“... What actually became of 2022? Why was it so? A whimper?”
Roe v. Wade was overturned. Women in general, suburban women in particular came out in droves to register their displeasure at having restrictions placed on their desire to kill babies.
There is that. Hard to realize that was that long ago. On a personal basis the last two years have flown but in political terms it has been a very long time.