message to partisans and a prayer before the election results

If Harris wins...

To the Dems: Congrats! You saved democracy. (Ahh, just kidding; you've been demagoguing it! But with Trump gone, maybe you won't feel like you have to do that anymore? Please? Please?!) You tried to give us Trump, but we appreciate you doing enough to avoid that. You got what you want short-term, but now it's more likely that you'll lose in 2026 and 2028. Harris will probably move to the middle, so it'll be interesting to see how much this upsets the Progressives and Identity Politics folks. 

To the GOP: Thanks for giving us Biden and now Harris. Just imagine how DeSantis or Haley would have crushed either one of them! Hopefully, your fears of her and the elites will not be validated. The good news is that you can shed the Trump baggage and have a vigorous debate between the big-govt populists (since the Dems have given up on the working poor and middle class) and your other factions (small-L libertarians, fiscal conservatives, social conservatives). Hopefully, from your relatively deep bench, someone will emerge as a Reagan-like leader for 2028. 

If Trump wins...

To the GOP: Congrats! By choosing Trump, you took a big risk that we would get Harris, but we appreciate you doing enough to avoid the latter. You got what you want short-term, but now, it's more likely that you'll lose in 2026 and 2028. Trump is a lame duck and will be a mishmash on policy, so I'd start lowering expectations ASAP. You might hope for a vigorous debate between your various factions, but your future is now more likely to be populist until current events or a charismatic candidate push you somewhere else. 

To the Dems: Thanks for choosing poor candidates who governed and campaigned poorly, resulting in Trump. Hopefully, your fears of him will not be validated. The good news is that you can start over, shedding Hillary, Biden, and Harris. What's the future of your party? Get ready for some blame-shifting between the power-mongers and the Progressives. And who's on your bench? Maybe Biden and Harris really were your best. (Ouch!) Since you've (ironically) had only one robust and fair democratic primary since 2008, it's difficult to know. But a handful of governors or a smooth/dynamic speaker will probably entice you for 2028. 

Either way: I'm praying/hoping for a split Congress/President result and a large enough victory by the new president to avoid inflaming existing idolatries and to give partisans on one of the two sides to mitigate, eliminate idolatries going forward.