Submitted photo Some of the Biden administration’s policies, such as the bipartisan Infrastructure Act, performed well among voters who were polled about them. But political observers said not many people knew them based on how people get their information. (Adobe Stock photo)

Public frustration with American politics is nothing new, but last week’s presidential election is fueling the conversation about what kinds of messages voters have an appetite for.

An expert in North Dakota said the result offers clues. Gaining support among Latino voters and backlash against inflation are cited as factors behind Donald Trump’s victory.

Mark Jendrysik, a political science professor at the University of North Dakota, said Kamala Harris’ campaign had a good ground game in swing states, but appeared to have been swept up in the anti-incumbent wave seen in elections elsewhere in the the world. He also believes Trump’s simplistic phrases speak to those who feel out of touch with public institutions.

“I think part of it is a reality of society where so many things are impersonal and so many things are done by machines now, you’re not actually talking to a live human being.” Jendrysik said.

He pointed out that right-wing media influencers have increasingly focused on feelers “powerless”, namely young male voters. Trump’s in-orbit approach resonated with rural voters in 2016. Jendrysik acknowledged that it feeds into narratives that claim people, especially low-propensity voters, are less interested in politics and more swayed by a candidate’s vibes.

Trump’s legal problems, including a criminal conviction, have been seen as liabilities for his campaign. But Jendrysik noted that because he wasn’t part of the current administration this time around, Trump could reduce the focus on issues voters were worried about. He said lingering anger over government shutdowns during COVID played into the short-term memories voters sometimes have, perhaps forgetting that Trump was still in office during the first year of the crisis.

“It has led many people to claim that his presidency is over in February 2020,” Jendrysik said.

He said Trump’s simple messages such as “Make America Great Again,” it allows his supporters to fill in the policy blanks instead of hearing a candidate talk about them. Jendrysik added that racism and misogyny could not be ignored in the outcome, given Harris’ racial and ethnic identity and her failure to become the first female president in US history.