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What the 2025 Election Results Really Mean for America

EDITOR'S NOTES

While Republicans lick their wounds and Democrats celebrate, it’s time to tune out the partisan victory laps and look deeper. The 2025 election wasn’t a mandate for socialism, nor was it a total repudiation of Trumpism—it was a referendum on chaos, gridlock, and a political system hemorrhaging legitimacy. And if you’re watching this from outside the red-blue binary like I am, you’ll see something else: the country’s cracks are widening, and neither party is offering a serious repair.

Derek Wolfe Nov 6, 25

A Blue Wave—But Not the Kind You're Used To

Let’s get the facts straight: Democrats cleaned up in Virginia, New Jersey, New York City, and held their ground in key judicial races in Pennsylvania. California passed a redistricting measure that could give Democrats five new House seats. That’s not a blip. That’s a power move—and Republicans, including Trump, know it.

But this wasn’t just a partisan victory for the blue team. Take a closer look and you'll see Democrats won across the ideological spectrum. You had Abigail Spanberger, a moderate ex-CIA officer, winning big in Virginia, and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani toppling Andrew Cuomo—twice—in New York.

So what unites these very different Democrats? Affordability. Voters weren’t voting for leftism or centrism—they were voting against unaffordable housing, failing wages, political dysfunction, and rising economic insecurity. And that’s the libertarian takeaway here: when voters are hurting, they’ll take anyone who sounds like they’ve got a plan.

The Trump Factor: Still Dominant, Still Polarizing

President Trump’s reaction to the results tells you a lot about where the Republican Party is stuck right now. First, he blamed the shutdown. Then, he blamed not being on the ballot. Then, he called Mamdani a communist, only to suggest minutes later he might “help him a little bit.”

This whiplash is emblematic of a broader problem: Trumpism without Trump on the ballot is failing to mobilize voters. In Virginia and New Jersey, traditional suburban conservatives and independents weren’t buying what the GOP was selling. The culture war isn't paying the bills, and economic hardship is hitting everyone.

Republicans bet on linking their opponents to Biden’s sluggish economy and assumed that would be enough. But Trump’s own administration is overseeing a shutdown that's directly impacting workers. When you’re furloughing voters’ paychecks, don’t be surprised when they throw you out of office.

Shutdown Politics: A Bipartisan Failure

Trump's insistence that the GOP nuke the filibuster to end the shutdown and jam through his agenda should set off alarm bells for anyone who gives a damn about limited government. The filibuster isn’t just a Senate rule—it’s one of the last speed bumps left in the legislative arms race. Blowing it up to make it easier to pass sweeping federal laws is a red flag no matter who's holding the gavel.

And let’s be honest: the shutdown isn’t just a Republican liability—it’s a government failure. While D.C. power players argue over who gets blamed, federal workers are going unpaid, services are frozen, and the public gets more proof that neither party is serious about stewardship.

Both sides have mastered the art of political hostage-taking. Democrats blame “reckless Republican shutdowns,” Republicans blame “radical Democrats,” but meanwhile the machine keeps breaking—and they both keep feeding it.

Mamdani’s Win: A Canary in the Urban Coal Mine?

Now let’s talk about the Mamdani win. Trump called him a communist. Fox News will probably roll out a week-long panic campaign. But here’s the reality: Mamdani didn’t win because he wore the red rose of democratic socialism. He won because he hit the same nerve that Trump himself used to ride: economic despair.

High rent. Low wages. Crumbling infrastructure. That’s what drove voters to Mamdani—not Marx.

He could become a progressive blueprint if he delivers—or a cautionary tale if his policies tank New York City even further. Either way, voters are desperate for a break from establishment careerists like Cuomo, and Mamdani’s victory proves that populism isn’t owned by the right anymore.

What Does This Mean for 2028?

It’s early, but the 2025 elections are shaping the battlefield for 2028. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting push in California was as much a congressional maneuver as it was a personal political ad. Expect to see more of him on the national stage, especially now that he’s playing hardball like Texas did with their maps.

Meanwhile, Trump is learning the hard way that while his base remains solid, it's not expanding—and his grip on the GOP has turned from galvanizing to paralyzing. When even JD Vance and Mike Johnson start distancing themselves from Trump’s interpretation of the results, you know there’s internal panic.

The midterms are going to be the next proving ground. Democrats will claim momentum. Republicans will recalibrate. And independents? They’ll keep looking for someone—anyone—not trying to rule over them, but trying to get the hell out of their way.

The Libertarian Perspective: Reject the Rigged Game

What we saw this week is not a restoration of democracy or a resurgence of progressive ideals—it’s voters scrambling for life rafts in a sea of political sewage.

Democrats are exploiting the rules when it suits them (California’s redistricting).
Republicans are undermining the same rules when they’re losing (Trump pushing to kill the filibuster).
And voters are ping-ponging between the two, desperate for someone who won’t weaponize government against them.

Both parties are consolidating power, using economic collapse and manufactured crisis as justification. The real divide isn’t left vs. right—it’s the ruling class vs. the rest of us.