Our country has just elected for president a man who at the very least, is offensive. At the most? A sexual predator. But President-Elect he is. The world didn't end, and this is far from the death of this country or with our democracy.
So what happened? Why did the polls get everything so wrong? I think the media failed to look past Trump and all of his admittedly offensive and violent rhetoric and look at the people who were voting for Trump for reasons that went beyond his character. They were completely overlooked by everyone. Except for one. Michael Moore.
Filmmaker Michael Moore, a Bernie Sanders and then Hillary Clinton supporter, went down into the trenches and talked to the typical Trump voter, and he predicted that Trump will win. I chose to ignore what he had to say because I refused to think that Americans would elect someone with so little political experience with an awful record as a businessman and a horrible character.with disgusting views. I guess I was in that "Clinton Bubble."
Here is what Michael More said before the Trump victory: Michael Moore: "Trump Will Win" And here is his reaction to the results: Michael Moore: "The Day After To-Do List.
And welcome to my perky, annoying optimistic side. Our democracy is not dead. It came out in droves and elected Donald J. Trump. It was present last night in the impromptu protests that formed in the wake of his election victory. And it will continue to work despite a Republican president, a Republican Congress, and now, almost for sure, a Republican Supreme Court.
And there is us. We won the popular vote. More people voted for Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump. If we want to, we can make our voice heard, and make Congress a little more jittery.
There are also some things that might work in favor of us. Trump was originally a Democrat and might hold onto some of those ideals still. And Trump's ability to use people only for what he could gain. Now that he is president, he can do a complete turnaround and disavow his supporters. And there is still quite a few Republican who are against him.
One more thing. The majorities in the two houses of Congress tend to change in the mid-term elections after two years of the new president. I believe that in 2 years the Democrats can become the majority. If this happens, the Democrats can give back all the obstructionism that Republicans handed out. Though, I hope they don't. We need to work with one another to make this government work, not be at a standstill.
And finally, my perky self says, he was elected, and I can't change that. What I can do is pray for him, and pray that he has the ability to lead our country successfully. Because that would mean our country is succeeding.
My realistic side is trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, despite what past history shows.
And my negative side says there is no way in hell that he is going to change, or even CAN change his behavior. The people responsible for the rise of Trump? The media, and the Republicans for one. Both sat on their behinds and watched Trump insult immigrants or a president senator who was also a POW. Instead of just covering what he said, the media should have challenged every offensive comment and made it a major issue. As if that wasn't bad enough, he spent weeks calling into news programs and expressing his views with little consequence. It was a really good plan too. And it was free publicity too. Who needs to pay for ads when you can get your message out there through the media? The Republicans? Honestly, they thought he was a jerk and would be eliminated before the primaries. But Trump is their creation. By the time that they realized he was unfit, he couldn't be stopped.
Now with my realistic and opinionated side...
Like I said, he won. And while I will never quit complaining and bitching, I recognize that he will be our president and I don't want to see this country go down hill.
I am proud to be a Democrat. This country is divided more than ever, in large part due to Trump and the Birther Movement. Obama and Clinton both came out with not only dignified, and heartfelt comments, but they both want America to work, and Obama is graciously taking him under his wing, so to speak, and will try as much as he can to make the transition as easy as possible, not just for Trump, but for the country as well. I can't imagine how hard this is for him, considering all that was done with the Birther Movement and the racism behind it.
And I doubt that there will be a backroom meeting the night before inauguration with Congressional Democrats, to agree to support NOTHING the president wants. To basically stop how the government is supposed to work to make a president look bad. They opposed bills that would help the people that put them in office to represent them. I doubt the people wanted the jobs bill to not pass, for the veterans bill that would help desperate vets not to pass. In fact, if Obama supported it, it was rejected...even if they themselves supported that bill. Democrats, I pray, will not choose revenge and instead, be willing to meet with Republicans to help keep this country working.
I pray that there won't be further racial divides and that the hate that has overwhelmed us will at least crawl back in their holes. I pray that the ACA won't be repealed, along with legal abortion. And that any Supreme Court Justice appointed will also be more interested in following the Constitution says more than his political ideals.
I also think that even if it does become our worst thoughts and expectations, this country will make it through it. We're not a bunch of wusses. We have gone through wars and crippling terrorist attacks that killed thousands. In 1861 our country not only ripped into two countries but over 650,000 people died. We have overcome the institution of slavery, reconstruction, natural disasters and so much more. We will survive.
So yesterday I awakened to a President-Elect Trump.Then I went to the Y and swam, and laughed through class. And I woke up again today.
I woke up and realized that we weren't in Mordor, that Trump is not a flaming eye looking down on our country, and we don't have to drop his hair into the river of lava flowing in Mount Doom to make this country better. Little Frodo and Samwise can't help this time. It's up to us, and I have to believe in us.
Because you know what? We Will Survive! SING IT GLORIA!!
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