News and a political analyst at CNN. On a panel with Dana Bash and John King — the network’s chief political and chief national correspondent respectively — Barrón-López made a claim so objectively false is almost defies believability. Bash and King, of course, found it deeply compelling. 

Reflecting on Trump’s success, Barrón-López mused, “Maybe it’s not so much Democrats policies or messaging or the words that they use specifically, but there is an entire right-wing media ecosystem doesn’t exist on the left, does not exist in center or mainstream, and people are getting their information in very different ways now.”

No self awareness! @lbarronlopez, a correspondent for PBS, while on CNN, blamed Kamala Harris loss on how “there is an entire right wing media ecosystem that doesn’t exist on the left and it does not exist in the center or mainstream.” pic.twitter.com/QKPjTGHhvO

— Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) November 7, 2024

“Oh yes. It does not exist on the left,” agreed Bash. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,” King repeated.

“And,” continued Barrón-López, “Donald Trump and Republicans and Elon Musk and Joe Rogan know exactly how to reach Americans where they