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Jonah Goldberg Among elites across the ideological spectrum, there's one point of unifying agreement: Americans are bitterly divided. What if that's wrong? What if elites are the ones who are bitterly divided while most Americans are fairly unified? History rarely lines up perfectly with the calendar (the "sixties" didn't really start until the decade was almost over). But politically, the 21st century neatly began in 2000, when the election ended in a tie and the color coding of electoral maps became enshrined as a kind of permanent tribal color war of "red vs. blue." Elite understanding of politics has been stuck in this framework ever since. Politicians and voters have leaned into this alleged political reality, making it seem all the more real in the process. I loathe the phrase "perception is reality," but in politics it has the reifying power of self-fulfilling prophecy. Like rival noble families in medieval Europe, elites have been vying for power and dominance on the arrogant assumption that their subjects share their concern for who rules rather than what the rulers can deliver. Political cartoonists from across country draw up something special for the holiday In 2018, the group More in Common published a massive report on the "hidden tribes" of American politics. The wealthiest and whitest groups were "devoted conservatives" (6%) and "progressive activists" (8%). These tribes dominate the media, the parties and higher education, and they dictate the competing narratives of red vs. blue, particularly on cable news and social media. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of Americans resided in, or were adjacent to, the "exhausted majority." These people, however, "have no narrative," as David Brooks wrote at the time. "They have no coherent philosophic worldview to organize their thinking and compel action." Lacking a narrative might seem like a very postmodern problem, but in a postmodern elite culture, postmodern problems are real problems. It's worth noting that red vs. blue America didn't emerge ex nihilo. The 1990s were a time when the economy and government seemed to be working, at home and abroad. As a result, elites leaned into the narcissism of small differences to gain political and cultural advantage. They remain obsessed with competing, often apocalyptic, narratives. That leaves out most Americans. The gladiatorial combatants of cable news, editorial pages and academia, and their superfan spectators, can afford these fights. Members of the exhausted majority are more interested in mere competence. I think that's the hidden unity elites are missing. This is why we keep throwing incumbent parties out of power: They get elected promising competence but get derailed -- or seduced -- by fan service to, or trolling of, the elites who dominate the national conversation. There's a difference between competence and expertise. One of the most profound political changes in recent years has been the separation of notions of credentialed expertise from real-world competence. This isn't a new theme in American life, but the pandemic and the lurch toward identity politics amplified distrust of experts in unprecedented ways. This is a particular problem for the left because it is far more invested in credentialism than the right. Indeed, some progressives are suddenly realizing they invested too much in the authority of experts and too little in the ability of experts to provide what people want from government, such as affordable housing, decent education and low crime. The New York Times' Ezra Klein says he's tired of defending the authority of government institutions. Rather, "I want them to work." One of the reasons progressives find Trump so offensive is his absolute inability to speak the language of expertise -- which is full of coded elite shibboleths. But Trump veritably shouts the language of competence. I don't mean he is actually competent at governing. But he is effectively blunt about calling leaders, experts and elites -- of both parties -- stupid, ineffective, weak and incompetent. He lost in 2020 because voters didn't believe he was actually good at governing. He won in 2024 because the exhausted majority concluded the Biden administration was bad at it. Nostalgia for the low-inflation pre-pandemic economy was enough to convince voters that Trumpian drama is the tolerable price to pay for a good economy. About 3 out of 4 Americans who experienced "severe hardship" because of inflation voted for Trump. The genius of Trump's most effective ad -- "Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you" -- was that it was simultaneously culture-war red meat and an argument that Harris was more concerned about boutique elite concerns than everyday ones. If Trump can actually deliver competent government, he could make the Republican Party the majority party for a generation. For myriad reasons, that's an if so big it's visible from space. But the opportunity is there -- and has been there all along. Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch: thedispatch.com . Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!

T. Rowe Price Group Inc. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors despite daily gainsSouth Carolina is off to an uneven start, but that hasn't obscured the steady rise of Collin Murray-Boyles. The 6-foot-7 sophomore will be the player to watch when South Carolina (6-3) hosts South Carolina Upstate (4-8) Saturday afternoon in Columbia. Murray-Boyles leads the Gamecocks in points (16.2), rebounds (9.4), steals (1.2) and blocks (1.1) per game. As South Carolina struggled to a 75-68 victory over East Carolina on Saturday, Murray-Boyles carried the Gamecocks, making all 10 of his shots from the floor and finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. "He's been working on pivoting towards the basket and getting on balance and then making a strong move through some contact," South Carolina coach Lamont Paris said. The Gamecocks have been highly dependent on Murray-Boyles. In the two games in which he has fouled out, South Carolina lost to Xavier and Indiana. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks are unbeaten in the six games in which he has collected at least eight rebounds. "He's still growing and it's exciting to see," Paris said. "He's got phenomenal natural touch." Also emerging lately have been Norfolk State transfer Jamarii Thomas, who had season highs of 22 points and seven assists against East Carolina, and Morris Ugusuk, who has hit 10 of 14 shots from 3-point range in the last three games. South Carolina Upstate has been sparked by a pair of guards who each have won multiple Big South freshman of the week awards. Carmelo Adkins had 31 points and 12 rebounds in wins last week over Division III Brevard and at Western Carolina, while Mister Dean leads the Spartans in points (15.7), rebounds (5.6) and steals (2.0) per game. "He sparks runs because he'll make a dynamic dunk," Spartans coach Marty Richter said of Dean. "He brings energy with how he scores the basketball, in a hurry. He can score in bunches." The Spartans enter on a high as the win over Western Carolina was Richter's first over a Division I team. South Carolina Upstate is 1-8 all-time against South Carolina. This year, the Spartans are winless in four games against power conference schools. In an 85-80 loss a month ago at Wake Forest, however, they led for much of the second half. --Field Level Media

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Royals Don't miss out on the headlines from Royals. Followed categories will be added to My News. Queen Mary of Denmark has revealed her latest project, a new podcast about the loneliness epidemic affecting young people. The Australian-born royal posted a photograph of herself listening to the new podcast as she announced the series on Instagram. Wearing a black turtleneck jumper and stylish glasses, Queen Mary was her usual elegant self. In her statement, she talked about her love for podcasts as a form of entertainment as well as education. The Tasmanian-born monarch also highlighted the “heavy numbers” of a recent study that showed 73 per cent of 16 to 19 year olds in Denmark have experienced loneliness. Queen Mary announcing the launch of her new podcast about loneliness among young people. Picture: Instagram The new podcast will incorporate expert commentary along with the personal stories of young people dealing with feelings of isolation and exclusion Queen Mary’s post, when translated from Danish to English, said: “I’m extremely excited to be listening to a podcast. I often listen when I have to move from one place to another. “Some days I’m in the mood for entertainment and other days I use it to gain knowledge and new input. “That is why I am also proud that we have now thrown ourselves into making a podcast in the Mary Foundation. The podcast is the latest project from the royal’s foundation. Picture: Getty Images “Our first podcast is called ‘Lonely youth’, and through three short episodes it gives a thorough insight into the nuances of loneliness by mixing expertise and personal stories from young people. “We know from the study ‘Loneliness in Denmark’ that 73 per cent of 16-19 year olds experience loneliness, whether they are alone or with others. At the same time, 17 per cent of 16-24 year olds feel very lonely. Queen Mary is aiming to help those who feel excluded y opening up a conversation about loneliness. Picture: Getty Images “These are heavy numbers that we need to do something about. A podcast is not something we have experience much with yet in the Mary Foundation, but I hope you will listen and feel welcome.” The Mary Foundation, established in 2007, aims to make society more inclusive and help those who find themselves being marginalised. The announcement comes just days after the release of a new official portrait of Queen Mary and King Frederik, taken by photographer Steen Evald. Picture: Instagram The foundation was created thanks to a 1.1 million kroner national gift raised in Denmark and Greenland and donated in honour of Queen Mary and King Frederik’s wedding in 2004. Queen Mary is following in the footsteps of British royals including Meghan Markle, Queen Camilla and Princess Eugenie, who have all launched podcasts. The announcement comes just days after Queen Mary and King Frederik released new official royal portraits. Taken by longtime Danish royal photographer Steen Evald, the images show the couple in formal clothes rather than full royal regalia. Queen Mary was wearing her signature “F” necklace in the images, which some have interpreted as a show of strength for the couple’s marriage. More Coverage ‘Asking to be hurt’: Meghan’s half sister speaks out Merryn Johns Formula 1 design secrets revealed – in Lego Tom Minear Read related topics: Meghan Markle Princess Mary Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories Royals Anne blocks Camilla from breaking protocol Queen Camilla’s polite attempt at breaking a royal protocol was blocked by her sister-in-law, Princess Anne, during a royal engagement. Read more Royals ‘Final years’: Ominous Charles admission One comment the King made in the recent past has just resurfaced, and it reveals something very grim about His Majesty’s future. Read moreTottenham lineup vs. Roma: Predicted XI for Europa League encounter