It’s a Vibes Election, and for Trump That’s Bad

To begin with a home truth: Nothing about the 2024 presidential election has been even remotely worthwhile — despite its having been anything but predictable — because nothing about it has felt the slightest bit real. It’s been a wild, politically substanceless affair, and to no good end; to paraphrase one noted critic, it’s felt like riding a rollercoaster into your own grave. I’m willing to qualify that by adding “in my opinion,” but if you disagree, I can only ask, with mild disbelief: What in particular is it that you have found edifying about the process to date? The Republican primary had almost no ideological content whatsoever, and served merely as a coronation for Trump. (Witness the casual ease with which he disposed of so many core conservative planks of the party.) The Democratic contest was a puppet show designed to hide a sick man from view until it was too late.

Even as recently as June of this year, things felt vaguely surreal. America was being served recycled candidates desired only by the base of their party electorates: two men who had nothing new to say either to one another or to American voters but who had somehow only gotten ghastlier and weirder since the last time we were asked to vote for them. The entire experience felt akin to an old ’80s Nintendo game where in later levels you encounter a palette-swapped version of the Stage 2 boss, except this time with horns and a tail drawn on as well. So back around mid June the campaign seemed destined to be about nothing at all, just two old men barking about the past rather than the future. (I took to calling it “Nick at Nite” in private.)

About the Author

Jeffrey Blehar

Jeffrey Blehar is a National Review staff writer living in Chicago. He is also the co-host of National Review’s Political Beats podcast, which explores the great music of the modern era with guests from the political world happy to find something non-political to talk about.

Featured Tags

To begin with a home truth: Nothing about the 2024 presidential election has been even remotely worthwhile — despite its having been anything but predictable — because nothing about it has felt the slightest bit real. It’s been a wild, politically substanceless affair, and to no good end; to paraphrase one noted critic, it’s felt like riding a rollercoaster into your own grave. I’m willing to qualify that by adding “in my opinion,” but if you disagree, I can only ask, with mild disbelief: What in particular is it that you have found edifying about the process to date? The Republican primary had almost no ideological content whatsoever, and served merely as a coronation for Trump. (Witness the casual ease with which he disposed of so many core conservative planks of the party.) The Democratic contest was a puppet show designed to hide a sick man from view until it was too late.

Even as recently as June of this year, things felt vaguely surreal. America was being served recycled candidates desired only by the base of their party electorates: two men who had nothing new to say either to one another or to American voters but who had somehow only gotten ghastlier and weirder since the last time we were asked to vote for them. The entire experience felt akin to an old ’80s Nintendo game where in later levels you encounter a palette-swapped version of the Stage 2 boss, except this time with horns and a tail drawn on as well. So back around mid June the campaign seemed destined to be about nothing at all, just two old men barking about the past rather than the future. (I took to calling it “Nick at Nite” in private.)

About the Author

Jeffrey Blehar

Jeffrey Blehar is a National Review staff writer living in Chicago. He is also the co-host of National Review’s Political Beats podcast, which explores the great music of the modern era with guests from the political world happy to find something non-political to talk about.