Stop swearing, Dems!, the formation of a new Republican Party and other comments

Conservative: Stop arguing, Democrats!

“One lesson the left should take from this election is that you don’t win elections by being an angry scolder.” notes F.H. Buckley in The Wall Street Journal. “It is unpatriotic to think that American history is a list of things that should never have happened and that half of Americans are trash”; “Today’s left is elitist and the right is populist.” The “old group of progressives” were proud of America “and the ways in which we are different from other countries.” So: “If the left wants to find a way back, it must start by taking responsibility for everything in our past, good and recognized evil.” “Our liberation from history and our sense of patriotism can only be found within history, which has always offered its sources of redemption.”

Right: Formation of the new Republican Party.

“When Donald Trump took the oath of office in 2017, his party was divided”; eight years later, “he is the undisputed leader of the Republican Party,” observes Matthew Continetti at The Free Press. “The Republican Party has shifted in a more populist and nationalist direction,” and its 2024 platform takes “positions on trade, social rights and peace that have long been associated with the Democratic Party.” Meanwhile, the Democratic Party’s “tolerance of social disorder and its embrace of justice over merit, open borders, gender ideology and censorship,” as well as Biden’s inflation and refugee crisis, have led to a “decisive shift toward Trump Republicans across the country.” But beware the “danger” of taking “Trump’s decisive victory as an unqualified endorsement of his personality and program.”

Libertarian: Kamala couldn’t win a fair fight

‘How Pundits, Pollsters and Cranks’ Try to Explain Why ‘Kamala Harris Did So Poorly on Election Day’ Suggestions from Reason’s Christian Brichgi “Clear, obvious, common cause”: “her experience as a prosecutor left her unprepared to fight a fair fight.” During his career, “Harris enjoyed every unfair advantage that the American judicial system provides.” As a U.S. senator, “she shone in committee hearings, asking unfair, leading questions to captive testifiers.” But “without her prosecutorial defense, Harris failed.” For weeks, she “attempted to make up for her shortcomings as a terrible retail politician by hiding” from media interviews. This “doesn’t work in tough elections where voters expect you to prove your case affirmatively.” In a fair fight against Trump without any prosecutorial advantage, “she was completely unmatched and unprepared.”

Obituary: Bernie Marcus’s Uncompromising Zionism

“Bernie Marcus, billionaire Home Depot founder and philanthropist,” has died at age 95 and “in the process of giving away most of his fortune.” mourns Seth Mandel of Commentary. He “saw what Jewish students faced and wanted them to feel proud and comfortable in their Jewish faith” before going to college. “Marcus also donated to organizations such as Hillel International and programs to send young Jews to Israel. “His unapologetic Zionism was matched by his unapologetic defense of economic freedom and free markets.” When he “was accepted into Harvard Medical School but couldn’t afford it,” he “found other dreams, one of which was the concept of Home Depot.” Lesson: “We should apologize less for success—and not apologize for Zionism.”

Loafer Beat: Defeat of the Flying Dutchmen

Trump’s victory turns the various cases against him into “legal versions of the Flying Dutchman – ships destined to sail forever but never make port.” explains Jonathan Turley in The Hill. “If there is one captain on this unfortunate team, it is Special Prosecutor Jack Smith,” who has just “become a failed prosecutor.” New York Judge Juan Merchan “could sentence Trump to prison,” but “such an insulting sentence, even a brief one, would likely trigger an expedited appeal and would likely be delayed.” And Georgia’s case “has legal flaws and is likely to be overturned on appeal.” Tuesday’s victory may not end all “legitimate battles” but “could effectively end the war.”

— Compiled by The Post’s editorial board.