Nor did Trump rely on saturation TV advertising or obsessive polling or cutting-edge data analytics. In fact, he gave the finger to high-priced strategists, ad-men, pollsters, and all those other shifty political pros that churn out the slick, poll-tested candidates that Americans love to hate. (For a scathing look at the entire consulting class, see Molly Ball’s piece from October. ) Just ask Jeb Bush (or Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz) whether the red team’s crack strategists were worth the money this cycle.

Trump did not win the endorsements of powerful media outlets or sparkly celebrities--or much of anyone for that matter. And more than any race in modern memory, his election was a victory of the grassroots over the political establishment. Forget the DNC’s minor machinations in boosting Clinton over Bernie Sanders; arguably never have a party’s leaders been as intent on derailing the chosen champion of the base as the GOP was when it came to Trump. Even those who, out of either cowardice or team loyalty, didn’t outright reject Trump made it clear they were holding their noses where he was concerned. (Looking at you, Paul Ryan.)

As for the substance of the election: The media exerted little to no control over Trump’s messaging. This is not to say that political journalists gave him a free ride. Especially as the race wore on, reporters dug into the endless controversies swirling around the nominee and kept a spotlight on his steady stream of verbal atrocities. But from the 30,000-foot perspective, Trump worked the media, both social and traditional, like the master carnival barker he is. He followed a direct-to-consumer sales model—his true nature graphically on display--kicking the usual middle-men to the curb.

And while you can complain about the sound-bite-driven nature of the race, it may be time to acknowledge that this is what a big chunk of the electorate wants. Certainly, it is what people respond to. Hillary Clinton is the definition of a wonk. Her team prepared detailed policy papers on every topic imaginable. Voters could not have cared less. They wanted big promises, declarative sentences, and slug-you-in-the-gut slogans. (Build that Wall! Make American Great Again! Trust me!) Which is, when it comes to presidential contenders, pretty much what they always want. (Hope! Change! Morning In America!)

So you can gripe about the shallow nature of the race, but there’s little point in blaming the candidates or even the supporting players. Trump delivered what so many voters crave, with vanishingly little interference from the media, big donors, pollsters, ad men, strategists, and the political establishment.

Looked at from this angle, the race was, in certain ways, more small-d democratic than many. Yes, it wound up saddling the nation--the entire globe really--with a president-elect considered temperamentally unfit for the office even by many of those who voted for him. But democracy is messy that way. Removing gatekeepers and flattening hierarchies have unintended consequences. (For a deep dive on this, see Jon Rauch’s July/August cover story.)