The last time I wrote an essay for this Blog was about a year ago. I made a conscience decision to stop writing because the times had me convinced there was simply too much noise in the midst of this political season, and I just didn't want to be a part of it. Additionally, I believed that nothing I had to say would add anything of value or be that much different from what anyone else had already said. At the risk of this essay being just another rant like the others, I'll add my thoughts once again. About a year ago Donald Trump had been on the campaign trail for five or six months and literally sucked the oxygen out of political landscape, turning it into a circus atmosphere where real issues and rational thought could not exist. Little did I know that in the months to come (and through the primaries) his outlandish and increasingly hate-filled rhetoric would explode every notion of traditional campaigning as he ridiculed and bullied very other contender (and their spouses) out of the race on his way to the nomination. Once that occurred I could not fathom a country where he could be president, and put my faith in the voting public to end the madness of a Trump presidency. On November 8th I learned that I was ultimately wrong on all counts.
Now we are at the point of knowing Donald Trump will be our President. This is the moment of acceptance. I accept that Trump won this race, and won it in rather convincing fashion. I must accept this fact because it is true and inescapable given the rules that govern us. In spite of the fact that the last two Republican Presidents were out voted at the polls our system gives them the needed votes in the Electoral College to become President. By the way, it's not Trump's fault we have this system- but it should still go. These are facts and they will not change for now. This is acceptance.
Even though I accept the result, I remain both curious about how it happened and resolved not to resign myself to the values Trump brings to the office or the country.
I will admit that his election was a shock to me and has caused me,along with millions of others, to really think about how it happened. My field of study in college was sociology, so oddities in human group behavior is not a new concept to me. I tend to see events such as these as a sometimes odd part of the make-up of our species, but still worthy of examination. I never believed the political pundits or the polls. They are usually as shallow and meaningless as the candidates themselves. But I did believe something else would keep us from the nonsense of Trump presidency, that being-rational thought. I actually believed, wrongfully it seems, that more people would apply simple thought to the matter than obviously did. When you look at how he captured the vote it is clear that many of his voters simply reacted on the basis of emotion rather than thought- often reflecting rather ugly emotions to boot. The emotions in play were fear, hate and anger. I have also come to believe this election had very little to do with Party- Trump is not a Republican in any traditional sense and I expect the Republican political establishment will continue to hate him as President as much as they hated him as a candidate. So let me give a few areas where Trump scored beyond what I believe is rational.
Working People: These are the middle class folks, some college educated but many without college degrees. These are the people who have not benefited as much as they would have liked from the slow recovery following the crash that President Obama inherited. It defies rational thought to believe that Trump could possibly be their champion. There is not one scrap of evidence to suggest Trump has ever done anything in his life to support the working people of this country. He has never been a part of that group and has never committed to any business practice that showed the slightest empathy for the working class. The evidence shows quite the opposite. He is legendary in NY Real Estate for not paying his bills- just because he had the financial clout to say so and then threaten to tie vendors up in court for years if they didn't like it. He gloats about his use of bankruptcy- but never even acknowledges the working people who didn't get paid because he failed, or swindled them- all the while claiming to be a "Genius" for using the bankruptcy laws for his benefit. How could the working class see this financial cad as their hero?
Minorities: It is true that Trump continued the Republican tradition of scoring poorly among minorities. But even if you are not among the racial or religious minorities of this country, decency would suggest we could never support a person who has disparaged minorities the way he has. He has leveled insults, unflattering stereotypes, and outright threats at every minority group in the country. There is only one explanation why he did so well among white voters and turned out the number of rural white voters he did. The inherent racism baked into our national character, residing in a majority of white people is still there. When Trump promised to "take our country back" he was speaking directly to those people and they responded. In tones much louder and plainer than the dog whistle language some people use, the idea of taking the country back meant taking it back from a black president- taking it back from Black Lives Matter, taking it back from Muslims, taking it back from everyone who is not a white male- by ginning up the fear and blame. He didn't create the latent racism, sexism or xenophobic hatred- he simply was audacious enough to take it public- tell people it is once again OK to express it, and stoked the fear-based hatred that motivated people to vote for him. It is not rational to embrace the higher values of our law, our culture, or even our widely held religious values - then turn around and vote for a person who despises and perverts them.
Governance: We live in the most complex society on earth. We are a country of nearly 320 million people who operate in a capitalistic economic system that does not include everyone- by design. That means that our complex culture and the institutions we have established to manage it are complicated and mostly full of conflicts- ideological conflicts- economic and fiscal conflicts- social and religious conflicts. I doubt our founders could have coped with the complexities of this age and still come up with the same form of government they created in the late 18th Century. It is a marvel that this country still operates as well as it does, but without doubt it's management grows more difficult with every passing year, no matter which party is in power. So our solution last week was to give the most powerful office on the planet to man who has no governing experience - except his own admission that he has bribed government officials from both parties in the past to get his way in business. This is irrational. I kept hearing that many people voted for Trump because they want to "shake up Washington". If you wanted to "shake up" medicine would trust your health care to car dealer? Even a really successful one? No - because it does not make sense to do so. Further evidence for the idiocy of this type of voting can be found in his policies (or lack thereof). Trump has not really ever provided a detailed plan for anything. What is his policy on health care?- repeal Obamacare ( but replace it with what?) Foreign Policy? - we need to be tough with our enemies and our friends. (but what does that mean and what actions are associated with that?- he has never said except to promise to "bomb the shit out of them" and reinstitute torture) The economy? America first- create jobs- bring back jobs from Mexico and China. (but how? - he never said) Rebuild the Military. ( it is the largest, most technologically advanced military in the history of mankind now- so what are you talking about?) Foreign Trade. He will renegotiate trade agreements and treaties ( has never given details and just wants us to believe he has some secret power because is a good deal maker- bankrupt businesses aside) ... You might have also noted that since the election Trump has changed every major position he had when he was campaigning. In the area of policy Jeb Bush was right when he called Trump the "chaos candidate". And because he was elected on the basis of a cult of his own ego maniacal personality, you can expect a clear ideology will never emerge- just a Capital and a country full of very pissed off people from both parties.
Immigration: Trump's solution to this vexing problem is to build a wall the entire length of the US- Mexican boarder. Not only is it a nearly impossible feat, the cost would be crippling and it wouldn't solve the problem. Saner people have all said this is ridiculous, but the irrational voter keeps thinking it is the answer. I grant you it's a simple solution- but it is stupid. For those illegal immigrants already here, again a simple answer that sounds good, but could never work. At first he said he would deport 13 million people- now he is down to 2-3 million; a task that is just as ridiculous. The logistics and the strain that would put on our judiciary would grind the entire system to a halt. But, if it sounds good and satisfies that voter itch to blame and punish immigrants for their lot in life, then by all means vote for it. You can also expect (if it were even possible) to have a head of lettuce cost $15.00, if you can get it. Just one more point- if you want to stop illegal immigrants from coming here and "taking our jobs" then start throwing American contractors, hotel owners, and corporate farmers in prison for knowingly hiring them to improve their bottom line.
Federal Budget: this one ought speak for itself. Trump has promised to invest billions more in the military, invest billions more for Veterans, invest in "the best" infrastructure building programs, build a "beautiful wall" 1900 miles long, provide health care "to everyone" ( while repealing the ACA- which includes Medicaid) etc. etc. While he is fulfilling all these wild promises he has also pledged to substantially reduce corporate taxes, high income earner taxes, and middle class taxes significantly. Every economist who has looked at this plan has predicted enormous deficits and recessionary growth curves. In other words the math just doesn't work. But because this "brilliant businessman" said it, the irrational voter bought it because it sounds good on the surface. When questioned on the viability of such a plan, Trump's answer is that he a "I'm a world class businessman, and I know how to do this." - bankrupt businesses not withstanding.
Women/Character: There has been so much said and written about this it is not necessary to recount it all here. His behavior and demeanor towards women is the most deplorable of any person who has ever been in the White House. It's not the affairs. FRD, IKE, JFK, LBJ, and Clinton all had affairs- and those are just the recent ones we know about. Trump takes disdain for women to a level never before encountered. It's not the same as the others- it's a deeply rooted disregard for the value of women as human beings that is deeply disturbing and permeates his being. He openly states his distain for women in his casual bragging about molesting them- and now some of the women he molested are coming forward. Between Trump, and his two main surrogates Giuliani and Gingrich, there are 9 marriages and at least as many affairs. These are people who are so self absorbed that they regard the women closest to them as replaceable parts that can be discarded when the looks and the amusement is gone- only to be traded in for a newer model. Would any rational person, possessing an ounce decency (man or woman) select this type of despicable man as national leader? It defies logic.
The Religious Voter: This one perplexes me more than any other category of voter. 78% of the people in the USA identify themselves as Christian. The rest of us have faiths other than Christian, or no religion at all. But let's focus on the Christians because they overwhelmingly represent people of faith and some of his strongest supporters. Trump did very well gathering the votes of Christians. On the campaign trail he claimed to be a Presbyterian- said the Bible was his favorite book. Did one Presbyterian minister ever come forward to say he knew Trump? No. Was there ever a shred of evidence from anyone saying he attended a church, ever? No. The religious community was flimflammed on that one- everybody knew it and nobody cared. But the most difficult thing to understand is that religion is supposed to inform and help direct the way one lives his or her life. Nothing in Trump's life fits with a Christian life. He is a serial polygamist, a notorious philanderer, a narcissistic man who has shown no regard for any other human being beyond himself and his children (who he seems to regard as nothing more than an extensions of himself). He is the perfect poster boy for every evil human activity Jesus of the New Testament spoke against- yet many Christians supported him. This to me is one of the greatest conflicts in logic I have ever seen. Either Christians were not paying attention (though, I know that's not so) or Christians were willing to give up the tenets of their faith, making them far less Christian than they claim to be. How can one embrace Christian ideals and still think Trump should lead a country many Christians believe was picked by God to be the greatest country on earth? Extremely perplexing.
Clinton is Worse: Given everything we know about Trump, the "Clinton is worse" argument is the stuff of pure legend. She was not worse. For all of her faults, and there were significant ones, her life is far more exemplary than Trump's. Her political opposition has for years investigated and re-investigated her more than any other modern political figure. She has gone through 3-4 years of investigation on the Benghazi tragedy with no finding against her. She has gone through FBI investigations for the email issues and there is no criminal finding against her. Much of her early life was devoted to the health and safety of women and children, and her service in the US Senate was praised by both Parties (you can look it up). But none of that counted in this election. Facts simply did not matter. Trump perfected the old "I'm rubber and you're glue- what you say bounces off me and sticks to you" game. His life is a series of shady deals, federal law suits for fraud or racial discrimination, bankruptcy filings and fleecing creditors, influence peddling (which he bragged about) birther lies and nut-ball conspiracy theories, affairs and divorces, and campaign lies. PolitiFact concluded he lied about the issues on the campaign trail 78% of the time- all the while refusing to reveal his taxes or foreign business holdings because he needed to hide them the voters. But she became "Crooked Hillary". Tomorrow's students will study the way mass media, and social media propaganda worked in this campaign, the way students today study the propaganda methods of the Nazi's in 1930's Germany, as a cautionary tale on how lies can be converted into "the truth". (and no, I'm not calling Trump a Nazi- I'm talking about mass communication methods) Voters didn't have to like Hillary, but the misinformation campaign causing hatred for her was not truthful, proportional, or rational. If you couldn't vote for Clinton based on your notion of her character- but you were Ok with Trump's character, I simply don't understand you.
Like so many people now, I'm left not knowing what to think. I've seen quite a few elections in my life, but never one like this. Trump has added a new element to American politics and leadership- and it's not a pretty one. The politics of personal destruction is not new- but what is new is using the politics of personal destruction exclusively. He ran a campaign completely devoid of actual policy and entirely on fear-based negativity and hate bating. It is no accident the KKK showed up publicly in this election. It is no accident that rallies were places where mob violence was encouraged and practiced. Following his election, it is no accident that hate crimes and open acts of racial and religious violence are exploding (according to a recent FBI report this week). It is no accident that white supremacists are coming out in the open. It is also no accident that people of all walks of life are protesting in the streets. I have not seen this in my lifetime- but it shows you the divisive nature of the man, his beliefs, his words, and his actions.
I still don't know how to react to people who voted from Trump- I still cannot reconcile how so many voters ignored the facts before them, the open display of his vile beliefs and tactics, and voted for him, or threw away their vote on impossible third-party candidates or ridiculous write-ins. This isn't angst that my candidate didn't win. This isn't about giving him "a chance"- he has the chance whether I give it to him or not. This isn't comparable to how people felt when Obama won in 2008- or how many of us felt when George W. Bush won in 2000. I didn't like it- but I have never felt like the person we elected was an actual threat to the existence of the country as we know it. But I feel that way now. It will take me some time and much more thought to reconcile my feelings on the people who voted for him. But they did - and that's where acceptance comes in.
I will not be resigned to accept his deplorable actions and words, his disrespect for people, and his lack of human empathy, simply because he won. That's where: No Resignation comes in. None of us should resign ourselves to the values Trump brings to the office- or the America he envisions. None of us should ever stop fighting for the issues we believe in or give in to the backward movement of human dignity Trump has been promoting. I'd love to say, "I just hope he won't act that way when he is in office". But my rational mind and all my senses tells me he can't stop being who he is and always has been. So it's up to us to stay alert, active, and ready to speak out against any injustice. Even though he won- take heart in knowing more of us voted for Clinton- not him. Even democracies can produce horrible leaders- but we cannot not lose faith in our system. Instead we should become more engaged to bring better values back to government the next chance we get.
Thanks for looking in.
