Consider the possibility (though Democratic strategists might not) that Donald Trump actually ran a pretty good campaign and Kamala Harris ran a pretty poor one.
Not on libertarian grounds, in terms of which policies each candidate was advocating, but in terms of what would be salient to the people whose votes they needed. Trump focused, quite aggressively, on border and cost of living. He created a plan for deporting those who are in the country illegally and dispatched his vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance, with talking points as to how this would happen. He conscripted literal rocket builder/Tesla creator/memelord Elon Musk to his cause, who started doling out his megabucks to voters pledging to vote and to respect the Constitution. Trump had some kind of odd yet relatable things he became obsessed with—no taxes on tips, for example—which is kind of par for the course with him. (Remember how, years ago, he was obsessed with how efficiency standards and how many flushes modern toilets require?)
