The (Worcester) Telegram & Gazette (Mass.), June 26:

The shock of Britain’s decision to exit the European Union shows just how out of touch the so-called “elites” and “experts” really are – not just those heading up the EU, but in Britain itself, in the failure of their dire warnings to prevent the vote to leave the union.

And while imperfect comparisons are being made to the populist uprising here – the younger vote in Britain was strongly in favor of the status quo, a sentiment that Hillary Clinton only wishes she could have – it’s clear that on both sides of the Atlantic a more traditional electorate is angry over economic stagnation and the sense of a rigged system unresponsive to their needs.

The experts and elites, used to calling the shots, had the rug pulled out from under them in Thursday’s vote. In the uncertainty that gripped the global economy, stock markets around the world took a dive. It gave them a taste of the uncertainty and even fear experienced in the heartland, in the rust belts and among the economically squeezed who feel left behind by the promises of a globalized economy and shells of vanished industries….

In the U.S, elites, so used to getting their way that dynastic families vie for leadership, lost control this year on the Republican side and nearly lost control on the Democratic side. The fallout will play out for years. Britain’s insurgent voters, 52 percent to 48 percent, brought fresh appraisals of Donald Trump’s candidacy just as his campaign seemed mired in problems. Once again, the sudden “What does this mean?” discussion reveals how out of touch the so-called experts are this year

The Brexit vote hasn’t changed what’s happened here except bring increased attention to Mr. Trump, who naturally sees a connection to his own presumptive nomination….

The Obama administration, which comfortably plays in the globalized economy – see the Trans-Pacific Partnership, opposed by Ms. Clinton and Mr. Trump – lost sight of the fact that war and terror and its impact are globalized as well. The repercussions will redound with Britain, the EU, around the globe and in the presidential run.