Bill Maher got it right a few weeks ago.

Long story short, the people in the middle of the country were the only ones left stupid and gullible enough to fall for Donald Trump. People like us not only knew Donald Trump in particular to be a ridiculous conman, but in general can handle a blatant conman like Trump better than the average American.

I think it's a shame Stewart quit The Daily Show right before this election cycle because it was pretty clear that most of the media had no idea how to cover Trump. Stewart, as a fellow New Yorker with a platform, was exactly the right person to loudly call bullshit on Trump. (Not that it would have necessarily turned the tide, but it would have been amazing.)