A famous scene from the 1976 movie Network came to mind recently during the historic presidential election on Nov. 8, Business Report Publisher Rolfe McCollister writes in his latest column. In the scene, Howard Beale (played by Peter Finch) tells his viewers, “I want you to get up right now and go to the window, open it, and stick your head out and yell, ‘I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!’”
Given the historic results on Election Day, Republican Donald Trump obviously tapped into that same kind of frustration among millions of Americans who were “mad as hell” with politicians in Washington, D.C., McCollister says.
“I believe the message above from hard-working Americans who felt ignored won the day and Trump was their messenger—and megaphone,” McCollister writes. “He outworked Hillary Clinton, who didn’t even visit Wisconsin in the general election—and she lost what had been a reliably blue state.”
McCollister notes that he didn’t endorse or vote for Trump or Clinton—he instead voted for independent Evan McMullin. However, he did enjoy seeing the pundits, pollsters, media and Democrats—who had all predicted a Clinton win—“get humbled and have to eat their words.”
“They all looked stupid, and it was entertaining to watch,” he says. “The arrogant elites in both parties and among the media—The New York Times, network TV, CNN and The Washington Post—had to swallow a large piece of humble pie (and New York Times columnist David Brooks stated this on Meet the Press.)”
So how did the pundits miss the mark so badly? Because they dismissed Trump’s large rallies as “just angry ‘yahoos,’” McCollister says.
“These news organizations, which are supposed to accurately report on what is happening in America, missed the biggest story of the century thus far,” McCollister writes. “Were they incompetent or just blinded by their arrogance as they sat in their ivory towers writing the end to their own fairy tale before the votes were counted? Well, the voters got the last words here … and those would be, President Trump.”
In his column, McCollister also highlights the new Business Report Leadership Academy, an exclusive, executive-level education program for the Capital Region’s promising leaders and entrepreneurs.
As detailed in this story, the academy is the brainchild of Business Report President and CEO Julio Melara, who studied a similar program in Chicago and decided to bring the idea home to Baton Rouge. Business Report has teamed up with SSA Consultants to create the academy.
Speaking of up-and-coming stars, McCollister also congratulates the latest round of Forty Under 40 winners, who he says are “creative, intelligent, compassionate and committed, and each of them are making their mark on our community.”
McCollister also wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving as the holiday approaches on Thursday.
“Despite the challenges we might face, we still live in the greatest nation on earth,” he says. “America is still ‘one nation under God,’ and we should give Him thanks every day.”
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