But it remains a single country and a single election period ("election" almost always includes electing multiple people but it is still a single election process) . The dems had control only a few months ago and could have it back in a few years. SCOTUS's impact is purely local. It means little to the rest of the world in the long run. In many places (canada) US politics seems to have an opposite effect. America has shown liberals of the world how not to do things.

"But it remains a single country and a single election period ...The dems had control only a few months ago"

No, they've been losing ground pretty steadily for 20 years. The media didn't pay much attention until recently because most of the losses were occurring in "flyover" areas.

They're paying attention now.

Even at the Federal level, the Republicans have had control of the House of Representatives since 2010, and the Senate since 2014.

And I don't agree that it's just the U.S. In other countries you have Brexit, the rise of the Le Pen family in France, etc.

So what's your conclusion about what it is?

I'll go first, I think that is mostly because of a disastrous 2010 off-year election, its ensuing redistricting period, and, well, I enjoyed this piece:

http://fusion.net/the-long-lucrative-right-wing-grift-is-blo...

"So what's your conclusion about what it is?"

Utter failure of the current Democratic Party to connect with those voters who made up its base for a century or more.

I don't think there's any other way to spin it. Trump won because he carried several industrial and mining states that were traditionally Democratic strongholds.

Your link is just another attempt to blame it on "stupid racists".

Did it ever occur to the Dem leadership that calling people stupid racists doesn't make them more likely to vote for you?

Those states all voted for Obama twice. While I suppose it's possible that everyone in those states turned into a stupid racist over the last four years, that's not where I'd place my bet.