The failure of the Democratic establishment has also made third parties on the left more attractive than at any time in generations. The calculus will vary at the state and local levels, but Trump’s victory demonstrates why that option should be resisted nationally, at least for now. The waning influence of party elites has made it easier for ideologically motivated candidates to win primaries, and escalating partisan polarization has made these nominations more valuable prizes. Trump’s supporters won him the nomination; Clinton’s opponents delivered him the presidency. Although the interplay between these dynamics proved disastrous in 2016, it could in future provide the left with a powerful weapon.