Political realignments can take decades to occur, as evidenced by the 1994 Southern white shift from Democratic to Republican, which was extensively covered in media and political science literature.
Political parties function as vessels that assemble diverse ideological groups to win elections, rather than being ideological entities themselves, exemplified by the 19th century Democratic Party uniting abolitionists and slave owners.
The current political realignment is a continuation of the 2016 Trump takeover of the GOP, with figures like RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard joining Trump’s campaign due to perceived corruption and suppression of free speech within the Democratic Party.
Trump’s coalition is built on skepticism of the regime, including the FBI, intelligence agencies, corporate power, and the 2020 election, attracting voters whose opinions have been flagged as misinformation on social media platforms.
The crypto industry, created as a backlash against government regulation, has aligned with Trump due to the Biden Administration’s war on crypto, escalated under Gary Gensler at the SEC.
Elon Musk and Peter Thiel are part of a counter-elite supporting Trump, driven by frustration with Washington’s regulatory approach to emerging technologies.
Political parties reflect rather than form the ideologies of the population, necessitating the existence of organizations like the Mises Institute to shape ideology outside of party structures.Changing party platforms requires altering public beliefs, as parties prioritize winning elections over promoting unpopular ideologies like laissez-faire economics or peace.
