In 2016, ten noteworthy patriots found a way to jump-start the reconstruction of a nation ravaged by tribalism and socialist policies and about to sink, having drifted away from its Christian moorings.  The following deserve recognition for paving a restorative path through a quagmire of left-leaning crazies and waves of anti-Americanism.

1. Campaign manager Corey Lewandowski set the wheels in motion...

Lewandowski, Trump's original campaign manager, helped Trump polish his political brand among a field of 17 Republican presidential hopefuls by highlighting intentionally ineffectual, despicable, and laughably lame federal efforts to uphold America's sovereignty.  Trump skillfully described how turning a blind eye to illegal immigration borders on treason in a world where U.S. military servicemen and women are actively deployed.  Lewandowski went on to famously quip that his campaign theory was to "Let Trump be Trump."  RNC chairman and future chief of staff Reince Priebus finally came around to this strategy once the public began to warm to Trump's humor and pithy one-offs.

2. Poster boy for Brexit Nigel Farage lightened conservatives' load...

Alongside Trump's endless humor and Diamond & Silk's hilarious admonitions to the left, British politician Nigel Farage reminded the deplorables in America that it was the socialists of the world who were killing, literally, human freedom, pursuit of happiness, and private property rights.  Farage's eloquent rhetoric served to reconfirm that John Q. Public had it right, not the global leftists.

3. Milo Yiannopoulos captured the imagination of college students...

Arguably President-Elect Donald Trump's biggest cheerleader, yet another acerbic Englishman, Milo gave thousands of college students the courage to buck the liberal indoctrination spewed in classrooms and faculty assemblies nationwide.  Milo put "pride of country" and "individual thought" back on the menu for America's youngest voters.  The venerable Breitbart.com platform provided Milo a megaphone while also lending its top strategist, Steve Bannon, for a march on Washington, D.C. in 2017, promising to be unapologetic in their quest for American excellence. 

4. Eric Trump burst on the scene as the greatest new political talent of 2016...

Trump's third child, Eric, made a cutting figure as the articulate, down-to-earth, and refreshingly upfront supporter who trumpeted the Republican presidential candidate's case on all the notable news channels.  He fielded the slings and arrows from all the liberal pundits while providing a living poster child for Trump's ability to raise smart children, along with Ivanka; Donald, Jr.; and Tiffany.

5. TV host Lou Dobbs relentlessly attacked the slick political establishment...

Following the first FOX News circus of a debate in 2015 and its "war on women" theme, Lou Dobbs filled the television void with the likes of Sheriff Arapaio; future cabinet member KT McFarland; Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway; James O'Keefe of Project Veritas; Liberty University president Jerry Falwell, Jr.; Dr. Jeffress of the First Baptist Church in Dallas; Pastor Mark Brown; and Sheriff David Clarke.  All proved to effectively challenge the prevailing liberal orthodoxy, rioting anarchists, globalists, NeverTrumps, federal bureaucracy, and Speaker Paul Ryan's cartel.

6. Jeff Sessions led the Brain Trust of the anti-illegal immigration movement...

Future attorney general and current Alabama senator Jeff Sessions helped craft Trump's immigration plan.  The brilliant Steve Miller, now authoring the 2017 inaugural address, most recently spent seven years as a communications and speech adviser on Sessions's D.C. staff.  Both Sessions and Miller spoke at local political rallies.  In a year when illegal border crossings exceeded the 2015 Homeland Security numbers as early as June, no single issue deserved more ink and air time, presenting the ongoing and existential threat to America's security. 

7. Julian Assange outed the Democratic corruption racket for all to see...

Republicans would have been left out in the cold, continuing to argue until blue in the face at the deceptive left, had they not had veritable proof of the efforts to incite violence at opposition rallies, debate questions forwarded in advance to Hillary Clinton, and a large and generally disparaging criticism of conservatives and Christians.  In their own words, WikiLeaks hacked troves of emails from DNC operatives, which put to rest the lie that the Democrats occupy the moral high ground.  The blatant use of the secretary of state's office to curry favor on behalf of the Clinton Foundation was proven within a shadow of a doubt.  Assange, an Australian, along with Canadians Mark Steyn and Judi McLeod, highlighted the crumbling rule of law in the United States.

8. Judicial Watch's Tom Fitton tenaciously pursued Clinton's e-mail scandal...

Under Judicial Watch (J.W.) President Fitton's tremendous leadership, a Court of Appeals reversed a January 2016 decision, now requiring Secretary of State John Kerry to seek the attorney general's help to recover former secretary of state Hillary Clinton (HRC)'s emails.  In May 2015, J.W. filed a lawsuit after the State Department failed to initiate enforcement to recover HRC's and her aides' emails.  J.W.'s relentless pursuit of  information regarding HRC and her advisers' conduct of official business using a secret, unsecured email server and non-"state.gov" accounts broadened public awareness of this treasonous security breach and likely cover-up for pay-for-play schemes as credibly researched by Peter Schweizer and Ed Klein.

9. Matt Drudge pulled it all together...

Matt's signature Drudge Report became the undisputed headquarters for all worthy presidential race information.  Whether listening to massively influential radio talk show hosts Michael Savage, Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh, references to Drudge Report stories kept surfacing.  Surpassing more than 1.7 billion views in October 2016, the Drudge Report became the world's third most searched media publication by aggregating the interesting stories of the day.  The site went on to create its own news with online presidential debate polling following 12 Republican presidential primary debates, more than half of which occurred in 2016, alongside three presidential ones.      

10. President-Elect Donald J. Trump rolled out the red carpet for all Americans...

The ever flamboyant, over-the-top billionaire businessman Donald Trump risked it all to win the 2016 presidential race, highlighting absurd trade, immigration, and economic policies.  Promising to restore educational decisions to parents, repeal Obamacare, and champion every American's right to voice his opinion, he shattered the media's elitist view that they know best.  Trump refused to play the game career politicians have played over the past generation and thus, by himself, made the number one talking point of the GOP presidential campaign a genuine and obvious concern for American security.   

Happy new year, America!  MAGA in 2017!  Shiny, star-spangled red, white, and blue! 

Dr. Marguerite Creel is a professional public administrator who seeks to restore adherence to the rule of law and fiduciary responsibility in America's bureaucracy.