From a New York Times column by Ezra Klein headlined “Three Theories That Explain This Strange Moment”:

I’m not much for postelection narratives. They’re like the flashy jacket that looks just right when you try it on at the store, only to prove all wrong once you wear it out on the town.

After losing in 2012, Republicans knew they needed a kinder, gentler approach to a diversifying America. Then Donald Trump offered exactly the opposite and won. After losing in 2004, Democrats believed they needed a drawling good old boy who could reconnect them with “the heartland.” Then Barack Hussein Obama ran for president and bent the arc of American history.