Created Equal: What do the election results say about American voters? 

It’s the day after the Election, and Donald Trump is poised to retake the presidency. What does his reelection say about voters, their preferences, and the state of the country?

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Nancy Kaffer of the Detroit Free Press, former Michigan Senator Randall Richardville, and Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne join the show to discuss Donald Trump’s reelection, local races in Michigan and in Detroit, and what this election says about voters, their preferences, and the state of the country.

Dionne partially attributed Trump’s win to an increase in aggressive messaging from his campaign about economic discontent and immigration. He also discussed Kamala Harris’ attempts at building solidarity among young women voters with her focus on the right to choose. 

Richardville explained that although Harris’ focus on the right to choose resonated with young women, some men in similar demographics felt a lack of focus on issues directly affecting them. This sense of political “homelessness” among young men may have led to an increase in votes for Trump. He also discussed the significant increase in Trump support among Black and Latino voters.

Kaffer said some immigrants may have voted for Trump because of the perceived unfairness of migrants entering the country illegally while others had to use complex legal channels. She also discussed the possibility of a coalition shift in the country’s politics and stressed the uniqueness of American democracy. 

“America is unique in the world because we’re not based on a race or ethnicity or religion or tribal affiliation, we’re an idea. And the idea is democracy,” Kaffer said. 

Guests: 

• Nancy Kaffer is an editorial page editor for the Detroit Free Press. 
• Randall Richardville is the former Majority Leader of the Michigan State Senate. 
• E.J. Dionne is a professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, a political columnist for the Washington Post, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. 

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.