Opinion | What We Just Went Through Wasnt an Election. It Was a Hostage Situation.

Heading into Tuesday’s vote, a large majority of voters said that the country was on the wrong track and that they were disappointed with the candidates on offer.A plurality of voters said that regardless of who was elected, the next president would make things worse.

Nearly 80 percent said the presidential campaigns did not make them proud of America.The blame for this grievous state of affairs lies with the Democratic and Republican Parties, both of which played a game of chicken with the electorate, relying on apocalyptic threats about the end of democracy to convince people that they had no choice but to vote as instructed.Both candidates offered up policies that were unpopular even among their supporters, serving a banquet for their donor classes while doling out junk food to their bases.

For one candidate, that contemptuous strategy succeeded.But it fails the American people.For all his populist posturing, Mr.

Trump put forward tax breaks that favor the wealthy, championed tariffs that would almost certainly raise grocery prices, bad-mouthed overtime pay, praised firing striking workers and largely stayed mum while his allies discussed destroying the Affordable Care Act.He insisted abortion be left up to the states even though most Americans, including many Republicans, think it should be legal everywhere, and pledged to oppose any new gun restrictions even though an overwhelming majority of Americans say they should be stricter.And what were Trump acolytes to be given in return for greenlighting this unpopular agenda? Elon Musk promised a period of economic pain.

Tucker Carlson said Mr.Trump would bend the country over his knee and give it a “spanking.” Why would any sign on? Because it was either that, they were told, or nuclear war under Ms.

Harris.Some choice.Meanwhile, Mr.

Biden and his enablers disregarded the public’s belief that he was too old to serve another term.When he finally did step aside — only after a televised disaster that ...