Every quadrennial cycle, a boutique in the affluent East Hampton neighborhood has a unique tradition. The Monogram Shop adorns drinkware with the monikers of the leading contenders from both political factions. Over the years, they have noticed a peculiar correlation; except for the anomaly in 2016, the most prized candidate tends to become the next head of state. While it may be intriguing to scrutinize cup purchases for forecasting purposes, giving it too much weight might be a somewhat frivolous exercise.
In the initial stages of the summer, it seemed as though the well-to-do residents were keen on amassing Trump-emblazoned cups at an unprecedented level, making the sales race rather lopsided. By July 21, Trump was utterly dominating Biden in merchandise sales, leading by a whopping 2,610 to 847, a margin that seemed far beyond recovery. It’s a well-known fact that East Hampton is home to an array of high net-worth individuals, and these financial nobilities tend to sway towards a leader whose policies lean towards fiscal deregulations and tax cuts.
However, a sensational sudden shift then began. Joe Biden, to the surprise of many, withdrew from the race, and Kamala Harris ascended as the de-facto nominee of the Democratic party. Instantaneously, the cup-sales leaderboard experienced a dramatic inversion. By July 27th, records showed that the boutique had swiftly rung up sales of 800 cups adorned with Harris’s name in quick succession, with a record 419 off the shelves in just a single day, dwarfing Trump’s meager 88.
On the final tally of that same day, Harris massively outdid Trump, with a staggering 126 to a mere 2. It was rather amusing that despite having a two-month head start during the peak season in the Hamptons, Trump had only managed to see 2,554 of his cups sold before Harris entered the fray. Reflecting on the cup count on election day, the Monogram Shop recorded an overpowering 14,376 Harris cups sold compared to Trump’s rather dismal 8,010.
The store’s proprietor, Smith, opined that the initial surge in Harris cup sales had much more to do with dismissal of Biden than acceptance of Harris. This interpretation, though biased, indicates that the shift in sales wasn’t particularly remarkable, but merely a reaction to Biden’s unexpected departure. Nonetheless, over the summer, Harris managed to make some headway, a feat that some cynical observers attribute more to her composure than genuine popularity.
The summer of 2020, however, painted a different story that gravitated away from the enthusiasm for cups bearing Harris’s moniker. In fact, the wealthiest part-time residents of the Hamptons opted mostly for Biden-branded cups, purchasing 5,207 compared to 1,863 Trump emblazoned ones. Again, it’s worth mentioning that the impression of popularity may emanate more from a disregard for Trump than affection for Biden.
The stakes grew higher yet less distinct close to election day. As the clock ticked, Trump seemed to narrow the gap, outselling Harris in terms of cups for a fleeting moment on Monday. But just as quickly, Harris rebounded by Tuesday, selling 44 cups to Trump’s abysmal zero, regaining some momentum as the suspense continued to climb.
In spite of this, it’s essential to note that even though Trump sensationally lost the election, he did manage to scrape up a win in Suffolk County, where East Hampton fittingly falls, albeit by a mere 232 votes. The stark contrast between the cup sales records and election results reminds us that it is a peculiar world where, much like the weather, fortunes can change at a moment’s notice and expectations can be swept off in the blink of an eye.
It would appear foolish to assign too much significance to cup sales as a true barometer of political leanings or election outcomes. Such a perspective might glean the kind of insights that make for interesting conversation at a dinner table, but it misses the complexities of electoral decisions. At the end of the day, the correlation between cups sold and election outcomes is merely a coincidence, not a trend.
The 2020 cup derby in East Hampton was undoubtedly a spectacle of sorts, but we should remember that popularity in souvenir sales does not necessarily translate to electoral victory. It is heartening to see that even in such a fractious political climate, a beloved local tradition could take center stage, albeit momentarily.
This summer, the association of cups with political allegiance in East Hampton was a curious sideshow, creating a buzz more closely related to retail trends rather than any significant political slant. And much like any spectacle, it requires one to step back and read between the lines before coming to any definitive conclusion.
Interestingly enough, the tale of East Hampton’s cups, while amusing, is a poignant reminder of how public opinion can be swayed, how data can be interpreted and twisted, and ultimately, how reality can defy expectation. The fact that Trump won the crucial Suffolk County, in spite of being overshadowed by Harris in the cups tally, is a testament to the unpredictability of the political landscape.
And in the final summation, it needs to be mentioned that the cup fiasco in East Hampton should serve as nothing more than a display of the town’s quirky tradition. It’s an amusing tale, a conversation starter, perhaps, but certainly not indicative of the broader societal attitudes or political outcome. It’s a small blip on the radar of the far more impactful narratives entwined with the presidential race.