Opinion: A positive sign for democracy: Demographics are not political destiny

It's not over until it's over. And it is. The votes have been counted. It's an electoral shutout , a prelude to a transfer of power. It will be peaceful. The Republic abides.

This was framed by many as the election to save democracy. Voters agreed, sort of, but in a nuanced way.

Many saw President-elect Donald Trump as a likely autocrat who would overstep his executive role. January 6th lingered.

Others saw the threat already having taken hold, with overaggressive Democratic administration prosecutions, most notably the New York financial felony prosecution stemming from a novel extension of a misdemeanor.

Opinion: His 'Don't Tread on Me' hat told me one thing. His real story told me another.

Among the more effective ways to undermine one's chances, if not democracy itself, is to ridicule the reasons for the choices of a majority of voters. This implies they are not up to the task. Bringing in celebrities to shame key base voters as racist and misogynistic drilled home that counterproductive point.

As Vice President Kamala Harris noted, the page has turned. Democrats are licking their wounds. The postmortems are necessary for the defeated party. The Republicans are spared. To the victors go the validation of a successful strategy.

Some of it is campaign specific. President Joe Biden waited too long, Harris didn't separate herself from him. The messaging was garbled. She opposed fracking in 2016; she supports fracking now. Her "values have not changed." Celebrity endorsements got in the way. Doomsaying about the end of democracy and the onset of fascism fell short.

Harris dominated in funding, but Trump dominated on issues Harris greatly outspent Trump. The vaunted ground game was outflanked by podcasts and targeted messaging. Concerns with illegal immigration, inflation and the economy overwhelmed those with abortion .

Issues and strategies were critical in determining the outcome. But there was a lot more going on. Exit polls revealed that whites' share of the Biden/Harris vote and Black and Hispanic share of Trump's support both increased. Trump captured one in five votes from Black men and almost half of the Hispanic vote .

Analysis: Opinion: Trump, Republicans won big because Democrats failed to listen to the people

Politics by immutable group identity has been the flavor of the past few decades. It's been the foundation of the way intellectuals and progressives see the world of politics. Not only did that presumption fail this time. It helped cause the failure.

As Maureen Dowd indelicately, but accurately, summed it up following the election – "Woke is Broke." Woke went from becoming a positive notion, implying an early awareness of social and political changes, to a negative, implying extreme, often silly adherence to the latest fad. Think pronouns, transgender athletes in women's sports, police defunding, extreme DEI programs and the like.

Many, including Dowd, note the Democrats' woke-driven obsession with identity politics, with people primarily defined as members of groups, often arrayed along a hierarchy of oppression. Not surprising white males don't fare well here. Even less surprisingly, they don't much like it and tend to vote accordingly.

Individual dignity matters more than group identity So, do people live, work, play and vote on the basis of their group? Of course there's a shameful history of slavery, segregation and discrimination that partially fuels this view. But the antidote is not continued separation that has no endgame. The cure to the illness isn't more illness. Most Americans sense that. They realize that there is much more that unites us than divides us. They don't see that as racist.

The good news is that cross cutting cleavages, long a source of moderation, are reasserting themselves. Whites, Hispanics and African Americans also see the world through the lens of religion, work, and family. All of these affect political attitudes and, ultimately, the vote.

Race will always be a part of this mix, but it need not overwhelm the others. The American Constitutional system is predicated upon the dignity of the individual. Yes, our diversity can and should be our strength. That can only happen if we first think of ourselves as Americans, also bringing our unique group histories and cultures.

If we are not there yet, it's the right aspiration.

William Lyons is Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Associate Director of The Institute of American Civics at the Howard Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee. He also served as Chief Policy Officer for Knoxville Mayors Bill Haslam, Daniel Brown and Madeline Rogero. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Institute of American Civics or the University of Tennessee.