Now that I’ve had some 30-odd hours to process Donald Trump’s victory, I no longer feel numb. That was my problem yesterday: I was in shock. The country was in shock. The world is in shock. I have no doubt that the next months and years are going to be brutal, difficult, infuriating, embarrassing, heinous and disastrous for our country, for our neighbors, for our friends, for our families and for ourselves. But since I actually am a positive person (I know, weird), I thought I would make a list of some of the “silver lining moments” I’ve had over the course of the past 24 hours.
We won’t have to hear about “the emails” ever again. I honestly don’t believe President Trump will prosecute Hillary Clinton for anything, despite the Deplorables’ continued chants of “lock her up.” HRC gets to go sit on a beach and drink mojitos and play with her grandkids and enjoy her retirement. She never has to email anyone ever again. And we, as a country, don’t have to hear about those fakakta emails ever again.
We don’t have to spend the next four years defending the Clintons’ marriage. We don’t have to hear about Bill Clinton’s alleged affairs, we don’t have to watch as the Clintons’ marriage is weaponized and used against a President Hillary Clinton. I was not looking forward to that if she had been elected.
The economy isn’t crashing… yet. Many feared that there would be a Brexit-like crash of the American stock market following Trump’s win. It didn’t happen. I’m sure that the American stock market and economy is going to be more volatile than ever before in the months and years to come, but for now… we’re doing better than the doomsday-predictors claimed.
The Democrats don’t own this disaster. You could make the argument that if Dems had done this or that, maybe the outcome would have been different. Sure. But the truth is, uneducated white dudes came out in droves and supported Donald Trump and the Republican Party across the board. Trump is their guy. And the GOP has all the power… so now we get to see Donald Trump and the GOP establishment and the Tea Party destroy themselves from within. They don’t get to blame any of this on Clinton, Obama, Harry Reid or whomever. It’s on them. And when they f—k up, they’ll get the blame. Garrison Keiller makes a similar point in his new column – “let the uneducated have their day.” Because it will blow up in their faces.
A new generation learned a difficult lesson. That lesson? Don’t vote for a third-party candidate for president. Go ahead and argue that we need third parties, blah blah blah. Sure, and you should start that movement at the local level, the city level, the state level. But don’t throw away your vote for POTUS when it means electing an orange fascist. To all of the Gary Johnson and Jill Stein voters: I’m very disappointed in all of you. I hope you do better next time but I won’t hold my breath.
We already have a new generation of progressive/liberal leaders. Stop trying to make “who will lead the Democratic party now” happen. We have Elizabeth Warren, Patty Murray, Cory Booker, Sherrod Brown, Tim Kaine, Mark Warner and now Senators Kamala Harris and Tammy Duckworth. We have living saints like John Lewis and Elijah Cummings. Our bench is deep and our ideas are better. Considering the way Americans like their power divided, we’re likely to win back the House and Senate in 2018. And we’ll have even more bright, committed, progressive leaders.
A new era of progressive activism is upon us. There are already anti-Trump protesters in the streets. There are already feminist calls to action. There are already civil rights leaders pursuing a new agenda. There’s work to be done and the struggle continues.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I am still so sad. Grieving.
My goal is to not cry today….that is pretty much all I can hope for.
YES
Me too. I almost made it. Then I burst into tears over a bowl of pretzels after my second glass of wine.
Still crying and debating this place.
Also, it was not only blue collar white guys that voted for trump. There aren’t that many white guys in America that are blue collar.
Sadly white women, latinos, asians and a small percentage of black men voted for trump.
What really saddens me is all we democrats do is complain and let the same crap happen again.
Why haven’t we asked to change the voting system? We have been unhappy since the Al Gore Debacle.
Why don’t we get off the couch and vote in local elections? We hate a republican majority in congress
i sometimes really hate being a party of smart lazy people. So much is dependent on the fraction that cares and is active and it is not enough to move this train.
Yup, I am still not over Hillary losing.
You got that exactly right. I’m super frustrated with the party. And while for example the Election Day eve rally in philly was awesome, she already had us. I imagine it was to get folks pumped to vote but she had the city. She didn’t have the rest of pennsyltucky, as it were.
There have been bills filed to change the voting system. They die in committee.
yes, i am especially crying over the educated people that should know better
for the people that think it is just a difference of opinion and should be respected not a violation of the basic human rights of others
Glenn Greenwald wrote a good summation of the election titled: “Democrats, Trump and the Ongoing Lesson of Brexit”
Right. Good will and wistful hindsight won’t change the fact that the Republicans have the Dems by the nuts again. Say what you want about them but they are seasoned professionals that consistently play political chess while the Dems play political checkers. We HAVE to be more strategic and better about working within the divisive (and yes at times, unfair) political framework of this country.
We can’t keep getting blindsided like this.
Sixer made a great point yesterday about the veracity of early 21st century far right populism. As much as we don’t want to give in or worry about appeasing these people, the reality is that they are powerful and they are not going away.
On another subject, between my BF and a select group on Sanders-loving friends, I’m so frustrated with the Monday morning quarterbacking re: Sanders’s candidacy vs HRC’s. Frankly. I’m still not convinced he would have won based on the post-election voting maps. But regardless, it’s an exercise in futility. We need to move forward and start thinking strategically. Leave the idealism and the “what if’s” in 2016 and MOVE ON.
(can you tell I’m frustrated?)
Kitten – I really believe that. As things stand, I don’t think late 20th century liberalism can beat early 21st century far right populism. Not just in the US but in all the Western developed nations.
I don’t think this means we have to appease racists and misogynists, though. I think it means the progressive side has to find a new economic offer – I don’t know what that offer would be (not clever enough!) but it would probably involve regulation of banks, less worship at the altar of free trade deals, and less private corporation involvement in strengthened public services.
I think the offer the progressives have to make is this: yes, we can sort out your economic woes but understand the price of it – and the price is that our economic offer is for *everybody* and we give no quarter whatsoever to racism and misogyny.
YES. Suburban, college-educated white women overwhelmingly voted for Trump. It’s not all working-class, disaffected white guys, as much as that’s a story we’d like to tell ourselves.
Venus, half did not vote. Half who voted voted for trump. Remember many of those are likely older. My dear grandmother (republican but passed away before the GOP was this crazy) had a university degree that she never “used” even being born in the 20s. Any women born after the 20s are increasingly likely to technically “have a degree,” not sure how much college you need to be in that statistical category here. So if you fear that more than half of white women around you at work or school or your stay at home mom group, whatever, voted for trump you can probably rest assured. Correct me if this math is wrong
That is a point I think keeps getting lost, or forgotten, or whatever. Or maybe “uneducated” is being used incorrectly in place of the literal definition of “ignorant.” I work with many white men – VPs, CFOs, COOs, financial advisors, surgeons, various titles with sundry degrees and framed documents lining their walls. Nearly all voted Trump. They each had their specific personal reasons they were quick to rattle off to defend their choice with: financial, business, political, constitutional, etc. None were vulgar or crass or hate-filled. Not “rural” and definitely not uneducated. Actually, some notvevrn white or male. But they were what I would call almost willfully ignorant of the bigger picture.
I mostly just silently stare and let them talk themselves out because I had work to do and it’s above my freaking pay grade to argue politics with a client.
Black women were the ONLY ones who got it right – only 4% of them voted for Trump.
Also, HONKS for Tammy Duckworth, Kamala Harris and Ilhan Omar – and the other women elected into office!! A great silver lining in the midst of this shitpile.
Add me to the frustrated with the party crowd. We need change in our party. We need unity.
Fiorella, I don’t think that makes it much better, though. You would imagine that “older” women would want to elect the first female president and not vote for someone like Trump. My point is that out of the people who voted, suburban white women are partially to blame. We can’t pin this all on dumb rednecks, which seems to be the default reaction. Trump tapped into something that made a wide swath of the US voters overlook his evident personal failings — and Clinton was not able to overcome the widespread distrust and dislike of her. I think she was unaware of the extent of that, and that’s what harmed her campaign the most.
I voted for Clinton, but I work with a lot of (educated, white, middle-class) people who absolutely can’t stand her and saw this election as a no-win either way. And that antipathy has been discounted in the discussion around this.
RuddyZooKeeper, you summed it up perfectly. I’m a nurse and I work in a hospital in a metropolitan area and every single doctor that I know voted for Trump. My cousin and her husband, a judge and a partner at a large law firm, voted for Trump along with all of their friends. Uneducated is definitely the wrong word to throw around, but I don’t think it’s being used incorrectly because the assumption is constantly being made that only “low brow” people went out and voted for him. Just like the false idea that every person who voted for Trump is white or racist. That simply isn’t true. Clueless to the bigger picture? Hell yeah, 1000%. Dumb, uneducated, hateful, racist, etc? No, I genuinely don’t think so… at least not all of them. I asked everyone I knew who was openly voting for Trump why they were doing it, and every single one of them said that they wanted change and that they were unhappy with the way the past 8 years have gone. When I brought up how much was at stake, they all expressed that they felt like the only growth that has occurred in this country was socially, but that we’re stagnant in every other way and that they were willing to take that chance. Another sticking point that appealed to a lot of people I spoke to was that Trump apparently wants to put term limits on senators and representatives.
It has boggled my mind quite a bit to find out how many people I know supported by Trump. Quite a few of them are Latino and Latina and the children of immigrants–first generation Americans, some of which weren’t born here, all of which were first generation college graduates. For the Latinos that I know, the ones who admitted to supporting Trump felt very strongly about illegal immigration because they went through the process legally themselves and were bothered by others who don’t.
I did not vote for Trump and I am definitely worried about our future, though I’m trying my best to be optimistic. It is rough. There is so much violence and division in this country over this election, and it seems to be getting more hideously ugly by the day. I just watched a video of a group of young men beating up an old white guy in Chicago and yelling that they were doing it because he voted for Trump. People were shot last night for protesting Trump’s win. I’m scared for the future too, but we can’t continue like this. I’m hoping to whatever higher power there is that we can get some unity going, because things feel so damn bleak right now. The violence cannot continue.
If you look at the analysis of the votes it wasn’t just uneducated white males who voted for Trump. A lot of educated white males voted for Trump as well as white females. If only POC had voted then Dems would’ve won every state easily.
Also they say that if third party voters had voted for Trump or Clinton, Trump would’ve won by an even larger margin. So we should be thankful for them
And another thing, the DNC is too blame a bit. I truly believe if they hadn’t pushed Clinton so hard and hadn’t suppressed Sanders so much Sanders would’ve won in the primaries and he would’ve beat Clinton. He was the better candidate and would’ve connected to the American people a lot better.
Sixer, please run for office.
I live in a frighteningly red county within a blue state, and my best friend of 30 years voted for Trump. It breaks my heart. She is a highly educated white woman with three children but a bleak financial outlook. Her husband has a couple of semesters of community college under his belt but not a degree- yet he thinks he is only qualified for some high-level position in finance. It is baffling and sad.
Ruddyzookeeper- yes, I saw some of those in comments to a Chemical & Engineering News article about the consequences for chemists and such of the orange prez. They were howling about how “political” C&EN was being etc., obviously Orange was their man despite their Ph.D.’s. People who blather on about business, financial etc. to justify their vote for Orange Hitler are just operating with blinders firmly attached. They aren’t giving a single thought to how trashing ACA, Medicare, and Social Security will affect people without their gobs of money. Likewise for programs assisting people in need. Not their problem. Or the effect of more wars on us and our targets. Not their problem, they’re past draft age or can afford a bone spurs doctor to keep them out of it. They also must be deaf and not paying attention to the way KKK-endorsed Orange was talking all through the campaign, inspiring schoolyard bullies and adult racists everywhere. Again, not their problem. They also haven’t bothered to check into Orange’s horrible record in business. The guy uses bankruptcies and outlandish debt to keep afloat. American banks won’t go near him anymore. He has several thousand lawsuits against him and is infamous for stiffing his workers and contractors. How exactly is he going to be good for business, again?
These kinds of Trumpsters are just the usual “I’m doing fine so who cares about you” types that always plague us.
The article was actually just diplomatically pointing out that Orange doesn’t believe in climate change problems and so we’re on our own on pursuing solutions to that. The good news is that we already have enough momentum on that to probably do it without Orange help, industry is also on board. Also academic researchers should expect deep cuts in research funding (hello bake sales….) but the chemical industry will enjoy reduced regulation (the rest of us won’t enjoy that, hello more chemical spills and quality control and safety issues…). Regulatory activities in general will be the victim of Republican budget cuts. This is reminding me strongly of the Reagan years…. “Make America Unsafe Again”.
Here is one cheerful note that some here will enjoy:
“Meanwhile, in state elections, the outcome of several ballot initiatives will foster the legal marijuana industry that uses chemical products and employs chemists.”
My friends and family all over the world are grieving. I’ve been desperate for even a sliver of good news, and Celebitchy is a great place to go for the voice of reason. I just read an amazing article that, while terrifying, serves as a bucket of cold water to wake us up as to our best paths forward. http://billmoyers.com/story/farewell-america
See what you think.
56% of white women voted for this sexual predator. 26 % latinas I am ashamed on the blow up dolls that voted for this asshole
56% of white women voted for this sexual predator. 26 % latinas I am ashamed of the blow up dolls that voted for this asshole
I don’t understand why 3rd party voters are being blamed when 47% of eligible voters DIDN’T VOTE! And large number of them are young voters. You had the power and you blew your shot. Next time actually vote. I m incredibly sad he won, but sadder that that many people didn’t care enough to show up.
The Dems need to stop blaming everyone else and take some responsibility for the result.
+1000
47% of eligible voters aren’t even registered to vote. Then the portion of voters that are eligible only 56% of those voted.
I am horrible at math. but we are basically saying less than 25% of eligible voters voted.
I tend to agree with you but even if I didn’t, I don’t see the point of playing a blame game now. We were outsmarted, plain and simple. It was a myriad of factors, a perfect storm if you will, that allowed this to happen. There were failures on multiple levels and pointing to one or two causes is an oversimplification.
Plus I don’t think we should discourage anyone from voting, even if it’s third party. As you said, we are plagued by apathetic voters in this country.
This👆🏽👆🏽
The country chose a president based on 50% of eligible voters. Only 25% of the country got their candidate.
Dems didn’t scream loud enough about voter suppression. The GOP has been quietly dismantling the Democratic firewall since the Voters Rights Act was dropped in 2013.
I feel for HRC knowing for the rest of her life, more people wanted her to be president but valid election rigging altered the results in the opponents favor.
^^^^^THIS!
Kitten, I’m in love with you. Let’s shop for cat toys and smoke a joint together sometime!
I think Sixer nailed it. Multiple articles popping up that Bill was trying desperately to get HRC to focus on white working class voters and they couldn’t get her to do it. She didn’t go to Wisconsin once during the general. Not once. Those voters, while some are racists and misogynists, should be Democratic voters. They love entitlements. A lot of them are union people. They feel abandoned with the focus on minorities and immigrants. HRC didn’t tap into it. She stayed with the “east coast” liberalism thinking and middle America just tunes it out.
Kitten, I respectfully disagree with you on the “outsmarted” thing. The bottom line of it is traditional Dem voters, including young voters, African Americans and yes, upper-middle class white voters, just stayed home. For all the talk of her superior ground game and all her satellite offices, she did not get Democratic voters out to vote. She was less than 2% of the vote away from a landslide electoral victory. She was unpalatable for so so many. And while a lot of it was personal, a big part of it is that she has been around for 30 years. People just don’t want another Clinton or another Bush. I do agree with you that there was a perfect storm effect and a lot of things go into it, but elections always always always comes down to turnout and HRC did not get Dem voters out.
Kate – tell me what a 21st century industrial policy could look like in the US, if it was conceived by the progressive side? I can imagine one for the UK but obviously don’t really know enough about the US. I’m kinda thinking – those old industrial jobs aren’t coming back, but what would a future *good* job look like outside of tech? I’m thinking climate change-related, perhaps? Clean energy? Infrastructure due to internal migration from coastal cities and desertification?
There have to be solutions available that would appeal to union people and don’t involve pandering to populism.
I don’t get the 3rd party blaming either. Hillary lost at least 5 states that voted Democratic last election. Those included Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. The Dems didn’t get the job done.
You’ve nailed it Sixer. That’s generally what it would look like in the US too. Unfortunately there is an intransigence of some working class people to adapt. You also have to add into it businesses unwilling to absorb additional costs by transitioning to things like clean energy. Plenty of work is there to be done, but we have a system overburdened by entitlements (which will only get worse) and an unwilling electorate to allow for increased government revenue. Serious discussions are needed to find reasonable solutions, but unfortunately our country did not elect a serious person. I know this very left-leaning site loves to demonize Paul Ryan, but that is one person who is at least trying to have these discussions. You may not like his opening salvos, but at least he’s trying to get people to focus on how to make these things work. So many others are simply unwilling to even talk about it.
@Kyrgios-
Yes, DWS and the DNC put their collective thumbs on the scale for HRC. During the primaries, BS was polling so far ahead of Trump, but DWS and HRC felt it was HRC’s time, polls be damned.
Fingers can be pointed in any direction, but the bottom line ( including the huge segment of those so disaffected/ disenchanted/apathetic that they couldn’t be bothered to vote) is that a plurality of people didn’t want her. They didn’t want her eight years ago, they don’t want her today. Don’t get me wrong, I voted for her- not because of her gender, but because I was concerned about Trump’s foreign policy and SC choices- but I’d have much preferred a progressive candidate. Sanders, Warren, Booker.
With the left populist protest, 2020 could easily be the progressive’s year. The primary reason DT won was because he co-opted Sander’s populist platform. Yes, sexists and racists love him- he played that hand to the hilt-, but also focused on economy/ jobs for the common man.
Kate – I agree. You have to get people to understand that tax isn’t always a bad thing but wasted tax IS always a bad thing. And that employers should take responsibility as well as individual employees because they might profit if they do. And that good public services don’t necessarily equal central planning like a Soviet system. But it’s hard to get people on both sides to hear you because their ears close up every time a trigger word comes up. And I agree that there is a kind of horseshoe effect which means left progressives and right libertarians can find common cause in a range of things.
You know, I have hope for you guys. I know you’ve elected an out-and-out pillock but for all the virtues and faults, you are one of the most innovative nations on Earth. And solutions are out there. They must be. You can find them.
I just don’t think the careful triangulations of the centre are going to save us. We need big, revolutionary, insurgent ideas.
@Kate Only about 10-12% of Wisconsin workers are in a union. I wouldn’t quite say that “a lot of them are union people”.
In Wisconsin job growth has been slow and so has income growth. They are towards the bottom of both compared to all other states. I live in CO now but lived in Wisconsin from birth until the age of 27 when I moved because I felt stuck. I couldn’t find another job in my field and the one I had I was only getting sometimes a 4 cent raise yearly, if at all, despite working there for 5 years and it being a large corporation that had plenty of money. In CO I found multiple job opportunities in the first few weeks and have tripled my income. My sister, who still lives in WI, is making the close to the same amount she was making 10 years ago despite working at 3 different places over those 10 years and trying hard to increase her income. She is so upset that she was crying on the phone to me because of it last week. It’s just stagnant and people are sick of it. There’s not a lot of opportunity.
Honestly it really surprised me that WI swung Republican this time. I do think HRC made a mistake not campaigning there harder. I also think people there are so sick of the stalled growth that they are willing to take a chance on Trump to shake things up because he doesn’t have a political background and, for better or worse, will do things differently than HRC would. I am devestated that he won but I can see why people in WI would be hopeful for change.
47%. I don’t want to hear a single PEEP from ANYONE about the effed up state of things now. I will punch anyone who sat this one out right in the diaphragm, and that is not hyperbole. They can gasp to regain their breath while they writhe and think about what they DIDN’T do.
This “commie liberal bitch” (a lovely adjective I was called by a childhood friend (I happily blocked) on FB yesterday morning) is coming out guns blazing.
Re: 20th century liberalism can’t beat 21st century far-right populism. I’m not so sure. (Maybe I’m feeling unusually optimistic.)
You can identify obvious factors that push populations into populism, such as the German right-wing backlash to sudden mass immigration and the French right-wing back-lash to terrorism. But I think there must also be protective factors. For example, Canada and Australia have some rising populism, but both appear to be somewhat protected from massive swings. So what’s protecting them?
It’s probably multi-faceted, but, here in Australia, the consensus seems to be that the largest protective factor is a healthy middle-class. Ours was sheltered from the economic consequences of the drop-off in manufacturing due to a mining boom. Canada is also a resource country, so I’m guessing they had something similar.
If it’s as simple as that, then you don’t have to appease the far-right with the specific things they’re calling for: lowered immigration, protectionist trade policies, banking regulation etc. They’re just voting for those things because they’re hoping they’ll work. It really doesn’t matter how you fix the economy (*read: shelter the middle-class), as long as you do it. I think 20th century liberalism can survive, and social progression can happen, we just have to make sure the middle class is doing okay.
Lucrezia – oh, I’m not saying leftism, progressivism, liberalism, call it what you will, is dead. Far from it. Actually, I think we agree – I’m saying I think the late 20 century version of it is dead. Principally because its economic plank collapsed in the financial crash of 2008. What I’m saying is that the left needs new economics, and does not need to appease the social reactionaries. Sort the economic offer and, while the social reactionaries might not disappear altogether, they will get back in their box. Because, let’s face it, this new right populism is a pig in a poke, isn’t it? It’s not going to make the working class or the middle class better off.
So I think we are saying the same thing?
We agree on everything except “new economics” and “sort the economic offer”. I have absolutely no idea what you mean by that. What exactly are the old economics that you’d be replacing? Does it even matter?
Looking at the left-wing parties in various countries, can you really say they’re following the same set of economic policies? The Labor party here in Oz flip-flops madly: sometimes they’re pro-trade, sometimes protectionist, it depends on the specific deal, whether they’re in Government or in Opposition, whether they had toast or cereal for breakfast. And beyond flip-flopping within a country, what works in one place wouldn’t necessarily work in another country. Resource economies and service economies and developing economies all react differently.
But if there isn’t a clear definition of what a progressive economic policy is, then how can it have failed in 2008, and how can it be improved?
In general, I think that party differences in economic policy are overblown. They’re played up a lot but (with a few exceptions) rarely have a major effect. For all the quibbling over tax rates and trade tariffs the actual effect of government policy on economics is minimal. Take the US manufacturing sector for example. Even aggressive trade tariffs wouldn’t prevent jobs moving to China when the difference in wages is so high. It takes 5 days and 325 sets of hands to make an ipad. Manufactured in the US, the wage cost would be what $800? And $100 in China? You can’t tariff your way out of that problem. So I don’t think the collapse of the manufacturing sector was a failing of the left (or the right), just circumstance. But, as luck would have it, the incumbent president is a Democrat, so the Dems cop the lion’s share of the blame.
I don’t understand what new economics there could possibly be that would really fix that kind of problem. You can (and should) try to soften the landing for those most affected by that kind of crash, but I think the incumbent party would still be blamed and get voted out.
What I’m trying to say is that the economy created this election result, but I don’t think it’s fair to blame the progressive economic policies because nothing would’ve worked. It’s just cyclical politics. Left get in, something goes wrong for the middle-class, so Right get voted in until something goes wrong for the middle-class, then Left get in until something goes wrong, etc., etc. You can only stay in power as long as you ensure the working and middle-class is comfortable and content, but the government doesn’t control everything, so sometimes that’s just not going to be possible. Populism rears its ugly head when the left and right are too similar and have both failed the middle class in a short time-span. People reject the main options and look for something else.
Well I’m in Colorado and the monster oil companies are set to frack every biblical/Winnie the pooh/avatar/fairy nook and Nell. You know- the thing that shall not be named is an investor in The DAPl. So help me to spin his as a positive- I having a hard time today….
Me too. I took this really hard.
I just finished reading Art of the deal. Quick read, not intellectually challenging or clever. However I will say this: this guy is of his own mind and from what I read in that book,he doesn’t hide his contempt for the poor and the dirties, and has likely played the people who voted for him and I think the Republicans will have a harder time with him than the Dems. He’s not artful culturally, but he is a shark who took advantage of other people’s mistakes and sloppiness. He is too big picture to care about the little guy. He’s very gut and common sense, and he loves women: if they are beautiful. His father was a Democrat, his rise in 70s NYC real estate was through Democrats and believe me, he took governmental abatements and tax deferrals. I don’t doubt he’s a good negotiator, and as a person who voted for Clinton, he beat her bc she missed the working class. I don’t know what to expect for the next four years, but it looks like it’s going to be CRAZY, and I think ppl who voted for him will be disappointed unless they are a top figure in business.
I am sad on a level I couldn’t imagine before this…at least as far as politics and the nation goes. I hope I can find a positive way to channel my feelings.
What will happen when T campaign promises don’t materialize into the jobs they were promised. The day after the election 2,000 auto worker jobs were sent to Mexico.
Who will the angry white men T voters blame when the environment is destroyed for oil drilling and recreation areas are damaged by pollution. Read (drill baby drill) Palin may be considered for Secretary of the Interior.
Obama “the sun will rise in the morning.”
There are 1, 453 days (11 hours and 50 minutes and 33 seconds) left until the next presidential election in 2020 🙂
I’ve been sad since the DNC cheated Bernie out of the nomination. If they had not done that the story would have been far different.
And I respectfully disagree about the voters who elected trump, it was not simply low information voters, the vote was a giant groundswell of protest against the establishment. During the primary polls showed that Bernie would have beat him by 15 points but trump would beat Hillary. The DNC rigged the game in favour of her anyhow. This is borne out by wiki leaks emails. The DNC did it and they brought the party down.
I’m still grieving too, but reading your intro to this thread did make me feel some comfort, Kaiser. Bravo, beautifully done. Thanks.
+1
I still can’t believe it. The whole week is ruined.
The whole world is ruined, Trump is the worst thing that could happen right now.
I think some of the racist pricks that voted him in is going to realize he’s not going to do any of the racist shit he claimed he would do. He’s not going to build a wall, he said he will not put a ban on Muslims and he can’t just get rid of Obama Care, he needs at least 66 votes to do that. These were just his talking points to get elected. Now that he has his stance is changing.
I’m not even upset that a Republican is in the White House, I’m upset that it’s Trump. Had it even been Rubio I wouldn’t have been this pissed. Anyone but Trump and his smug ass kids and dumb as a box of rocks wife.
10 protests going on over a President elect. That’s saying something.
+1
…..
I agree, V4Real – after Obama winning 2 terms, I expected the next POTUS to be a Republican. And I would have been disappointed, but it’s the way it usually goes. Then we saw that…group of candidates, and ended up with Trump? I’m sickened. He is the worst possible option.
@Denisemich, then we are in complete agreement. I didn’t say he wasn’t a misogynist, I believe he will always be that. I spoke about his racist antics to get votes and how now he has changed some of his views.
Remember when he was a Democrat?
V4Real – exactly! I do remember when he was a Democrat. How can a man flipflop so much? Is he still secretly a Democrat? Has he been saying all this stupid racist sexist shit to get elected? Why is he toning it back now?
Also, what’s happening with the woman he raped as a teenager??? I heard the case was dropped? Like wtf!!! I wonder who got to her and threatened her.
@V4Real, @littlestar-
This is what I cling to to get through each day at this point. He was a Dem- -pro-choice and pro -gun control– long before he as an independent, before his recent ( and, oh so convenient ) conversion to republicanism, and I want to believe that the whole campaign was basically a reality/popularity contest; that he will revert to more reasonable positions. I have hope for this now because his acceptance speech was surprisingly gracious and conciliatory ( relative to campaign persona). His need to be liked and admired is so great, that he could see his office as a chance to leave a benevolent legacy.
I’ve long thought that his desire for the office was a way to destroy the Repub party from the inside. He used to be chummy with the Clintons.
At least that’s what i tell myself now. Or maybe we are all f**ked.
“and dumb as a box of rocks wife”
Not that it matters, but I’ve actually met his wife. She is anything but dumb. (And I don’t mean it in the “smart-to-marry-a-rich-man” way.) In person, she is quite intelligent, serious, and polite.
But, like I said, it doesn’t matter. It’s just that I don’t like unwarranted ad hominem.
This week is only the beginning!!
The next 4 years are going to be horrible and I’m not gonna lie – I think something badly will happen.
I feel you, and I agree. Everyone is trying to find this elusive silver lining to the upcoming horrible Orangatang administration, but I think Trump and Co. will be straight up terrible for us all.
Me too. I am still in shock and not processing this. I couldn’t even watch the news yesterday because I don’t want to look at Trump’s face. I am afraid he is going to start a war, let alone what he will do to our democracy. Is this really what America wants?
I don’t know. I am glad to have this place and you guys to come to though. Not sure if that counts as a silver lining but thats all I got. 🙁
Me too. I refuse to watch the news because I don’t want to see and hear him. I’ll never listen to one of his speeches.
Yes, expect a very rough ride. Trump is lazy and not interested in learning new things (or not able, his attention span is so short). I expect that when he is not working to loot the Treasury to fill his own pockets, he will just sign whatever the Republicans put in front of him. So look at the Congressional Republicans to guess what horrors are really in store….
But Trump will most likely have to be the one to meet with other heads of state. That should be interesting. He couldn’t even have a civil debate on limited issues. How is he going to handle the international scene? Who will he irreparably offend next? Pence is a lightweight also although it’s not as obvious until you get some sad experience with him.
i didnt understand people yesterday posting about the economy going down. of course in the first few hours you will see people making adjustments because they bet on Clinton winning but now its going up. why wouldnt it? its not comparable to Brexit at all. Trump is very big business friendly (specifically concerning climate change), Brexit could lead to companies being severly restricted.
TBH after the Brexit vote the UK economy didn’t react as badly as the naysayers said it would -yes it was jumpy and still is but the Bank of England was prepared for it and took quick and decisive action. I wish Mark Carney could stay as governor for ever.
The predictions were based on an almost immediate triggering of article 50. When it became clear that wasn’t happening, and that it never happening wasn’t totally ruled out, the market calmed a bit. Economists are still predicting if/when it does happen the market will plunge and stay there for many years.
The pound is still real weak though. I wasn’t alive the last time the exchange rate was so favorable for my countries currency. Suddenly I’m doing a lot of online shopping from UK based sites when just a few months ago it was prohibitively expensive.
I do regular work for a non-UK EU company which pays me in euros. Last month’s bill settlement was the one silver lining in the post-Brexit cloud for me…
… until they decide it’s too much of pain to use someone in Britland, of course.
Yes the pound is weak but its still strong against the dollar and its low value against the Euro won’t last but yes it will take years for it to regain the ground it lost. Everyone expects the pound to crash when article 50 is triggered but on the plus side the BoE now has breathing space to shore up and come up with strategies to combat the shock of that.
The real danger to the recover of the pound and UK economy is down to what kind of trade deal the gov can broker with the EU and how parliament behaves. There is already indications that Labour and the SNP may decide to block Article 50 as they want an early general election. The SNP in particular want an easy way into the EU if Scotland gets independence and Sturgeon is not above blackmailing either the EU or UK gov to get what she wants – she has already made it clear that she is not interested in gaining entry into the EU the proper way and wants a back door in as she thinks she’s a big fish in the paddling pool.
@Sixer, yes very true. I live in London and there are many many EU tourist around at the moment shopping etc.. so its doing something good for the economy as they have a lot of money to spend and spending it they are.
I guess i am being naive in trying to remain hopeful for the future.
The pound crashed and hasn’t really recovered. The knock-on effect, rising prices. has started. The + effect of increased exports resulting from the weak pound started, but has now stalled and growth has slowed.
It’s unclear what even the short-term effect is because Article 50 hasn’t gone through.
@Betti the pound is decidedly not strong against the US dollar. And Sturgeon is delusional if she thinks she can get Scotland into the EU any way other than from the back of the queue. http://moneyweek.com/prices-news-charts/gbpusd/
@Betti
It hasn’t happened yet and we’re going downhill already. I shudder at the thought of what will happen in March 2017 when they trigger art. 50.
Meanwhile, many prices went up, a few companies dealing with EU have already moved, as well as many EU citizens who could move.
The rate of rejection for permanent residency for EU citizens is now at 40%, which means more than one million people to boot out if Parliament does not approve a blanket protection for anyone who was here before June 23rd.
I think we are already mini-Trumpland. Carney is great but he cannot transform water in wine yet.
It will go down when he becomes president and he and Paul Ryan start implementing the same old Republican policies that have repeatedly crashed the economy.
This. Exactly this.
The republicans are going to drive America back into a ditch. Then a democrat is going to win the next election and the republican will try to blame everything on them. History will just keep repeating itself.
Yes, and they will have no one to blame but themselves, which is why 2020 will be a progressive’s election. The public will realize they have been duped and revolt.
I just about sh1t a brick when I consider the environmental and fiscal impact on what is sure to be a quick dismantling of regulations at the behest of their corporate overlords.
Brexit hasn’t happened yet. We don’t know what it means for the economy. Trump hasn’t happened yet. We don’t know what it will mean for the economy. Voting has not been translated into reality. Time will tell. Personally I’m not enthused by a pro business agenda that includes mass use of fossil fuels and drilling in wilderness areas.
Agree! We don’t know. He was caught lying all over the place plus that quote about GOP being the easiest idiots to manipulate. And he used to be a democrat. I thought CHANGE meant taking on big food maybe pharma too and Obama didn’t do That at all. I’m hoping for the best . I was feeling really sorry for HRC as I always do for the election loser but then I realized she’s pretty wealthy and can do almost anything that makes her happy.
Didn’t he have some ludicrous plan to haircut repayments on sovereign debt? Cos y’know. Nothing guaranteed to tank an economy more quickly than that. And bye bye to everybody’s pension fund to boot.
Yes. That is his plan.
I thought I remembered something like that. Can you even imagine? That a president wouldn’t only not defend the dollar as a reserve currency, he would actively endanger it? WTF?
The economy hasn’t done anything since Trump got in. The stock market is not the economy, just an indicator of companies perceived value. The stock market futures went crazy down and then the stock market went up, but honestly that has more to do with expectations than anything and it is rarely accurate. If it was we would be saying Madam President and Britain would be part of the EU and not formulating leaving. The economy will change when he puts in his policies of tax cuts for the rich and heavy military spending, not to mention his new deportation force. Say hello to inflation and high debt and my favorite debunked policy Republicans still think will work trickle down economics. Funny it has never trickled down enough for me.
I am so terrified. I am legitimately terrified.
Me too,Tiffany, me too. A friend of mine sent me this quote:
” Michael Kimmel quote: Privilege is invisible to those who have it. “
That quote is chillingly spot on :(.
I read a similar great quote a few weeks ago:
“When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”
My lovely white liberal (male) fiancé can’t understand my despair. He pretty much told me it wasn’t worth crying over. Now I’m a cryer anyway, but if this is nothing to cry over I don’t know what is. Let’s see…this election has results for The environment, civil rights for my gay, Latino, black, Muslim and Jewish friends (oh hey swastikas showing up in philly last night), women’s rights.
My (pro trump) family’s response is jobs and the economy. None of them are out of work or know folks out of work. Who knows what will happen with foreign relations (ugh sorry world) and I can’t wait to see what kind of deregulation happens on banks. Weee!
Hugs, Tiffany.
@I just can’t : I had a similar interaction with one of my white, liberal male friends, as I was crying, who tried to tell me (mansplain) the problem was the “we” didn’t engage in discourse – if we had attempted to rationally argue with Trump supporters instead of write them off as lunatics, we could have “educated” them. I wanted to dropkick him right then and there. As a woman, this felt personal – and I think that is why so many of us were crying yesterday, and still today.
My (white, formerly repubican) husband was curled up on the couch in the fetal position when I came home on Tuesday and has been in an emotional daze ever since. And he’s usually an emotional rock. The election is affecting people in surprising ways.
I’ve had 2 straight white males I know say similar things. Neither voted for him and hate him, but they don’t understand, and don’t see their rights being threatened. They aren’t bad guys by any means, they just aren’t looking beyond themselves as much as they should.
You know what pisses me off the most about the jobs/economy people?……. please tell me what his plan is to create more jobs?? I would love to hear it. I’ll wait…….
Clinton lost in counties where the economy is recovering and doing well and they STILL for him (I refuse to speak the evil’s name). Why???? I’ll wait….
Can the banks be that much more deregulated? I don’t even think that’s the biggest issue but I absolutely get what you’re saying. I’m definitely not a crier and I am not American but I had my moments yesterday.
I’m discovering that I have a hard time explaining to men what the big deal is. Granted, these are white men whose jobs are secure (because this is Germany, our economy is doing pretty great) and who have never heard us women talk about the sh*t women deal with every day. Because it’s just that, an everyday thing. We talked about it amongst ourselves but never with them. Right now I don’t remember why, it seems ludicrous. And now they look at us like we’re hysterical crybabies. Also, I don’t think even most well-educated people have a firm grasp of what is actually happening to our environment. Not really.
My BF is same. We had a heated argument the night of the election as I tearfully explained to him that he will never understand because he’s a white male. He told me I have an axe to grind and reminded me that he is a liberal feminist that fights for everything I fight for which…I get that, but it doesn’t change the fact that he cannot understand. Much like white people will never understand the struggle of minorities, men cannot understand the rejection and fear that we feel after seeing this minster get elected.
My white, moderate boyfriend is texting me hourly that he is depressed and just wants to drink himself into oblivion.
So is the rest of the world. And I disagree with my husband (we are Canadian) who is saying:
1. we really don’t know what he will do, because he has changed positions on everything. Actually we know what he’ll do – he’ll pass the non-sexy parts of the job to his cronies, regardless of qualifications, because they kissed his a**. So the likes of Christie and Palin and Giuliani and Pence will make policy – if that is not terrifying, I don’t know what is.
2. A president doesn’t have infinite power – no, IF the other branches of government rein him in. But now they are all Rep. Terrifying. Watch him rip apart everything he did not like and trying to settle every score, from limiting the freedoms of the press (after all, he has Putin as a model) to firing the judge who will oversee the Trump U case. And the things he can control already – like foreign policy, it’s like giving fire to a monkey. (no insult to monkeys).
3. Just because it doesn’t hurt us this second here in Canada doesn’t mean it won’t as he actually governs. One word: Hitler. The world watched him take power in Germany and thought “oh well, it doesn’t affect me”. Then they said “I’m not Jewish / Polish /Austrian / French – it doesn’t affect me”. We know how that turned out. What will it take – deportation lines, labor camps and invading neighbour countries? I have news Canada – we are next door!!
I have stopped crying now and I am just angry. And to those of you who know Trump supporters and are friends / relatives of theirs – I understand it is difficult to fight with loved ones over politics. But this is different. This isn’t about the % by which deficit grows, although that is important too. This is an attack on the most basic civil liberties, on human dignity. Look at the way he ran the campaign, with chants to jail his opponent, with his supporters attacking the press – THAT is who he, and his supporters are. If you choose to tolerate that behaviour, if you choose to not engage because you want to avoid the consequences of fighting or losing relationships – well, I hope you are ok with actually losing the basic rights they are attacking, everything from healthcare to the right of a woman to control her own reproductive rights, to the “law and order” that includes stop and frisk and all the rest of it.
I don’t know how much I can do as a Canadian – other than not coming to the US while he is in power. It feels terrible to be powerless while a would be dictator takes over the world’s largest military and one of the biggest economies; we can all recover from a recession… but he can do so much worse. I don’t see any silver lining. None.
Hey vauvert – I totally understand your points. Fellow Canadian here. There is a positive, perhaps, in that at least this will mobilize people. I for one know that if Trump starts enacting the policies he discussed on his campaign trail, I will be protesting in any and every way possible to ensure that nothing like history repeats itself. On North American soil for crying out loud.
I look at my poppy today and I think on Trump, and I am saddened in that I thought this was exactly what we, as North Americans, stood against.
The good news is – we do stand against it. People are protesting in droves. The time for complacency is through and we will NOT let history repeat itself.
@vauvert
One word: Hitler. The world watched him take power in Germany and thought “oh well, it doesn’t affect me”. Then they said “I’m not Jewish / Polish /Austrian / French – it doesn’t affect me”.
???
Hitler was an Austrian, so why should Austrian People back then afraid of being affected? He was not German, basic knowledge, and you would be surprised about his padegree…
Besides that, the election is the worst joke, and TrumP is right, you can do all when you are rich, at least in the US.
All these TrumPets will have a very cold awakening, bc he is not interested in them and will never succeed in “Making US big again” the opposite will happen…
He is the typical picture-perfect malign Narcissist.
Omg, I guffawed at the Daily Telegraph headline. Indeed.
I am also trying to be positive, most likely out of a strong sense of self preservation, and I agree with Kaiser’s points, especially the ones about the GOP destroying themselves from within and the new era of progressive activism having begun in earnest.
I may still build my bunker but I’m not ready to go live in it just yet, if only to show my kids that they still have a future ahead of them.
I think Donald Trump didn’t really want to be President. He looked shell shocked, not jubilant, to me. He severely underestimated the stupidity of white America. In my opinion, of course! Classic case of be careful what you ask for. You might actually get it.
To me, he looked very similar to Boris Johnson & Michael Gove the morning after the referendum. Two more self-serving egomaniacs who ended up with a result they neither wanted, expected nor planned for.
Good luck America & therefore good luck world.
He DID look shell-shocked.
It’s mainly scary but a little bit funny. Like maybe he had a YUGE plan for the TV show or network that articles had been mentioning. And he’s thinking of all the money he won’t make now that he’s roped in. Pence has no power right? Trump seems to not give an eff about him. Agree that IVanka may have some influence.
Interesting. Yeah, maybe he just wanted attention and to berate/belittle/mess with Obama after the Lion King birth video joke and now is slightly stunned to have won.
“Ivanka may have some influence”
Dear god. Ivanka. Trump. Influencing the future of the United States. I can’t…..I don’t……What is happening?
Shell-shocked? More like sleep-deprived I would think. I kept hearing that it was 2:00 a.m. Wednesday when he came out on stage, and having been up since early Tuesday, he was probably running on fumes at that point.
Sparrow, I was referring to yesterday, more than Tuesday night. And even Tuesday night one might think that adrenaline would have kicked in.
I’m honestly more afraid of Pence than Trump. Trump is a reactive, lying, asshat with the emotional maturity of a toddler. We know that – we can expect that.
Pence is a smoother operator, and full of an equal amount of hatred – and even worse – he knows enough about politics that he can work things the way they need to be worked for him to get his way.
I agree about Pence and, if what Kasich said is true, and there’s no reason to doubt him, Pence is the one that will running things as a shadow president. Trump is doing what he’s always done – Slap his “brand” on something.
I think you’re exactly right and that just makes my blood run cold.
Isn’t that exactly what trump said? That the vp would handle domestic and international polucy while he would concentrate on “making ‘Murica great again.”
This is fair enough though. VP having power is always a possibilty, and pence was presented well enough in advance for people to factor that in .palin turned a lot of people off in 08, pence did not for the demographic trump needed
Fiorella, I’d argue that a fair number of people, Tea Party types, who voted for Trump could barely stomach Trump but are salivating at the thought of Pence a heartbeat away from the Oval Office.
I have a feeling pence will be our president. Trump hasn’t been sworn in yet and it’s still a while until January. I have a feeling something will happen and pence will take over.
Is that how it works if say a president doesn’t get to the finish line, will the vice president then step in and get sworn in as president and then choose another vice president?
yes, Look at Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon’s administrations. VP steps in when the Pres is out.
No, if a president steps down before the election, it goes to the House to pick the president.
You mean the inauguration, right? He won’t step down before that. Pence wouldn’t let him.
It would just be easier to let Trump be a bombastic figurehead / shield. Then, Pence can work his agenda (whatever that is) pretty easily. That’s if Trump *lets* him, which I don’t really know. Paul Ryan is in the mix too, don’t forget.
It’ll be interesting to see how it shakes out, kind of in the same vein as watching disastrous car crash videos on Youtube. Except the car is our country.
I think the best we can hope for are advisors who are corporatists who, like Trump, just want to line their pockets. If he pics people like that, who will focus on economics instead of social issues, we may be ok socially. The others we are hearing about, Christie, Giuliani and their types are not ideologues. They are typical small government republicans. They will hopefully also prevent too much crazy. Looking for any straw to grasp.
Yes, that is why I’m hoping his upcoming court case regarding his “university” will have big consequences for him.
Just to correct Birdix: If Trump cannot take the office, either through legal reasons or by resignation, the office of the presidency will go to the VP elect. The rules of presidential succession are in play, albeit with the elected instead of in-office. This would mean if Trump cannot/does not take office, we would be stuck with Pence as president-elect.
I am not clear what happens with the VP-elect position at that point: I would imagine the new president-elect would then appoint his VP-elect instead of it defaulting to the Speaker of the House like it would for an in-office VP.
The House is only involved if there is a tie in Electoral College votes, which did not happen.
Yes! My husband is convinced someone will assassinate trump – I’m hearing calls for a race war against “the stupid whites” who voted him in so I think this scenario is very plausible. People are crazy pissed. But if it happens we’re stuck with Pence aka Dick Cheney jr
My idiot alt-right nephew (dark brown son of a highly educated south asian immigrant – for ironic context) says Trump picked Pence so liberals won’t assassinate him because they are more afraid of Pence than they are of Trump.
Maybe you are Spot on with that…
Trump the Puppet, and i would rather compare Pence to Hitler than Trump, T ist a simpleton.
Pence is like a crocodile just lurking beneath the surface of a pond. Just patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. He will be the one to watch out for in the Trump administration. It is the quiet ones who do the most damage
+1000
that is the Problem, but it is clear, with Trump came Pence and this is the real Problem…well the whole package is…
*House of Cards, look and learn*
Pence is truly awful, but I get the feeling that Trump doesn’t even like him. Hell, he tried to back out of having him as his VP. So I don’t know how much he will listen to him.
I have a feeling Guliani and Gingrich will be the ones who Trump will listen to the most. At least in the beginning.
Pence is going to be Cheney 2.0, but more focused on attacking women’s and LGBTQ rights.
I will be SHOCKED if Trump actually serves a full term. He’s Sarah Palin in a bad hairpiece – he likes the status and the attention and the sense of power, but doesn’t want to do the work. He’s either going to get impeached or quit or something. I don’t believe he’s ever wanted to do the job itself, and when things don’t go his way 100%, he’s going to want to bail.
I’ll be shocked if he serves a full term, too. Like Palin, his knowledge of what the job truly entails barely scratches the surface. Same as the people who came out of the woodwork to elect him.
The majority of my friends are despairing and despondent but I just can’t let myself go to such a dark place because I’m afraid I may never be able to climb out.
Frankly, I just don’t see him get up that early. Can you imagine a sleepy Donald in the Situation Room? He’ll be so annoyed, he might bomb someone just because it’s 6 a.m.
Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani in the cabinet is too much to think about. So is thinking about how he could stack the Supreme Court.
I’m beginning to think too, that he might not work his entire term. I know he’s not even in office yet, but this blowhard just doesn’t have the intelligence to do this job. And if the rumors are true about the equally awful people he’s thinking of for his staff and Cabinet members…..well – there no doubt will be some sort of implosion. Plus, think about all of Trump’s current legal problems!
Pence is no Cheney. He really isn’t that bright. He will be controlled by others. Maybe Ryan will be the real Prez?
I think he will likely resign within the first year or two.
Faithless Electors – we need them now more than ever.
Set up GoFundMe pages to help cover any fines or legal fees for faithless electors in WI, MI, and PA. That should cover it.
Pence *is* the one to worry more over. He is such a revolting snake.
I’m probably not the first to draw this comparison, but the Handmaids Tale anyone?
It wasn’t just uneducated white men who won this election for Trump. There were plenty of white women too.
Yep. And it wasn’t just uneducated people who voted for him. He won the majority of college educated white men and 45% of college educated white women.
How could they possibly think Trump (not to mention Pence) was the right choice given all we know? This is what my fellow college educated white women are asking each other. It defies all reason.
Well College education doesn’t come exclusive with intelligence!
Don’t blame the poor (uneducated) for the ignorance, misogyny, bigotry and racism, that would be quite ingnorant.
Alot of Woman (middle aged) have choosed Trump and with him, what is the worst Part, Pence a Womanhater at the finest.
Alot of College-Grads are flat out dumb like a box of rocks, that’s for education….
If you get a chance today, watch both Seth Meyers and Trevor Noah show’s last night. I though they both made excellent points.
As for me, the shock has worn off. I’m still very sad, but we can’t change things. However, this made me realize that I’ve been too quiet in my feelings. I used to think it was better to not engage and ruffle feathers of the people I know. Now I realize that this is a dangerous way of thinking. White people, we have to be vocal and confront racism and sexism. Your drunk uncle is going off on a racist tirade at Thanksgiving? Call that shit out. Your mom will get over it. And if she doesn’t, too bad because you did nothing wrong. Same goes to FB or any other social media. Stop being silent. Use your voice.
I’m there with you!
Same with me. I hate that Facebook gets so
Political (I avoid alll of that one there) but perhaps I’ve been to quiet among family. I convinced my parents to vote Clinton but they’ve always been malleable in their opinions. In general I don’t get into political debates with family because I don’t see the outcome being anything positive. Maybe that doesn’t matter.
There are some people that you cannot reason with. And I know every family dynamic is different. But for me, if there is a family gathering there and I know that these unreasonable, racist a-hole are going to be there, I will not go and I let everyone know why.
@jenns yea I hear yah. I wish I could do that. They a hide behind being fiscally responsible and pro states rights. So when I say things like what about women’s rights, gay rights, minoritieS, etc they kind of just look at you and say sure but not the governments responsibility.
It’s funny because as I type this I realize how ironic it is that they blame me for the being idealistic one. They just as much want something not realistic.
Jenns – 100% agree
Ha, that’s hilarious – I actually blocked a racist sexist uncle of mine yesterday on social media because he was absolutely disgusting. I was like, F this, I see you maybe once every couple of years. I don’t need your ignorance negatively affecting my life anymore. I don’t give a sh*t if your family anymore.
Yep. And half of them were college educated white women.
I knew some would secretly vote for him but I didn’t expect so many of them to.
Same. It was my gut feeling but I was really hoping to be proven wrong.
+1
The amount of college educated White women who voted for a racist, xenophobic, dumb and sexual assault-er was the thing that shocked me to my core. Many of them lied when polled about who they were voting for while secretly being Trump fans. No not all college educated White women are racist but it appears that at least 45% are.
In real life most of the racism I have experienced come from White women not White men. They are intimidated by me when they find out that I’m not the walking stereotype of the uneducated angry Black Woman they grew up watching on TV and I movies. To get along I often have to play dumb, passive, and dress like a plain Jane. I don’t get this feeling of superiority from other races of women.
My theory is *SOME* educated white women worked so hard to fight sexism from their counterpart White males that they need to feel superior to SOMEONE in return. It’s the pathology of American’s original sin of slavery and sexism. It set up a privileged hierarchy with white men first followed by White women then Black men with Black women at the bottom.
I just wish we would acknowledge these facts, have truthful open discussions on it and work towards awareness. I don’t mean attacking White women in general just realizing they have privilege over other women of color that they too enjoy and do not want to lose, just like white men. That is what Trump is selling and what they voted for.
I hope this post doesn’t come across as attacking my lovely open minded White Celebitchy peeps whom I don’t count as being in this category 🙂
Ugh. College-educated white women voting for the Orange Garbage Dumpster. Just Infuriating. Get your heads out of your asses, ladies. I’d say they deserve everything bad that’s coming, but why should the rest of us have to suffer because some people are dumb, selfish racists?
I don’t understand how any educated person could look at a trump rally and want to join that cohort of slavering, screaming vicious bigots.
Some educated women still just can’t stand to see other women succeed. They truly believe men are better leaders and deserve their power.
@gobo Thank you! I cannot believe I had to scroll this far to see a comment like this. Like it or not stupid racist white women are also to blame for this disaster. If you are going to believe the polling numbers for white men, then you need to look at everyone else and the numbers for white women voting for that trash box were high. No, not all white women are the same and they don’t represent the white women who write the articles or post comments on this site, but the responsibility needs to be put on the stupid white women as equally as the stupid white men.
We also need to look at the 46.9% of people who did not vote at all. That number is not acceptable to me as an adult. I don’t really know what should be done, though: get rid of the electoral college, change the voting day to weekends, make it so that you can vote online or by text, make it mandatory to vote if you are eligible, idk. But that number is entirely too high. Nothing will change if you choose to do nothing.
Also, I am slowly coming around to blaming the DNC for this. They had to learn the hard way that you never, ever take advantage of your audience. I have my own issues with the DNC (personally I feel that a lot of white democrats are not as racially sensitive as they think they are) but they represent what I want for this country more than the cowardly libertarians and the republicans ever will.
Lastly: Bernie would never have won, not ever. How anyone could believe that those Trump crowds would have ever listened to an admitted socialist and proud Jew is silly. These are the same crowds that cheer at such lovely comments like “Mexican rapists, Muslims are terrorists” and laugh when someone who is disabled is being mocked. Any Bernie bros and brodettes who thought he actually had a chance with those people are delusional gentrifying hipsters who are not as smart as they think they are. Same with voting for anti-vaxxer and sexist, Jill Stein.
As you can see, I am still in my feelings about this.
True, Bernie wouldn’t have won but Bloomberg said if it was a race against Bernie and Trump he would have joined the election as an independent. That would have given us a legitimate three party race. Now many dems would have supported Bloomberg but many republicans would have as well. It would have at least shaken up the system and I could have handled a Bloomberg presidency over what is happening now!
I think the 46.9% figure is just tragic. But I disagree that voting should be made easier………no way would I ever trust voting online or by text!!
This isn’t “Dancing with the Stars”. People need to care enough to haul their carcasses to the polls or to mail in a vote. The fact that they don’t speaks volumes about the mindset of a large population of Americans. These non-voters and the Trump supporters are living in a dream world: they spend their time either working or distracting themselves with entertainment. They aren’t paying any real attention to the world around them, and don’t feel that they can have any effect on what is happening politically or socially anyway. And that is what is truly sad to me.
Van Jones was right: it was a whitelash against a changing country. “A whitelash against eight years of a black President.”
Obviously, there are white folks that understand what was at stakes and what would be better for this country. But they were the minority…
@Patti
Bloomberg heavily supported stop and frisk while he was mayor of NY. I could not have voted for someone else who believes that it is ok to break someone’s constitutional right to exist because of trying to stop crime and terrorism (I am looking straight at Obama on that dig and I love and voted for him twice). Maybe Bloomberg has changed his mind about Stop and Frisk, but I doubt it. He would have been a better candidate than Trump as I believe that he is actually a self-made billionaire.
i do think you are right in your assessment though as you would have had the optics of what a successful business man looks like and then what Dump looks like next to him.
A couple of points the reality is he got more than the overtly racist sexist people who showed up at his rallies. The others are probably racist and sexist too, or incredibly uninformed, but they are definitely more subtle about it. Which to me is far worse- the hidden racism and sexism. Hard to counter what you don’t see.
Also, keep in mind Clinton won the popular vote, but because of the electoral college which was set up to promote small state rights and specifically protect slave owners she lost. With two elections in 16 years going where the popular vote winner loses the election, we need to change this system. It’s not an anomaly. This election is particularly bad as the end electoral college vote doesn’t come close to reflecting the true will of the people. Republicans think they have a mandate when more of the citizens of the US disagree with them. Talk about a rigged system Trump. although not rigged if we knew about it, but still not fair. Now with Republicans controlling everything and this benefiting them twice we really don’t have a great leg to stand on, but we do have one -California. As the largest state in population, by a lot, they are the most disenfranchised and under represented. We created this country because of taxation without representation, but what about taxation with underrepresentation? They need to try and make a path to secede from the Union, not civil war style, but through the process clarified by the Supreme Court in the 1800’s, a vote by California citizens, and ratification by 38 of the 50 states through a state convention or congress. Now this probably won’t work for secession, but after Trump who knows, it should bring up the injustice of the electoral college and cause this to change. Clinton won by almost 30 points in California, obviously Californians have a big divide with a lot of the nation. Still, no matter how many more people they brought out to vote it would have made no difference in the election. Thus they are often ignored. There is already a forum for this after Brexit, but I think other people in other states should encourage them. I do not wish to lose California from our Union, but honestly they would probably thrive without us, and if 38 of the Trump states were dumb enough to support it, at least some of us would have a place to live. Also as a state which provides more tax dollars than they receive back in federal services they have some bargaining power. Trump considers himself a deal maker well California come on make him make a deal so hopefully this won’t happen again.
I don’t think anyone thought Bernie would get any Republican die hards to vote for him, but he might have got more Democrats to come out, and Jill Stein and Gary Johnson wouldn’t have been relevant at all.
That was the issue here, the Democrats didn’t come out for Hillary, she got a pretty tepid turnout. It’s not like the Republican base came out in force either, Trump didn’t get huge numbers. If even a quarter of the Democrats who came out for Obama but not Hillary had voted she’d have had it in the bag, but they didn’t and it was clear early on that they wouldn’t.
Seconded. My mother passed away from cancer in October. She thoroughly despised Trump for many reasons and had been a Democrat since the early 1980s. She was thrilled when Reagan died because she was in college when he came into office and cut one of the programs that was paying for her college. She blamed him for having student loans. When my grandmother, who voted on one issue – who will ban abortions, passed away a year and half ago, she said she’d be joining Reagan in hell.
My poor father who is still grieving the recent loss of his wife is heartbroken at this election. He voted for HRC because she’d continue Obama’s policies, despite his personal dislike of her. He’s very grateful for the ACA, which made my mother’s cancer treatments more affordable. She was on the oral chemo pills during her second bout with cancer. Each two week cycle cost over $1500 without insurance. They just had to pay a $20 copay for specialty and custom prescriptions. They probably saved hundreds of thousands because of the ACA and his relatively decent insurance on her treatment.
She came from a Republican family. Her least favorite sister married a now ex-husband who had MS and passed it on to their kids as carriers and sufferers. Said sister blamed Obama for her son not getting disability. The son is lazy and has a crappy attitude, but is able to work. He’s not far enough along to be eligible for disability payments. The ACA really helped him get insurance at an affordable rate with his condition and that protection could be gone for him if the ACA is gutted. One of his sisters is a carrier and was diagnosed with MS in her mid 20s and the other is just a carrier. I’m miss my mother dearly but will especially miss her schadenfreude when doesn’t get a chance to remind her idiot sister that it’s her fault for voting for Trump when insurance rates become unaffordable for her kids. It could also be more difficult to get disability under Trump/Pence as well.
She was thrilled over th death of Ronald Reagan? I’m sorry but it was hard to keep reading after that
Imagine if Patti or Ron Jr Reagan this. Or said something similar about her.
Words are important. They mean something
Appreciate this post, Kaiser. I want to point to another rising star Democrat here in North Carolina: state senator Jeff Jackson, who won his race handily while most other Dems didn’t fare so well. He is one to watch. He is exceptionally hardworking, collaborative, and has a fresh, positive perspective.
…it is only 4 years…& if he goes too crazy you might see both houses unite against him…if he & his family start skimming it’ll go a long way to rehabilitating the Clintons…
Only four years. I said the same thing when GWB was appointed president. “Clinton has the country in good shape, he can’t wreck it in four years.” Needless to say, he did, and in less time.
A friend of mine, a lady with a legal education whose only son is half black, and her two beloved grandsons are also part black, was in the grocery store today, standing in line to check out, and the man in front of her was talking to the cashier. He said Trump was going to get rid of all the “n****rs, kikes and gooks”. And then he went out and got in his BMW. This was in a very upwardly mobile suburb. She was too stunned to respond, and it’s probably a good thing, since someone who speaks like that would probably have no qualms with hurting a woman.
But Clinton won the popular vote…it’s so frustrating to live in a non swing state, where I feel like my vote DOESN’T count, even if it was for a major party candidate!.
Also ladies, get your IUDs NOW if you’re considering one!
So crazy, the timing, I got mine last Friday… so easy and didn’t pay a dime, I was appreciative then but now I think my lucky stars aligned – a meh/random decision turned utterly important 4 days later
Yes it frustrates me that more people voted for Hillary. Let’s remember that. There is something to build there.
Please someone explain to me, why people are so ignorant and/or oblivious about HRC?
While I do understand that she is extremely ambitious, driven, hard working and does have many qualities you would wish for a presidential candidate, it is very clear that her politics are serving only a limited amount of people- corporate america, and that she certainly does not act in the best interest of the majority middle class, low income, non-white population of the country.
She is protecting, working and enabling the exact same system, that is bringing people down to their knees- endangering the general and economic security of future generations to come ? The worst thing is- it is all out there- and I am not referring to that ridiculous email server.
Because I enjoy the discourse on celebitchy so much, I would really like to understand as to why people here are so eager to shed tears and feel sorry for her? …blindly buying her image as the good and righteous (this actually makes me sick to my stomach.)
…just as much I’d like to think that the american people appropriately voted Trump as their president, to reflect their confidence in the political establishment. 🙂
What do you think the Republicans are doing then? You honestly think their fiscal policies are going to help middle class, low income, non-white people? You think Trump will?? He had no actual solutions for helping improve people’s lives – he just promised “the best jobs” – what does that mean? He’s just going to institute Paul Ryan’s fiscal policies which are the exact same thing that has been ruining the US for the past 35 years. So the “exact same system” you claim Hillary supports. Except now these people won’t even have a safety net to rely on when Trump’s “beautiful, best jobs” don’t materialize. But it won’t matter anyway cos the planet’s environment will be destroyed utterly by then. Thanks for that as well. At a truly pivotal moment for climate change, the US has elected a man who thinks it’s a Chinese hoax. Thanks for that. The entire world’s future destroyed by one petty narcissist and the pathetic people who supported him.
I’m still so angry and upset by this.
Sorry Bootsie- I should have been more clear, (now that it turns out quite some people have actually elected Trump) to me there is no question or discussion about how bad a joke it is that Trump was elected president for obvious reasons that would probably take as long as his term to list them all..blabla..but everyone seems to be agreeing about that..on here.
My question was and still is how fit a president HCR would have been, had she been elected I admire her ambition, but fear her ruthlessness the same,
I am not american so I am more familiar with her foreign policy, and to be honest, as a citizen of the world, I feel much safer with her not being president. All the while I have followed her career, there is no doubt that she is a very capable woman, perhaps because of that I hold her to higher standards than republicans or trump and still am really gutted about the damage that she has done undermining middle class americans with her dubious politics and involvement lobbying…
I agree with all of this except one thing…the DNC DOES need a change. Because they boggled a lot of this. Not Clinton herself but a lot of the BS they pulled during the primaries, not reaching out to key voting blocks, attempting to silence some of the biggest movements like BLM those are issues that the DNC made. And that got us an apathetic voting bloc because in all areas HRC underperformed compared to 2012. We lost PA NH was a deadlock and those are BLUE states. Something has to change. I love warren and others but the DNC is not the party it used to be.
But this is why I’m registered unaffiliated. I voted blue but this campaign did not grab me like Obama’s did.
Trump only cares about rich people and himself. He won’t help the underclass.
It’s sad that they think he will. They believed the lie and voted for him, and are about to be let down in a big way. Anyone thinking he will bring factory jobs back, while he’s happily made all of his own products overseas for year, is in for a rude awakening.
The people who voted for him will suffer the most.
The Clinton too very MUCH care about rich people (they got the support of Georges Soros, not to forget wall street, all the rich celebrities organizing dinners where each ones of them had to donate at leat 150000 $(!), Hillary had a meeting with the CEOs of Uber, facebook, Google and many of them as they all donate). Please do some research about the Clinton Foundation, as this foundation even paid entirely for Chelsea weddings…. (google Clinton Fondation the truth)
Only Bernie Sanders was truthful and honest and cared more about the US people, he would have been a great president.
laura, I hate to break it to you, but ALL politicians care about rich people and business leaders. That’s where their big money comes from, that’s who gets access, etc. Even Bernie, who does seem less beholden to them, still had big donations like that, including some of the companies you mentioned.
My point is that a lot of poor, out of work, underemployed people who have felt left behind by the economy and the government voted for Trump, thinking he would do what he promised and bring their jobs back. I can’t see it happening, and I think they’re going to be very disappointed.
Laura- what you said about the Clinton Foundation is simply not true. Watch out for your sources. Fox in particular is a very unreliable source. Trump likewise.
And look at Hillary’s lifelong record. It is simply wrong to say that she doesn’t care about people. She became the target of many years of smear campaigns precisely because she did care about people – it all started when she worked on health care reform back in the 1990s. Medical insurance is a very high profit industry. I suspect that was an extra motivating factor in this campaign also – the Republicans wanted to keep Hillary out of the White House because she would have protected the ACA and tried to fix its problems. The first thing Trump & Co. plan to do is to get rid of the ACA, as the insurance companies desperately want.
By the way, she and Bernie aren’t so far apart. They often cast similar votes in the Senate.
The rich and men play by different rules than you and me. In what world would a Hilary who had three different spouses have been elected? Or a Hilary who had been born rich as Donald?
I have no idea how trump ever managed to position himself as for the common man, except he had a skill for echoing their plights back to them in a skillful way.
The same way most Repubs position themselves for the common man – by lying and pandering.
My impression is not that he only cares about the rich, more that he cares about only his own ego. He knows rich people but how many came out as his close friends? I wasn’t paying close attention
The Bush presidency shook the nation into electing Obama and getting more progressive… so I hope that the future silver lining is this: an alt-right president and his inevitable civil rights violations will lead to our most progressive presidency and political era yet.
Yes, it was time for the pendulum to swing. It’s a bitter pill to swallow now…I hope you are right. I’d really like to think so. But it’ going to be a very long four years.
Yes, Ronald Reagan pushed a lot of people into activism against his policies. Trump will do the same. But Trump is a lot more dangerous than Reagan and the situation seems overwhelming. We each need to pick our issues carefully to avoid burnout, according to what issue we can handle best without going insane…
Just remember even just regularly sending postcards or calling the White House and Congress helps. So you don’t need to think it’s too much for you because of so much else happening in your life. Just do what you can when you can.
I’m still sick to my stomach and probably will be for the next 4 years, but I’m grabbing onto any silver lining I can. The democrats are shoring up their side with a lot of solid, potential candidates for 2020 and I’m hoping Trump (or Pence, who I think will actually be running the show) won’t do too much damage in the meantime.
The Democrats need to work on 2018. They need to help candidates who will fight in the House and Senate. By then the consequences of dismantling good programs should be clear.
Excellent article, Kaiser!
The standard of your articles on the campaign, election, and its aftermath has been very high Kaiser.
Thanks!
Kaiser — Not so fast on the emails. Guiliani is going to be AG. Guarantee he goes after HRC. That’s why Obama has to pardon her before her leaves office.
Kate – she hasn’t done anything to be pardoned for. Really.
Pence, Trump, Giuliani, Christie and Kellyanne – it can’t get worse.
there is talk of Sarah Palin for Secretary of Interior, so yes – it can get worse!
The next four years will be awful…
Wouldn’t that interrupt her busy schedule of reality shows and shooting wolves?
I actually don’t see Trump picking her, nor any of the advisors in his ear. I don’t think anyone in the GOP has much respect for her, or she would have remained a player.
Eh, she’ll quit part way through and blame everyone else for her incompetence.
Don’t forget Palin and Gingrich!
You left out evil toad Paul Ryan who was gleeful yesterday while expressing his plan to deprive millions of Americans access to health care.
Don’t forget Ben Carson
Yes because these Establishment dinosaurs represent the change that all of trump supporters claimed he would bring to the WH.
Exactly!!
i hope that the Republicans who voted and spoke out agains Trump and his crew will now continue to do so and not change their tunes, now that they are in power.
Doubtful though, politicians love their power.
And I find it so ironical that Trump was against Clinton being such part of the DC establishment…but what about his future cabinet members?
Don’t forget to add Ivanka to that list!
This is a waking nightmare…
We might as well add the boys in too. With their hunting endangered wildlife we might as well make one the Head of the EPA.
Not American but I totally understand your anger at protest voters/third party voters or non voters because I felt that way about Brexit. The other painful thing was explaining what was at stake to someone I know who was working class and uneducated after the vote. Her response was. “oh why didn’t you tell me this sooner.” The rage was real and she is lucky I took a deep breath and stuck a polite distant smile on my face. Why. Are. People. So. Stupid?
And the not-so-good: A leading climate change denier is heading the EPA transition, our first and so far only Black president has to be gracious to the thug whose main endorsement came from the KKK, CrookedGhouliani and CrookedForCristsSake and CrookedGrinchwich in the Cabinet, Massive Turd/Chief Lapdog Jeff Sessions in SCOTUS, Melania on cyberbullying(busting a gut right now), so much plastic in DC it’ll be dangerous to strike a match, daddy issues ivanka, endangered animal murdering eric and d,junior, right wing ideologues setting back policies a hundred years, the large orange stain in future history books, articles on whatshisname growing up in the WH.
But, mainly, a congenitally lying, tax cheating, business defrauding, Putin asskissing, draft dodging Commander in Chief flushing all that is good about America down his gold plated toilet.
WOW – this is a gold star comment! Love it!
Comments like these are so hard for me to read right now.
Because I agree with every word and I am so terrified but I’m trying SO. DAMN. HARD to move forward and stay positive. Yesterday was a day I will forever remember as one of the darkest day. That feeling of shock, overwhelming sadness, rejection, anger, resentment, betrayal….I felt it so deeply, like it was eating away at my insides.
Now I’m just trying to read about how we will deal with the next four years. It’s so hard to not be angry, to not look back, but we have to find a way, you guys, because we’re stuck with this mess, we cannot click “undo”.
Damn well said @SusanneToo
Susanne, totally agree with every word you said.
Yep and let’s not forget those gloating supporters.
I wonder how Obama feels because to me it also looks like most of the people are unhappy with what Obama did the last 8 years. Plus they seem to forget that Bush made it hard for Barack.
That’s something people do not see. It wasn’t Obama’s fault. After 8 years of Bush, Obama had no chance at all. How can people vote for the first black president and then make 20 steps back and vote for Trump? Do. Not. Understand.
Yes, I agree. Do one needs to always take 100 steps back once you make one forward? It’s insane.
Exactly.
The Republican controlled Congress REALLY made it hard for Barack to do what he wanted to do.
True.. so sad.
Yep Plus I have to blame people not coming out and voting for Progressive candidates in off-election years. President Obama did not get the support in the House and Senate that he needed to get his agenda passed.
And this why I do not buy we will have some big REVOLUTION in this country Clearly the prospect of a Trump Presidency and all the rights that are now in danger wasn’t enough for alot of folks to get off their asses and vote for Hillary Clinton. The downside threat wasn’t that big a deal for many of them.
People need to stop thinking they will vote only if enthusiastic for a candidate. Voting is a very mundane activity where often you are just trying to keep the worst one out of the office. Blaming the candidate for not “engaging” with the voters is like assuming we are all youngsters who need to be entertained in order to sneak some education into us. At some point, we have to grow up and realize the teacher can be boring as all get out but what we learn is up to us. Same with voting – I don’t care how boring the candidates are or how flashy, we have to look at them and ask who is most dangerous, who is most likely to steal the rug out from under us. Then vote for the other one, boring or not.
Maybe we need to add a required course in how to recognize flim-flammers and snake oil salesmen to the high school curriculum. What I find astonishing is that almost half the voters thought there was nothing wrong with Trump. He is so obviously a con man to me, as well as an unstable person. This is not about policy differences but rather suitability of a candidate for high office in general.
@Jwoolman I’m thinking one thing that could help is if we could shorten the election cycle.
Also don’t forget from Nevada Catherine Cortez Masto, the very first Latina senator and from California we have Kamala Harris an African American and Indian American senator. Two more ladies in the senate at least.
Ivanka will be his First Lady.
I don’t think I can watch any future speeches or addressing of issues, because he truely makes me ill. I just can’t with him and his awful family. Obama and Michelle were amazing at all public relations. Sad and uncertain times, not just for America but globally.
I can’t either. When Obama was sworn in we all stopped working to watch. I had anticipated doing the same with Hillary. Now, no thanks.
agreed. i will not be watching the inauguration, state of the union, etc. best for my mental health to stay far away.
I cant stand to look at him either, he makes my skin crawl, and to think we have to look and listen to him for (hopefully only) 4 years, is hard to take in.
I’m a Britisher and would love to agree that the Republicans will destruct from within but if they’re anything like the Tories here they’ll just spend the next x amount of years complaining about the mess they ‘inherited’ and it’s not their fault blah blah. It’s infuriating and our PM just answers ‘The British people have voted…’ before she answers any questions about Brexit. When actually it was almost half and half. So narrow. But that’s democrazy folks (- genuine typo which I’m leaving in place!)
I’m so sorry you’re going through this guys.
I’ve been thinking the same thing, we don’t have to hear people complaining or take the blame anymore, which is great.
I woke up at four this morning with such an empty feeling, the grieving type of feeling, just so empty. I couldn’t go back to sleep. I will be dragging the whole day from lack of sleep. The same the day before.
Thank you. Needed a bit of silver this morning.
Call me optimistic but I don’t think a Trump presidency will be quite as bad as his candidacy implied regarding the economy. My real fears (and they are major ones) with him are racial relations within the US and diplomacy with other countries. I hope he picks a good Secretary of State.
Dismantling Obamacare is huge. Hillary had plans to fix the problems. It was a Godsend for many people. My sister’s husband lost his job a couple of years ago and on their own were paying astronomical payments month for insurance. Her husband said before this he never understood what people were going through that didn’t receive medical insurance through their company. She has a pre-existing back condition, her
daughter a genetic condition. With Obamacare, there are no riders on those conditions, and the much lower monthly insurance payments saved their family. She’s terrified by what is going to happen.
Jayna, I read the Republicans already have a plan to dismantle it, only it was vetoed when it reached Obama. So, Trump can already leverage on a prepared plan.
I’m in Benefits and today we had several President Elect T potential actions. He talks about repealing ACA but guess what he’s going to leave a lot of it alone. So it will be all horrible Obama and disastrous ACA and then he is going to take many of the same provisions (age 26, pre-existing condition, state plans) but then brand it something else.
I could predict a massive defunding of higher ed across the nation if I look at what Pence did in Indiana. Plus, we can expect a blowing up of the national debt and/or cutting of social programs. Any vestiges of union power will be done away with. A trade war with China. And, when the economy worsen, a convenient group or another will be the scapegoat.
I can’t muster any optimism, even while I tell myself that I’m personally OK, and good thing I don’t have children. With Congress, White House, and the Supreme Court aligned, we’re long term f-cked.
Nuclear codes.
Sorry. But his ability to launch WWIII all by his wee self is absolutely the greatest danger he poses. #2 is his power to send troops and/or bombers anywhere he wants without Congressional approval (as though that would help now).
Then the list continues…. But we have the most chance to alter the effects of his domestic policies on other issues. If we have the will to do it. But #1 and #2 on the list can happen so fast (in minutes for #1), we can’t do much until most of the damage is done.
She changed the tone and pitch of her voice so she couldn’t be called “shrill” – she was still called shrill. She was stoic so that no one could say she was “too emotional” – people said they found her lack of emotion “unlikable”, as if being likable is somehow related to being able to do your job well.
The silver lining for me is that it is now crystal clear where we – women, people of color – stand. It’s not on equal ground in the eyes of many and that surprised me (hurt me, shocked me) greatly, but now I know. It’s very clear to me now. I now realize I need to fight much harder than I had been in the past to keep these issues moving forward, and I don’t plan on apologizing or being quiet about it along the way.
I cried so much yesterday and honestly said I’m really mad at the people who voted for Johnson and not Clinton.
Get mad at the 48% who couldn’t be bothered to put down their iPhone, remote control, beer, or chicken wings to actually vote. Not those who cared enough to vote.
Ps,,,,,.i read a poll that most Johnson voters would have chosen trump over Clinton if they were limited to those 2 choices, So then trump would have been elected by a larger margin and you couldn’t even declare righteously that she won the popular vote.
TRuth.
This. In the states where it mattered, some Johnson voters leaned towards Trump, but most only vote third party or not at all. The Johnson voters leaning towards Clinton were almost entirely in the states Clinton won anyway, so no help to her.
Stein may have possibly cost her 2 states (the Green Party has a base that comes out for it every election, a lot of people are acting like every Stein vote was a protest vote that could have gone to Hillary, but that’s not the case) but those 2 still wouldn’t have gotten her the electoral college. No matter how you slice it, third party candidates or no third party candidates, she just didn’t win the states she needed to win.
An orange reality TV star as president, the whole world laughs about us.
I would’t say the whole world. Putin rubs his hands, France as well. Pretty sure Turkey as well although Trump hates muslims but hey, I did laugh. Because sometimes laughing is way better than crying. What should I add more?
France doesn’t
yeah, and to think I thought having a senile movie star as Pres was bad………..at least he had a little government experience before he stepped into the White House!
I know. The bar is so low it’s virtually underground at this point, as someone (Andy Borowitz, I think) said not long ago.
While I appreciate your trying to put a positive spin on this, too many people won’t be able to recover and reap the future benefits. Killing Obamacare will kill people…literally. Gutting Social Security and Medicare will kill people…literally. Intolerance and racism will kill people…literally.
People will suffer. Some will die.
Well thank you very much, America. I know that a lot of people voted for Hillary but I honestly ask myself how people could have voted for this psychopath just because they didn’t like Hillary. Likable. Who cares if someone is likeable? The job is important. How can a woman vote for Trump? I also blame the media for Trump’s victory. People were constantly talking about Trump’s behaviour and a lot of people probably thought: Oh well, he has no chance at all, so I will sit down here, at home and I won’t even bother. I do not like Merkel, I didn’t like Brown or Sarcozy, I can’t stand Turkey’s political elite but no one is comparable to Trump. Oh wait, there was another guy called Bush jr. and yes, America voted for him, twice. Just a curious question: aren’t people educated enough over there or just blinde or desperate? No attack, just curious. Because this voting showed something very important: Anyone, just anyone can be voted for the POTUS it seems. No political knowledge, no tolerance, no normal speeches, no brain at all. I am shocked about the situation in the USA. Talking about human rights but being partly responsible for a lot of stuff happening in the world, still a huge gap between white and black people, unbelievable behavior of the police, no real health system. I honestly ask myself how Obama should have done anything better after 8 years of stupid Bush who destroyed a lot of the image of the USA. So next year La Pen or whatever her stupid name is, will be next. I won’t get kids. I always wanted kids. But after all the cruel things happening all around the world nowadays, I choose to be alone without kids because I ask myself: Should my kids live in a world full of hate and damage? No thanks.
To answer your question, no – our education system is a mess and the apathy runs high here. People just don’t care, they’d rather f*ck around on Instagram or whatnot. They view all this as “not their problem” which was reflected in the pathetic turnout for this major election.
The fact that this idiot got almost 50% of the vote tells you everything you need to know about the intelligence of our populace.
-an incredibly depressed white American who voted for Hillary
Not sure it’s going to help at all but over time you’ll get some feeling back and get tougher, I do think Brexit has numbed me to bad news a fair bit but it’s made me speak my mind a hell of a lot more!
I hope time helps and Trump f’s off as fast as possible with minimal damage *hugs again*
I totally agree, I’m UK too, the day after Brexit I knew Trump would win – I think Brexit helped him! But also I started watching about 85% less news and started caring less generally about all these awful things in the world which we’re constantly told we can change but we can’t.
This Trump news is awful but I’m numb to it. I hope i’m not so numb as to become disengaged with politics entirely but it’s hard. It just made me realise that the little people don’t get ahead and I’m running out of energy to fight. Money and stupidity are LETHAL combinations and will pretty much always win.
I still need to draw in inner strength to remain calm and polite at work. Several of my employees who are white, marginally educated and who receive government benefits to help raise their children voted for Trump. And the kicker is they all still have their jobs because their open-minded, understanding, liberal boss (ME) hasn’t fired their asses for tardiness, coding mistakes and excessive absences. My new supervisory manta is going to be ” what would Trump do?”
” what would Trump do?”
🙂
Fire their asses!
“What Would Trump Do” is perfect! I’m going to use this to excuse everything terrible I do from now on.
Also, speaking as someone in the UK, does the word ‘Trump’ have the same double meaning over there as it does here? Basically over here when you trump means you have farted. And sometimes if I’m very gassy I’ll say I’m on Trumpington High Street.
“…does the word ‘Trump’ have the same double meaning over there as it does here?”
No. Here it means POS with small hands.
“You’re fired!”
Bitter and twisted! I like it!
2016 is officially the worst year ever. I am thoroughly disgusted by this election.
I found the outcome of these elections shocking. I couldn’t believe so many people voted for this fascist, racist, misogynistic, abusive, lying piece of shit. France, Austria, the Netherlands, Hungary, etc. might all be governed by extremist parties in the next few years. And I am genuinely afraid at the prospect of this becoming a trend in Europe as well.
I worries me that the Democratic party actually rooted for Trump to be Clinton’s contender. It worries me that that they basically sabotaged Sanders’ campaign. It worries me that they could not support a different woman, equally qualified, but without the baggage Hillary brought (Elizabeth Warren comes to mind). The Democratic party seriously needs to reform. It needs to find solutions and really understand the working class. It’s not just the “people’s fault”.
And, Kaiser, seriously, stop blaming the people who voted for the third parties. How about blaming those who didn’t bother to vote, how about realizing that the 2 party system is corrupt and needs to change. Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party shouldn’t have even been in the position of depending on the votes of people who simply did not feel represented by her and what she stood for.
Nope. We can blame the people that voted third party. They had the power to change this election and they threw their vote away. Voting third party in this election was the same as not voting. There were enough third party votes that, had they gone to Hillary, we would be having a very different conversation right now.
We can also blame all the Democrats who didn’t come out to vote. It was lower than the last two elections. It could have made a huge difference in the swing states.
Could you please stop including France?
We have a 2 round election system so there is no way Marine Lepen would be elected
No to mention she does not come anywhere close to Trump’s craziness
That’s what everyone said about Trump as well. Nobody ever really gave him a chance at first.
I do hope the 2 round system keeps the National Front away! But you have to admit that the wave of intolerance and discrimination is getting bigger and bigger throughout Europe. It’s scary…
I hear you.
However, last time the FN reached the second round, they got 20% against 80% for Chirac
I agree, there is a rise of popularism in Europe, however we cannot compare (1) Trump with LePen, totally different league & (2) French voters have demonstrated in the past being a lot smarter & responsible than Americans. Just saying
I’m French by the way…
I agree that blaming third-party voters is dumb, at least in this election.
Jill Stein got like less than 1% of the vote in critical states such as Florida. Gary Johnson received a much larger percentage of voters, but most of his supporters aren’t traditional Democrats anyway. They would have likely voted for Trump over Clinton if given the choice. If third party candidates hadn’t run, Trump would have won by a larger margin.
The Democrats need to do some self-reflection. Stop blaming Stein, stop blaming “uneducated voters” who were left behind by the Democratic Party. If the Democrats want to win, they need to stop running neoliberals in bed with Wall Street and more candidates like Bernie Sanders who speak to the anger and populism that is occurring across the country.
For somebody who was allegedly “sabotaged”, Bernie sure got a lot of votes. Really, the DNC didn’t have that power. He joined the Dems to get a framework and potential funding, he ran in the primaries, he got a lot of votes, but Hillary got more. So she was the nominee. Bernie had a lot of influence on the platform, and I’m sure that was his original plan. Hillary had a better chance against Trump, the USA isn’t really ready for a Bernie (speaking as a Bernie fan from way back).
Nobody knew when the primaries began (and Hillary and Bernie had already decided to run) that Trump would end up as the Republican nominee. Good grief – there were enough Republicans running to field more than two basketball teams. Every state has its own primaries on its own schedule, occurring over a period of several months. You can request a Democratic or a Republican ballot, which shares space with local elections and referendums and such. Some states require that you be registered as that Party affiliation but others do not (you just have to pick only one). Hillary and Donald were the final opponents in the General Election because each one of them won the most votes in their primaries. It would be most unusual for either Party to discard the primary results and pick somebody else. If Bernie had more votes than Hillary, then he would have been the nominee.
The primaries are really hard to “rig” because the whole process is so decentralized. The local governments allow the Parties to piggy-back on the local ballot to operate the Primaries and every state has different rules.
Schedules and topics for debates in the primaries and the general election are typically decided by other people, not the political parties.
Thank you, reading this made me feel better!! We’ve got to dust ourselves off and start the work!
Someone help me out here, how is Trump (refuse to call him president-don’t care) going to prosecute Hillary when he hasn’t paid his taxes and has lawsuits against him? If the FBI has said there’s ‘nothing to see here’ on what basis would he move forward with this?
I just hope WaPo, NYT, NY, The Atlantic and all other reputable new organizations keep pursuing and reporting on his decades of thuggery. It needs to counterbalance the hagiography bs the right wingers and middle of the roaders will publish.
I’m sure they will!
Until he sues them. Until his supporters attack them. Look at Russia and their media, their reporters. How long before it happens in the US? I’m afraid we are about to find out.
Richard Nixon went after the Washington Post during Watergate, so it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see Trump or one of his men in black attack the press once things get rolling.
But all he has to do is blame “liberal media bias” and he’s off the hook. His supporters obviously don’t have the necessary critical thinking skills to see the truth – or they do and just don’t care – which is even worse.
You consider the same media that confidently predicted and counted on a HRC win to be reputable?
What hasn’t been discussed on these threads is the impact of a biased, insular, smug and self congratulatory media who has forgotten their role — to report all of the facts without opinion or bias.
They blew it, Arguably some people stayed home or voted 3rd party thinking HRC was a shoo in.
But she wasn’t, How did they get it so wrong?
Because they are biased, insular and smug. They think they are celebrities, They think they are news MAKERS not reporters
We may not have the first female president but I bet there’s never been a president who’s worn this much makeup before.
🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🗽🗽🗽🗽🗽🗽🗽🗽
a local spray tan place is using a pic of trump to advertise the kind of tans they DON’T give.
I’m a Jill Stein voter, and I’m offended by yor statement above. For me, Hilary was not viable as a president either. Different, but equally terrible (to me), reasons.
I do agree that the GOP can have their day, and then they truly can’t blame anyone else. It could create so much actual awareness among those folks.
I also believe firmly that the DNC destroyed the Democratic Party with their actions. It’s sad, and I grieve for the days it was a good party. But now, my hope is the DNC learned a lesson. We got Trump, unfortunately. But there is a point at which the people will stand, and that point was blatant corruption, rigging, media control. I’m proud of my fellow third party voters for making a stand. For so many years, we’ve had to choose between the lesser evil. No more.
I regret the pain so many are in today, however. Trump is vile, and I worry for myself and so many others.
But Hilary is just as vile, albeit in other ways.
I hope we can rise eventually! I believe we can.
I totally agree.
There have been third party candidates in every election going back 200 years. After every election cycle those who voted for them say the exact same things you just said here.
It is not a new phenomenon. It is not different this time.
I agree with you @Lydia. I’m not disappointed in anyone who voted third party at all. People did what they thought was right. It was a hard pill to swallow that the same candidate who was raked over the coals a year ago, Hillary, was our only option. If we crucified every third party voter until they picked the candidate that was preferable to the majority, there’d be no reason for a third party at all. I’m not one of those people who’s willing to bully any of you into submission. I encourage you to grow. Trump is awful but I won’t lay the blame at the feet of Stein and Johnson supporters. I can’t believe that there are people who’d look at someone in the center and try to veer them in their direction, and when the center doesn’t, get angry. That’s absolutely ridiculous.
This times 1000. I refuse to be shamed for voting for a third party candidate. My vote doesn’t belong to anyone but me. My vote never belonged to Clinton or Trump. I would NEVER have voted for either of those candidates.
And, I am in no way defending Donald Trump… however, ALL voters need to be valued. I am so sick of hearing about “uneducated white men”. All people have a right to vote… educated, uneducated, liberal, conservative… etc. If Hillary had won, it would be just as ridiculous for those “uneducated white med” to complain that educated liberal elites shouldn’t be voting or are in some way inferior. It is ridiculous. All people have value. All people should have their concerns addressed.
Everyone needs to move forward. Stop blaming.
You voted for Tofu Palin? What message was that supposed to send to anyone?
Exactly Lydia et al
Hillary supporters before the election : Trump needs to stop insulting women!
Hillary supporters after the election : The millions of women who voted for Trump are all stupid bimbos and / or racists
**********
Hillary supporters before the election : Trump needs to accept the election results!
HIllary supporters after the election: Trump is not my president.
Time to put on the big girl panties and deal with reality.
the word panties is super gross
@jess82. Seriously ? Is that before or after the election BTW?😜
Somebody needs to inform the retailers then. TArget. WAlmart, VS.
Rofl
Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. Donald Trump has NOT acknowledged that and he must do so if he cares anything at all about being president for all Americans; if he wants unity. He cannot just order us to obey him. Even George W. Bush acknowledged that the majority of Americans voted for Al Gore. He did so grudgingly but he did admit it. Not only has Trump not done so but Paul Ryan is proclaiming that Trump’s win gives him a mandate. It does not and the fact that Ryan believes so indicates that he has absolutely no intention of listening to anyone who is not Paul Ryan. He was positively gleeful yesterday in describing how he and Trump will take health care away from millions of Americans with a stroke of a pen in January.
I just got off the phone with a friend. She just had a double mastectomy. This is her second go-round with cancer. In fact, this cancer was caused by the treatment for the earlier cancer. She stayed in a bad marriage for years because if she left, she would have been denied health insurance on her own because of her pre-existing condition. When the ACA passed, they divorced and she purchased Obamacare through her state’s exchange. She is frantic. When Trump and Ryan abolish Obamacare, her insurance will cease to exist. (She called them yesterday and they confirmed this for her) She will not be able to purchase insurance on her own because the pre-existing condition discrimination will be back in place. Despite two go-rounds with cancer, she is not disabled and thus she is not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. She will not be able to afford her treatments out of pocket. Sorry, but I cannot feel “unity” or even basic human civility towards anyone for voted to do this to my friend and millions of others. And yes, a vote for Trump was a vote to hurt people.
So true.
Are there not legal resources to prevent the President to do such a thing? WTF is wrong with them to want to make citizens beg for medical care? They are the WORST.
Even though I sometimes fume because our health care is funded by the state (our taxes) and so many resources are taken by “medical tourists” from other countries, and illegal inmigrants, I will NEVER complain about this again. Because I clearly did not see the bigger picture, so TY lightpurple.
No. No legal recourse whatsoever. Some states have some local programs that will cover some but not all costs. Some hospitals have some programs that cover some but not all costs (ie part of the hospital bill but NOT the doctor or lab bill) A vote for Trump was a vote to kill innocent Americans. Sorry to put it so bluntly but I am being no more blunt than those who cast those vicious votes to hurt me (breast cancer survivor with resulting long term side effects to liver and bone) and millions of others all because nobody was listening to them whine.
I’m not american but this is scary. When I heard the news I felt hopeless for the world, hopeless and scared to my bones for the future that is unfolding right before our eyes.
Hatred is winning, not just in the USA, but all around the world.
Le Pen is next and she is so much scarier than Trump!
Yup. Extreme nationalism is going strong all around the world and that is f-cking scary!
If anyone else is interested…..
Subject: Take Action: Join the WFP to stand against Trump’s bigoted plan for America.
Friend,
I joined the WFP to stand against Trump’s bigoted plan for America.
We need to stick together and defend our allies, friends, and neighbors against the Trump Presidency. It’ll require hard work and a lot of organizing in our communities. If we want to build the seeds of a future that’s safe and secure for everyone, we need to rise up together now.
Can you join me and take the pledge? Click here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/join-the-wfp-to-stand-against-trumps-bigoted-plan-for-america?source=email&
Also…
From Facebook #NotMyPresident page
Join us on Inauguration Day to make our voices heard. We refuse to recognize Donald Trump as the President of the United States, and refuse to take orders from a government that puts bigots into power. We have to make it clear to the public that we did not choose this man for office and that we won’t stand for his ideologies.
On January 20th, 2017, join us at the U.S. Capitol Building to silently protest the swearing in of Donald Trump. Bring posters, t-shirts, anything with ” #NotMyPresident ” written on them. Make sure to invite as many people possible to this event, the more of us there are protesting, the better.
*** If you aren’t able to attend the inauguration, please use the hashtag ” #NotMyPresident ” on all forms of social media, and change your cover photo/profile picture to our cover photo in solidarity.
“We refuse to recognize Donald Trump as the President of the United States” –> this scares me.
He won. People might not like him but to not recognise him? A democratically elected Head of State? This is dangerous. And I come from a country who had to endure a dictatorship (not in my lifetime, but still) and the forced coup of a President.
I don’t think it’s “dangerous” for people to express their dissatisfaction with Trump’s presidency through peaceful protests or social media.
But on a personal level, I’m going to forge ahead. I’ll accept his presidency the best that I can.
What would you say if Hillary had won and trumps supporters ‘choose’ not to accept the democratic decision of the people?
They’re not merely expressing their dissatisfaction. They’re saying they do not recognise him as POTUS even though he won a democratic election. There is a difference.
A lot of good points in the article. Hopefully some of the current “elite” will clear out and other, more electable people will get the chance to step-up. Although the result saves us from the endless smears and sleaze that accompany the Clintons, I am sure the Trumps will bring their own drama. They have kept Melania well hidden during the campaign. I am curious as to why this was, as future first ladies are usually quite high-profile during election campaigns.
Regarding the election itself, it seems very unfair that someone can win the popular vote but lose the election because of the electoral college system. But I’m not American so maybe those from the US feel differently about it.
Going off on a tangent for a moment – I had to laugh at “Wee Jimmy Krankie” aka Nicola Sturgeon talking about respecting the wishes of the American people when she can’t respect the wishes of the people of Scotland and the UK with regards to the Independence referendum and Brexit.
Back to the US election, I do feel sorry for HRC. She has dedicated her life to politics and the desire to be the first female president so it must be a very bitter blow to lose to someone like Trump.
Please don’t disrespect Nicola Sturgeon by the Krankie analogy (for the benefit of non UK readers, it is popular for her detractors to say that Sturgeon looks like half of a pretty hokey old comedy act: she doesn’t). She leads the Scottish National Party. Their manifesto is independence. They are by far the largest party in Scotland. She is the First Minister. She is entitled to continue to campaign for independence. And please, Brexit…one of the arguments unionists used to frighten Scotland into staying in the UK was that an independent Scotland would be exiled from the EU, and how terrible that would be. And low and behold, despite a very significant remain vote majority in Scotland, they are going to be dragged out of the EU anyway. Irony. But that’s what happens when you let the next door neighbours make your decisions for you. I don’t always agree with Sturgeon but she is an admirable woman and astute politician. I do agree with your assessment of HRC.
I think it is because there may be some rather unfortunate skeletons in Melania’s closet. Beginning with her supposed educational background and her “degrees” and extending to her early “modeling” career.
No, you know what, screw you right back…because I was a Bernie supporter and didn’t feel comfortable voting for HRC, so no, I didn’t vote for either one of those two. I live in Indiana, HRC wasn’t going to happen for us anyway (thank you antiquated Electoral College)….however, who you really need to F- You to are the following: HRC’s campaign advisors who didn’t campaign Michigan and Ohio who thought they already had it in the bag AND those millenials who didn’t get off their butts and vote and the women and minorities who didn’t turn out for HRC like they did for Obama…not for those of us who turned and actually exercised our right to vote so a big F- You right back. I’m so sick of HRC supporters being jerks about this, rioting and carrying on. Yes, it sucks he won, I agree times 1 million, but let’s get on with life, be kind, make your own difference.
This comment made me laugh hard.
A big f*ck off! Don’t protest, you jerks! Oh yeah, let’s be kind.
At least Kaiser is being direct and not signing off with faux Kumbaya drivel.
well, ok, maybe for today I should have left the be kind off of there… That just makes me mad, I exercise my right to vote and yet I’m the problem. And yes, the HRC protestors are being ridiculous about this all, I mean c’mon!
“Be kind, but f*ck you!” should be on a t-shirt somewhere.
Love the phrase faux Kumbaya drivel btw.
My friend who will lose her health insurance in January in the middle of chemotherapy when Trump destroys the ACA lives in Indiana.
The ACA wasn’t going to be so affordable after January either way…not from everything I’ve been reading about it in the NY Times.
Mellie- the increase in premiums is a decision made by the insurance companies. The ACA is constructed so that the government subsidizes some of the premium, depending on our income. The ultimate idea is to keep costs for the insured down to 9% of income. If premiums go up, so do the subsidies. Well, until Trump.
I have been kind my whole life. And on Tuesday, millions voted to deprive me of health care (my employment based health care for which I pay premiums, no less). So what if I die right? I should just be kind to them until I’m gone even though they weren’t kind to me or millions of others. No. I’m done being kind.
Right there with you. I depend on the ACA for health insurance to keep fighting recurrent cervical cancer. Electing Trump as president feels like half the country signed my death warrant.
The biggest winner out of this is Alec Baldwin. He’s got four years of getting paid to parody Trump ahead of him.
Right??!! 🙂
Who’s going to play Melania?! I feel really bad for her. She didn’t sign to be a wife of a politician. Now she is, but she will probably. Be in the shadows of Ivanka. And can we be vapid for a second? ! There is no Gucci store at the white house. 😢
I’m sure Gucci will come to her. 😉
We can only hope for! What a downgrade in life style! She didn’t sign up for this!!!
She might decide to spend most of her time in NYC, if she keeps her son in school there. Truman’s wife didn’t like the Washington scene so she did that, staying mainly in Missouri. She can basically opt out of the FLOTUS thing. Possibly Trump will stay in his new hotel and commute. He doesn’t seem to like sleeping in strange places, he probably has a sleep disorder. He could make his hotel comfy and more like his NYC home. Plus he could probably wrangle money out of the government budget for it…. And of course charge for facilities for the Secret Service (he charged them to ride on his private plane with him).
I am very concerned about The Affordable Care Act, women’s rights, climate change and the supreme court. But, those thing would’ve been in danger regardless of who the republican winner was. My biggest fear with Trump is how he would deal with a national/international crisis.
I honestly believe he will just be a figurehead. There is NO WAY IN HELL that he has what it takes, or will even want to do all that comes with the presidency. He will delegate everything while probably making public appearances in places where he know people like him, or have to be nice to him, so they can stroke his fragile ego.
Because of this, I think a lot of republicans are going to try to get to him and push their own agenda, which could lead to internal conflict. At best, we home that they turn on each other and cause gridlock for the next two years.
Yeah, but he also ignores advise and does things off the handle without listening. I can see him delegating but also at times ignoring many of his advisors and making snap decisions.
I meant, ignores “advice.”
Those are my big concerns. Some of the other hot-button issues, not so much. I think he says a lot to pander and then will drop it. But he’s surrounded by science-deniers (and Pence is a young Earth creationist), his economic plan could hurt the most vulnerable, and we should all start praying daily for the health of Ginsberg and Breyer–at least replacing Scalia would only be an equal swap.
+10000 to the following: “don’t throw away your vote for POTUS when it means electing an orange fascist. To all of the Gary Johnson and Jill Stein voters: I’m very disappointed in all of you.” I could not agree more. I am having trouble remaining friends with those I know that voted for Jill Stein, even in non-swing states. It’s the attitude of “oh my vote doesn’t matter” and “I’m above the clintons” that got us here. Now we have four years of trump. UGH.
No necessarily, it’s a matter of people having the right to choose. While I did agree with HRC on many of her policies, I was truly disgusted by her email scandal, plus I am a pretty big Bernie supporter and she did him wrong! Many of us who voted for a different candidate don’t feel like we threw our vote away…unless you voted for the gorilla, now that was pretty crazy.
It’s likely that with the election of Trump, many people (women) will actually lose the right to choose. Control over their own bodies. It’s between you and your conscience how you feel about not voting for a pro choice candidate with a real chance of winning.
Don’t start with the guilt BS on the people that got out and voted, it’s wasted on commentary forums. Many of us who voted Independent are often the ones who organize or participate in grassroots associations, attend rallys and volunteer locally. Save it and make a difference with your state and local elected representatives and go from there. And write a big old check to Planned Parenthood, every year, not just this one!
And what exactly was so terrible about the email scandal? It was a big load of nothing. And now we have a sexual predator in the White House (among many, many other flaws). As a rape survivor I feel that like a physical blow.
And you voted for the Greens? So how do you feel about climate deniers running the Oval Office and heading up the EPA. Disgusting. Screw you right back.
100% agree
Or they just wanted to vote for the party they feel represents them.
I don’t understand the ire directed at Bernie or third party’s. So many people were so angry at Bernie for getting in Clinton’s way a bit by actually doing well with voters, but that’s how Democracy is supposed to work. People voting for what they want. If insiders just anoint two people and the voters have no other options, then what’s the point? Might as well have two royal families who take turns sitting on the throne.
I’m still angry, frustrated and sad, and I’m not even American, so I can’t begin to understand how all of you feel. *HUGS ALL AROUND*
I think the world has learned a lesson – education, universal access to it, should be a RIGHT and not a privilege.
Jayna, I read the Republicans already have a plan to dismantle it, only it was vetoed when it reached Obama. So, Trump can already leverage on a prepared plan.
WTF perfectly described my mood in the past 2 days. I think I will I will rewatch Veep. I need Selina Meyer to console me in the face of this orange disaster. I hope his policies will fuck over those voted for him, so next time Dems campaign, they only need to bring the slogan We fucking told you.
Watching the protests has lifted my gloom a little. Needed that. I move on forward blasting the song Soldier by Erykah Badu.
Yes suree!!!!!!!
Is it true that a very significant percentage of registered voters (I’ve heard over 40%) didn’t vote?
If so, WTAF.
Edit: Okay, sorry, just read the whole thread &, yes, 47%. In that case a hell of a lot of people can’t complain about having a laughing-stock, tiny-fisted, inarticulate, sexual predator as POTUS.
The other silver lining is that a Trump/Pence administration is likely to be one of the most corrupt in American history. Just look at Trump’s personal history – multiple bankruptcy filings, shady dealings with the mob, a nearly two decade stretch of not paying personal income taxes, rumored ties to hostile foreign governments, etc.
We’ve had some corrupt ones and were blessed with a clean Obama/Biden administration. The worst were probably Harding (Teapot Dome, selling off government surplus at reduced rates to cronies, having a mistress while in the White House), Grant (associates implicated in Gilded Age economic corruption), Reagan (Iran/Contra), Nixon (Watergate) and Bush/Cheney (Halliburton, the Iraq War II). We’ve also been fortunate to have administrations and individuals that are committed to clean and transparent government. Theodore Roosevelt was key in civil service reform, having ethical police departments, and starting regulation in the financial sector. FDR’s New Deal legislation established the basics of our modern financial regulations. Both Ford and Carter were committed to establishing ordinary citizens’ trust in the federal government after the abuses of the Nixon era.
So… how is a corrupt Trump administration a silver lining??? When the planet will go up in flames and we’re in a bunker somewhere hoping to preserve the human race, will it help to feel vindicated that the jerk and his cronies are what led to it?
An impeachment attempt is likely. Although the alternative is worse with The Handmaid’s Tale coming true under Pence.
So, I am cheering myself by imagining the reactions the Trump family will have on viewing the very lovely family living space at the White House. Donald will find it boring and not baronial enough with its lack of gilding and marble. Melania will be horrified at the size of the closets and make plans to turn a bedroom into her closet, that will still be too small. Barron will also find it small if the rumors of him having a whole floor to himself in NYC are true. He may not be thrilled to find his parents right down the hall. Will Trump and Melania share a bedroom; do they now? And finally, any secret plans Trump had to divorce Melania and begin the hunt for number four go into the dumpster!
I enjoyed that!
I predict that they will not live there. Donald will treat it as a weeknight hotel and the rest of the family will stay in NYC
Yes, I was thinking Donald is overdue for wife #4 and he must be ticked that it’s on hold for four years. Melania might not be too thrilled either.
Regarding the economy crashing… Give it time. It’s been a day. It’s going to happen, it’s just going to take several months for it to start. Trump said one of the first things he’s doing when he’s in office is throw out NAFTA. What does that mean for Canada and Mexico? That will GREATLY affect our purchasing power and our currency. Canada’s economy is already struggling. Are we really going to pay tariffs to export our goods to the States? Not likely – we’ll look for other nations to sell to. This could mean our natural resources that the US so desperately wants (OIL!) goes somewhere else. Trump also says he’s going to put in other protectionist policies. How many Americans are going to be okay with not being able to buy goods from other countries? Almost everything in N. America is made elsewhere – vehicles, clothes, electronics. If you can buy them, how expensive are they going to be now due to tariffs???
Which leads me to my next point and one I’ve been stewing over the last 12 hours… Trump says he’s going to bring back the manufacturing jobs. He’s not people. It’s not going to happen. It’s almost impossible to bring those jobs that went overseas back. The former rust belt states that were previously blue and went red thinking their jobs will come back… I feel badly for those people. They are going to be in a huge surprise the next few years when they realize those jobs are never coming back. And due to automation, there are soon to be less jobs than ever. So even if some of those manufacturing jobs DID come back, companies are going to use more and more automation to cut their labour costs.
Trumps “policies” and ideas are so backwards, it’s terrifying. I think what the US needs more than anything is a huge overhaul of its education system. THere is a reason so many people voted for Trump – critical thinking and the thirst for knowledge isn’t being taught in American schools :(.
Anyway, I’m rambling and probably not too coherent right now. Hope that makes sense above (not much sleep the last 2 nights). I just want to say, I don’t comment very much here anymore, but I have so enjoyed reading everyone’s comments during the election. When I need to read some sane, thoughtful comments, I come to CB.
You are coherent, rational, and correct
It’s exactly what I have been saying (Canadian here too). But my fear is actually that he will turn to the map and realize how close we are and how he can easily take the resources he needs by just annexing Canada. My husband thinks it’s an irrational fear but really?
Trump and his minions have no respect for the law – what they don’t like they plan to replace, tear apart and either do as they please or ignore those laws still on the books. Don’t want to pay taxes? Strangle the courts with lawsuits for years. Don’t like free press? Change the libel laws. Don’t want to provide the care to millions with pre-existing conditions? Tear up ACA and instead allow insurance companies to compete – because insurance companies are kind, generous companies who are panting to offer coverage to people who are ill, whose meds cost thousands a month. Bomb ISIS and take their oil – let’s hope he never realizes there is oil up north… we’d be screwed. Don’t like NATO? Just get rid of it… and so on and so forth. We know how his companies deal with trade unions – they fight them in court, because unions actually help provide wages and benefits and good working conditions.
Yes, he plans to cancel NAFTA, and the idiots who support him don’t understand that trade deals are what allows them to fill up their cart at Walmart and the dollar stores and Target. IF more companies manufactured their goods in America and actually paid a decent wage, those goods would cost a lot more to buy. You can’t have it both ways, but they don’t see that. All they heard was the chants and slogans, and their desire to control a woman’s uterus blinded them to the fact that he has no plan to fulfill any of the promises of his campaign – except the destructive ones. It’s a lot easier to take apart something than it is to build it.
Hey, the trumpster could send those gullible voters to China, Mexico or Indonesia to work in his factories making his crappy products for pennies on the dollar.
If president Trump is successful in the next 4 years he will take all the credit. If he fails, he will blame President Obama’s and Hillary’s previous policies. It is likely that he will be elected in 2020, historical trends are on his side. So we will have to put up with him for 8 years. So depressing.
At least New Hampshire’s ethically challenged Kelly Idiotte will be unemployed in January
I do not like Trump at all. But almost half of the country voted Trump, and not just “uneducated white people”. All kind of people did it: educated, uneducated, white, black, latino…
I still cannot believe the uneducated white people think Trump really represent them. Above all, Trump is a businessman and a millionaire, they don’t like poor uneducated people so to me the idea that they have bough his charade seems even more perplexing.
This people is not educated but is probably because they intentionally want to remain like that.
He refuses to put his holdings in a blind trust – no conflict if the spawn handle them, he says. Hustler in Chief.
With regard to HRC going away and not hearing about emails …. not so fast. Guiliani probably will be AG. Obama is going to need to pardon HRC before he leaves office; otherwise, Guliani is going to go after her. Guarantee it.
But how can you pardon someone who hasn’t been convicted of anything? Prospective immunity? I’m not sure it’s feasible.
You can–that’s what Ford did with Nixon. He had been investigation but Ford cut it short. Obama could make a preemptive pardon–especially for things investigated already (ie Benghazi and the emails) which would have to be what the GOP would go for. Along the lines of ‘for any alleged criminal acts or misconduct, committed while serving as Secretary of State’ or something like that. I hope he fires Comey on the way out as well.
On the ‘good news of the night’ front. Tammy Duckworth, a real hero and one smart lady, beat Mark Kirk. My home state of DE sent an African American woman to Congress (our one House seat). It was a pretty good night for female Senators–especially of color.
Reagan pardoned pretty much everyone who worked for him. So did Poppy Bush
You know, I can’t just shake the irony that the electoral college was established to prevent uneducated voters from usurping the election. Not that Trump voters are uneducated, but… you know…
Catching up on the late night talk shows from yesterday. Stephen Colbert is angry, bitter, snide, and voicing so much of how I feel… it’s kind of cathartic, really. Neil Degrasse Tyson rocks: “Make America Smart Again”
The women I know who voted for Trump are so staunchly Republican that they cannot vote for a Democrat under any circumstances. They are also the type of women who have a “men will be men” attitude so his horrific sexist behavior doesn’t seem out of the norm for them. These women seem to have a basic lack of self respect as women and have become desensitized to being disrespected as women. They just don’t get how wrong that is or that there is an alternative.
Some think men have a God given right to act they way they do. “It’s just how they are”. They are usually the ones to be the first and loudest critics of other women.
The Phyllis Schlafley effect – she travelled all over the country making beaucoups money telling women it was their destiny and duty to stay home being the “little woman” and defeating the ERA.
I apologize if this was already linked here but this was a powerful write-up that really put sh*t in perspective for me: https://medium.com/@courtneyparkerwest/on-woke-white-people-advertising-their-shock-that-racism-just-won-a-presidency-68286682047d#.ipfe1frzn
Just read the list of possible names that the Orange One will pick from for his cabinet. The irony that almost everyone on that list is a life-long politician and an “insider” & a good chunk of the ppl who voted for this troll wanted him because he’s “not an insider”. They are going to be the ppl actually running this country…not him! People are so gullible it’s insane! I’m still very upset but seeing this list made me laugh for the first time since Tuesday! These people won’t have anyone to blame but themselves.
I honestly cannot stop laughing. All day today, the thought of this idiot now being tasked with building his great Idiocracy–can you imagine THIS moron sitting through G7 summits? Can you imagine that smug smirk in paintings on the wall of the WH?–has had me breaking into laughter because it’s JUST SO BANAL!!!!
And cheer up everyone. It wasn’t just uneducated white voters. It was single-issue voters. It was evangelicals who vote on abortion ONLY. GOP-dominated government is an evangelical’s wet dream. And now they have it…with the one candidate who exposes the emptiness of their narrative of oppression and their willingness to compromise of every value to get what they want. The one candidate who makes such a joke out of the office that no one will ever mistake him as “God’s elect” or whatever blather evangelicals dream up about the Holy American Empire. Remember the “moral majority”? “Family values”? Nothing will energize activists, shove evangelical voters back to the margins where they belong and ultimately drive progress faster than this fool having his day. I see the death of the evangelical vote, which ultimately means the disintegration of the GOP.
I voted against Nixon in 1968 and getting to watch the nightly Watergate Perp Walks was one of the joys of that debacle and we didn’t even have social media then, had to wait for Cronkite. Good memories.
I remember watching Nixon’s resignation speech on tv. It was sponsored by Renuzit air freshener. Really!
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Great comment. I really appreciate you pointing out the absurdity and I hope eventually I can laugh along with you, friend.
Same here!!
Here we go. It’s starting.
http://thinkprogress.org/david-clarke-trump-protests-must-be-quelled-785a92cf6e60
Blaming third party voters does no good and really needs to stop. What we should be angered about is the 46% of registered voters who didn’t bother to vote. That’s a real issue in a democracy when so many of its citizens fail to show up and participate. It has enormous consequences for all of us. Especially when so many people are one issue and value voters who fail to see the big picture and lack empathy/sympathy for their fellow citizens. This country was founded on separation of church and state and I do wish religious right would stop trying to dictate to all of us how to live. They’re no better than the Taliban.
I agree! I’m so tired of people blaming third party voters. We’re not going to see any changes if we keep the same type of people in power.
Everyone is saying how we need to come together now, Republicans and Democrats, and make it work and yada yada yada…
I don’t want anything to do with these people, friends and family included, that voted for this monster. All this has done is shown me who I need to keep at arm’s length from now on.
I’m truly worried for my black and female and Muslim and gay and disabled, and Jewish friends.
I have one more reason to loathe my mother-in-law……….she, of course voted for Trump. She’s a 94 year old bigot, too.
Anyone who voted for Trump has lost my good opinion…forever. I will be civil to those I work with simply because I have to, but otherwise forget it. I understand, and can even respect, that liberals and conservatives hold different beliefs – but Trump, and his supporters, are a bright, shining exception to the need for tolerance. Their racism and misogyny are a threat to the very fabric of civilized society and that trumps (if you’ll pardon the expression) any need for those of us who disagree to tolerate their actions in the name of respecting “the will of the people”.
Here’s a change.org petition to get the electors in the electoral college to cast their ballot Dec 19 for Hillary instead of the Orange Monster Manbaby. Who knows if it will really work but almost 100,000 people have signed in the last couple of hours so it couldn’t hurt!
https://www.change.org/p/electoral-college-electors-electoral-college-make-hillary-clinton-president-on-december-19?recruiter=69969401&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=mob-xs-no_src-reason_msg
Thanks for this post. I’m cycling through numbness, anger, sadness, dread, panic so quickly I can barely concentrate! But this helps – I need to focus on the positive and what I can/must do now to protect the American ideals I love. Take action should be our mantra every day for the next four years!
This election hurts like no other…..on a deeply personal level. I thought our “better angels” would prevail. That America was better than this and while we don’t always agree on everything, the majority did have empathy and sympathy for one another. “There but for the grace of God, go I.” That the majority would understand the consequences of this election on those not like them or in their situation.
You have no idea how it feels to live in a country that treats/thinks of you as less than a 2nd class citizen, even though your ancestors were forcibly removed from their homeland, raped, abused, mistreated, and whose uncompensated labor helped build this country. To be looked at as if you have no rights to this nation even though your ancestral roots date back hundreds of years to the nation’s founding (and before many of their ancestors immigrated here). Where your forefathers had to fight and march for rights that are now enjoyed by all Americans (even those who look down upon you). To have your accomplishments & achievements questioned and minimized because, well you benefited from affirmative action and nothing is a result of your own actual hard work and effort, Affirmative action may open and get you through the door, but it doesn’t keep you there. That’s done only through hard work and effort.
I’d like to share a true story. When my husband (B.A., Harvard & J.D. Georgetown), went on an interview, the white male interviewer read his resume and told him directly, “My, with a resume like this, you should be white.” His resume could always get an interview, but after the interview it was rare he got a call back.
I never believed in my lifetime that I would ever see a black President. But I did live to see it. And I believe that I will live to see a female President someday. What those who voted for Trump fail to understand is that Obama opened the door and it will not be closed again…..no matter how hard they try or want it to. America is going forward, lurching and zigzagging, sometimes stepping back, but it’s going forward.
I have empathy for all my sisters and brothers who now feel the pain and know what the impacts will be upon their personal lives.
Great post.
Keep a keen eye on Kamala Harris, who will be a thorn in the GOP side. She’s from my state and if you are concerned about where you currently live, consider California. We do things a bit different here (61% HRC voters). We have the world’s 6th largest economy, we are open to immigrants of any stripe, we are inclusive of any sexual orientation, and have legalized pot. In addition, we are the world’s leaders on climate change and actually believe in science.
Come to Cali and forget your issues with Trump. If we get pushed enough from GOP principles we don’t agree with, there’s a growing movement here:
#calexit
Can you please bring Western Oregon with you? Say, we cut it north-to-south at Hood River and call it a deal?
@nopity nope
Of course!
Great idea! I’m in Eugene and would love to EXIT.
Not thinking San Andreas Fault in respect of #calexit are you?
Massachusetts prohibits discrimination against pre-existing medical conditions
This is shallow and mean but I’m still in a tender space and I need to release this and then be free of it.
I cannot stomach the idea of watching this man speak, publicly, behind the podium with the POTUS seal on it. I cannot. He makes me physically recoil. And I won’t even go into his voice. He repulses me.
State of the Union address with him, Ryan, and McConnell. Barforama
Agh! You just described some of my nightmares! My others include Giuliani as A.G., Gingrich as anything, Kellyanne Conway and her smirk. My husband and I have not watched any news at all since Tuesday night. We are still in mourning, still horrified at what this election revealed about our fellow countrymen. Netflix is our friend right now and for the foreseeable future.
You are not alone…. I find it healthier to wait for transcripts that I can quickly scan (and read only if I’m in a good enough mood).
I was feeling much better, but as soon as I go online or watch the news and see pictures of Donald Trump entering the White House my depression kicks in. This feels like a horrible nightmare ……
I plan to do what my father-in-law would do when GWB would appear on TV. *Change the channel.* Even the day before he passed, hospitalized and semi-lucid, he motioned at the TV when smug little Bush appeared.
I may occasionally read facts about his administration, but overall…Just change the channel.
If you look at the numbers, third parties did NOT have an effect on the OUTCOME of this election. In exit polls, they asked voters who they would’ve voted for if Stein/Johnson were not options. About 2/3 of Johnson voters said Trump, and 1/3 of Stein voters also said Trump. In total, third parties got 4% of the vote, Johnson got 3% and Stein got 1%, so if third parties didn’t exist, Trump would’ve just won by MORE.
There are some interesting below the line comments in the Guardian today.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2016/nov/10/donald-trump-barack-obama-white-house-us-election-live-updates#comment-87286401
One more silver lining: despite Trump’s anti-climate stance, we can use political pressure to force him to honor Obama’s Clean Coal Plan and our commitments made in the Paris Climate Accords. Call your senators and representatives and urge them to not go back on Obama’s most important legacy, y’all.
Unfortunately I think the Republicans are going to take pleasure in undoing as much of Obama’s legacy as possible. In fact DT promised to do exactly that. It’s also a good bet that Melania will have Michelle’s garden dug up and maybe a gilded fountain installed.☹️
The only American I feel genuine empathy with and sadness for at the moment is Michael Moore. He told you, in no uncertain terms, what was in your future, and you ignored him.
From this day forward, everyone should be paying attention and listening to him.
NEVER trump. EVER.
I do think he drew votes from a wider swath than uneducated, this or that. I reluctantly checked FB last night, and several previously politically quiet ‘friends’ revealed they felt his win was heavenly ordained.
Why? Because Supreme Court. Because’s he’s surrounding himself with people of one single faith. The people posting these thoughts were college-educated women, mostly in management or education jobs.
The problem is in the assumption that a college degree means that you are educated and informed. As somebody who works in the medical field with PhD and MDs, let me assure you that is a crock of shit.
I completely agree, and don’t understand why the media kept harping on the distinction of college educated/no college.
Common sense and critical thinking skills do not hinge upon college education.
Veronica, so many of the docs and nurses where I work have excellent critical thinking skills when it comes to medicine. And they understand how politics and economics work about as much as I understand about performing surgery. And these are the people who voted for Trump, though they couldn’t really tell me why, or what he really stood for, or anything of substance.
@ Christin: pollsters ask a bunch of demographic questions. The media report on those that are unusual/interesting. This year there’s the educated/non-educated split has been unusual.
Votes for Clinton/Trump:
White Male college graduates: 39% vs 54%
White Male non-graduates: 23% vs 72%
White Female college graduates: 51% vs 45%
White female non-college graduates 34% vs 62%
That says 54% of college educated men are ill-informed or selfish or idiots (whatever you want to call it). So it’s not surprising that you all know college-educated men who voted for Trump. But it ALSO means that college education was actually a more important predictor than gender. Which is particularly interesting and surprising because everyone thought Clinton would win the female vote.
I haven’t read through all the comments, so pardon my redundancy, if it’s already been stated:
Another silver lining: Hillary did win the popular vote, which is the people’s vote…and that means Trump’s hateful platform did not win….I’m clinging to this.
I haven’t made it through the comments, either, but I agree. At least this was not a landslide.
What people should be protesting, the electoral college. Instead of protesting clown face, protest the actual system that got him elected in the first place.
I’m Libertarian and even I didn’t toss out my vote on Gary Johnson. Not now. Not in this election. Not when the stakes were so high. And I’m registered to vote in New York, which was ALWAYS going to Clinton. I still didn’t take the chance.
Moscow had contact with trump team:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/moscow-had-contacts-with-trump-team-during-campaign-russian-diplomat-says/2016/11/10/28fb82fa-a73d-11e6-9bd6-184ab22d218e_story.html?tid=sm_tw#
Markov also said it would mean less American backing for “the terroristic junta in Ukraine”. He denied allegations of Russian interference in the election, but said “maybe we helped a bit with WikiLeaks.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/09/putin-applauds-trump-win-and-hails-new-era-of-positive-ties-with-us
The problem is that it will blow up in all of our faces, not just the uneducated. The only difference for the rest of us is that we saw it coming a little earlier.
There’s something seriously wrong with me. I am still dreaming about Hillary, the new POTUS. Did you know that the real election will take place next weak? I obviously need a therapist for the first time in my life.
Dems actually do own this… specifically bernie or busters that didn’t vote or voted third party. The white male vote was LESS than for romney in 2012. Hill’s loss was because DEMS didn’t come out to vote.
I live in Manhattan. I can’t tell you the shocking number of Trump supporters I know just in my office. I have also been told by my friends in the NYC suburbs of how many people they know voting for Trump. These are “smart” educated voters. This was not just uneducated white dudes voting for Trump. As much as I hate to say it, Trump hit a nerve with many people across the board. It also doesn’t help that Hilary was such a flawed candidate. As one of my friends explained, people dislike Trump, but they HATE Hilary. Now all we can do is hope he does right by the country.
To all the Americans on this website all of you have my sympathy! I don’t blame you guys for peacefully protesting against it. I can only hope this signals a new era of activism and unity amongst us all. I thought this was a joke at first. I still can’t believe Trump is in office despite his disgusting and alarming views.
I have been reading about the wave of racially motivated attacks and disturbing incidents on minorities since Trump’s victory. My heart goes out to my minority brothers and sisters who now have to bare the brunt of this election because some people feel brave enough to flaunt their racist, bigoted, xenophobic and sexist views.
We have had to deal with it over here in the after math of Brexit. It’s a frightening time to be a minority. No one should feel like an outsider in their own country and begin to question their identity.
I sincerely believe this clown said comments that racist and bigoted folks wanted to hear. These same people are going to be very disappointed and angry when he starts back peddling on his promises he made during the campaign trail.
I am a fairly informed voter as I do spend time researching on the internet, trying to find many sources to get my info. But I never had enough welling up inside me to protest. I do now. Can’t wait til the opportunity comes to my neighborhood.
Trump is the same guy that has heavily donated money to Democrats, all the way up till 2010. He tried to help Pelosi and Reid keep power. I think he isn’t as red as he sounded on the trial, think he hugely exaggerated it to draw in the white male. He has trolled all of us, including the very people that have voted for him. What will he do in office? Who knows at this point? The discussion now needs to turn as to what Dems are going to do to flip the house. Talk should be turning to the midterms in 2018 and then completely flipping the house in 2020. The mopping, the anger, the sadness does nothing unless we put that into action. Vote and get out the vote. Dems lost this because of apathy, mocking that white vote and only believing the New York liberal matters.
And so it begins. Or continues.
http://qz.com/833607/us-election-a-rash-of-racist-attacks-have-broken-out-in-the-us-after-donald-trumps-victory/
I have just looked at Shaun King’s Twitter feed. OMG. It’s worse than here in the UK even. I think I’m going to go and have a weep.
Okay, I read that article. American white supremacists call POC “muds”? WTF? Are they wearing green scarves and calling themselves Slytherin? I’m torn between thinking this must be some kind of Jenkem type hoax and fearing that people really are THAT. STUPID.
It’s day two and I’m still trying to sort of my feelings. Plenty of blame to go around. But at the same time, I don’t know if anything could have been done to change this outcome. Unfortunately, there were a combination of factors that contributed to this:
1. For the last eight years all we’ve heard from the right was how bad President Obama has been even though facts say otherwise. Unfortunately, for those who intake a steady diet of Fox, Limbaugh, alt-right news; you cannot convince them otherwise
2. Fatigue. People are sick of the Clinton’s and the Bushes
3. Fear. Similar to one. For whatever reason, many people (especially in rural areas) have convinced themselves that the terrorists are coming to get them and they have convinced themselves that the left is coming to get their guns. Thev’ve convinced themselves that they need a strong man to protect them and Donald Trump played his part brilliantly.
4. Change. People have convinced themselves that they want change. They want outsiders. What they fail to recognize is that while Donald Trump my not be a politician. He is an insider. He is the establishment. And his cabinet will be full of the usual neo-cons/hawks and the like.
5. Anger. A large portion of white’s cannot abide by the fact that the President for the last eight years was black. They can’t. This includes lots of educated whites. This plays into the whole Make America Great Again which is totally code for make America white again, even though it is not nor has it ever been a white country (other than white males running the show).
6. Disconnect. There is a huge disconnect this time around between how people voted and what we know to be truth. In fact, in many exit polls people said that Hilalry would ahve been better for the economy and yet some of them still voted for Trump. Some of the same people who voted for Trump are also the ones who have given President Obama an approval rating of almost 60%.
I can only hope that Trump won’t be as bad as people think and that he actually maintains to stay in office; because the thought of a Pence presidency friggin terrifies me. Up until recently, Trump was also a fairly typical NYC Liberal so I’m hoping he will actually pick some semi moderate Supreme Court justices. Either way I feel sorry for the poor because once again they will bear the brunt of his tax slashing economic policies.
I absolutely agree with your 6 reasons, but (trying to look at things from the other side), I can’t help but notice all your reasons basically boil down to: they were wrong (or they were emotional rather than logical). I think you should add a points that recognises that there were some legitimate grievances under all the fear and anger.
So … 7. The manufacturing industry is dead/dying. Trump can’t bring it back, (it’s gone for good) but people fell for his lies. The economic policies of the D’s are better for the nation, but it’s nigh on impossible to say “yeah, your industry is dead. Sorry, but you’ll have to suck it up and find a new job” and have people vote for you. It wouldn’t have mattered if Hillary had been facing a traditional pro-trade Republican (they’d have been in the same boat, the topic would’ve been avoided), but she was facing Trump, who was willing to lie about his ability to create jobs and made it hot-button issue.
I’d also add … 8. Sexism. The range of appropriate behaviour for Hillary was MUCH narrower than it would’ve been for any male candidate. She’s apparently “unlikable”, but only because she’s held to a much higher standard than any male would be.
I too think Trump is personally far more liberal than his campaign suggested (and than his voters might want). However I worry that he’ll stay on as figurehead and simply let Pence run things. On the bright side, it’s possible he’s too much of an ego-maniac to let Pence have that kind of power. (I know that’s a strange thing to think of as a silver-lining, but this is a strange time.)
Thanks for an excellent analysis! And yes, it is now so ironic that all you Americans (and the rest of the world) can hope for is that Trump *stays* in office, not letting the dark, even deeper hating, forces taking over. Greetings from Stockholm.
As a Caucasian Canadian my distaste for America voting for Trump is literally making me feel sick to my stomach. I had faith in the USA, a respected world leader, our close neighbour and long-time friend. You turned your backs on women who were sexually exploited, marginalized and abused and immigrants of all stripes and the Black population that is your original sin. You didn’t support them as you should have and instead went for the ugliest most vulgar loud American anyone could imagine. It is painful. You have shattered my faith in humanity.
I hear you. Hard to look at family members who support him. For me, I see it as both Trump and Hillary are unethical/immoral in business. But in addition, Trump is personally immoral. So it’s frustrating when people say Hillary is a liar and cheat. So is he, but has a host of additional character flaws. I don’t know, maybe some people may not be racist but don’t value NOT being racist. Not me, he’s rubbed me the wrong way right from the start.
Trump is going to shrivel up before the end of his 1st year. He is going to age badly.
Its going to an interesting 4 years. I predict a major scandal or 2.
“They rigged the primaries” No, they didn’t, and I say this as a Bernie voter. Bernie lost the overall primary total to Hillary by nearly 3.7 million votes. Those weren’t stolen. And if you think they were you’d think that she’d also have the ability to steal the general election.
There are many arguments and cases to be made about how Trump ‘won’, why Hillary ‘lost’, etc. Your incoherent post isn’t making them.
It’s time for the rules of the elector college to be altered or eliminated. Maine and Nebraska seem to have a better use of the votes.
This is my first time commenting but I just need to tell you all what a bright spot you’ve been during this horrifying 48 hours. I’ve had panic attacks for the first time in years, I threw up, I sobbed, I felt so alone. I wish I was using hyperbole but that has been my reality. Thank you for showing me that sanity still exists and that my grief, fear and frustration have validity. We all have a voice and we must never stop using it.
He will never change or have any insight. Another tweet to prove this man will always feel like the victim and never accept responsibility for his words. He calls his year and a half long smear campaign a “successful” presidential election. He says the protesters are “professional” and will never admit they are real and hurting. He says the media is inciting them and refuses to see his role in this. And poor Donald sees all this as “very unfair”. He is that wife batterer who deep down blames the wife for making him hit her. I pray this man is impeached. The idea of him being in the White House makes me sick.
His tweet: Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!
anyone else notice he doesn’t look very happy? Maybe HE didn’t want to win
Thank you, Kaiser, for this post. Finding it hard to get out of bed right now, so nice to see some silver linings.