"It means the return of optimism"

“It brings some hope that we’re going to have a new direction for the country, that we’re going to create a real economic recovery,” said Rick Fischer, who organized for Trump in Fairfax County, Virginia.

“I think this really restores our country to its place in the world as far as a leader is concerned,” said Patrick O’Neal, of Atlanta.

“To me, it means the future of America,” said Emily Ovecka, who volunteered for Trump in Philadelphia.

“It means the return of optimism,” said Phil Bell, of Vienna, Virginia. “We’ve had years and years where I personally, and I think a lot of people, have felt simply like we didn’t have an opportunity.”

Talking to people on the Mall was like entering a universe entirely apart from that of the political commentariat. In the pundits’ world, Trump delivered a pessimistic and foreboding address, one sure to further divide the nation. The adjective of choice was “dark.”