I think this article basically said that the election was basically decided by a few of the normal things.  First is that the person that ran the better race with better strategy won. To me Hillary thought she was going to win and didn't run a race trying to win but instead was trying not to lose. Second the democrats ran on their normal premise of equality and diversity and the GOP ran on their normal premise of racial resentment, hatred, discrimination and catering to the rich while the poor and middle class suffer fighting for the scraps.   What I think was different about 2016 was that playing  racial resentment card worked after so many angry racist bigots droned on for 8 years about anything obama did as wrong.  Trump simple picked up the ball and ran with it and just needed to say he would reverse obama effects. The other part that was different was the intentional attack by wikilinks and "other cyber entities" on Hillary and the establishment with goal of destabilizing America.