Musings on the 2016 electoral earthquake

As I sit here pondering last night’s stunning results, we have elected someone whom I truly have no respect for as a human being to the highest office in the land.  (I actually planned to open with that sentence regardless of who won.)

I have seen so much panic, fear and abject anger about the results last night.  I understand.  I am surprised, embarrassed, resolute and wondering what the future holds. 

First, before I even try to explain what I think happened, let me again try to reassure any overly concerned FB friends out there, this is not the end of the world.  Your family still loves you.  I can tell you FB friends, I still love you.  There is no way the people I am good friends with are going to allow illegal and unconstitutional proclamations and executive orders to just happen overnight.  I believe, completely and unequivocally in the American system of government.  The same way I have written letters and called my senators and congressmen vehemently arguing and urging them to reject President Obama’s illegal executive orders, I will continue to do so holding them accountable to President T-Rump.  (Damn, I am going to have to show some respect to the office at least and start using his actual name).  We survived Nixon.  We will survive Trump.  We are Americans after all.  We are resilient and resolute. 

I think he is something akin to human swine as a person, but I don’t believe President Trump is going to be a really invested, wading deep into the weeds kind of president.  I think he is going to enjoy flying on his new tricked out plane and playing golf.  I think he will give Obama a run for his money on the most vacation days and trips as president.  I think he will have some objectives and he will just assign people to make it happen.  People like Newt Gingrich, Jeff Sessions and the like.  These are not crazy trailer park people who are going to mash the nuke button on a whim.  You may not like them, or their policies, but there isn’t going to be a law outlawing minorities or religions.  The Senate is not going to confirm David Duke to the Supreme Court.  If you actually paid attention in those boring civics classes (sadly I realize now most did not), the senate can filibuster a nominee or legislation with as little as 41 dissenters.  As I said, the American system rocks.  There are checks and balances. 

Before I move on to how I think we wound up here, one more thing.  Please don’t be so completely ridiculous as to post this is the equivalent of Hitler winning in Germany.  It is that kind of extremism and excessive drama which has done much to lead us to this exact point and moment in history.  One annoying fact of history: Hitler had the media in Germany, he controlled the message.  You can say a lot, but there is no way anyone living on earth today can validly claim Trump has that. 

So, how do I think we got here?  That is really the billion dollar question.  I imagine there are many reasons and I have only a few theories of my own. 

I think there are several key ingredients which led us to this.  There are just my thoughts, and now that everyone seems to be in a reflective mood, I would be curious to hear others.  Together, these things combined and gave us this surreal moment in time. 

 

Anger at the establishment.
Surprisingly enough I think this is #1.  I could go into way too much depth on this, deficits, never passing a budget, but really a great example is Obamacare.  When 2010 rolled around and the GOP surged back into control of the Hill, they were unable (or unwilling) to do the work they had been elected to do: dismantle Obamacare and balance the budget.  They did neither.  Obama stoked the fire by making (in my eyes illegal and unconstitutional) executive orders on immigration and other key issues and Congress refused to use its power of the purse strings to force compromise.  In the eyes of many, they just hit the stagnation button and literally did nothing.  We haven’t had an actual annual budget passed in any 2nd grader’s lifetime.  Some on the left I believe were angry the Democrats didn’t do more to push through their agenda as well.  All in all, quite a few in the public were just fed up with Washington taking our money, including our future generations money and literally doing nothing useful. 

Fear.
For this, I also blame both sides.  On the left, it was fear that Trump would ban all Muslims, immigrants and repeal nearly every civil rights law on the books.  For the right, it was stoke the terrorism fire to Sun-like levels of heat.  Make everyone afraid that every immigrant has a suicide vest ready to use day one. WTF?  Walt Disney couldn't make fairy tales this big.  Quit bullying people into believing your Oliver Stone on acid paranoid conspiracy theories.  It brings NOTHING to the adult debate table. 

The Economy Stupid.
I don’t care what the unemployment number the government announces, it means nothing.   So many millions have simply given up and left the workforce.  The labor participation rate according to the US Dept of Labor was 62.8%, around a 40-year high.  Air conditioner maker Carrier made news the past year moving several thousand manufacturing jobs to Mexico.  Many American car companies shipped jobs to Mexico.  My political science professors all stressed one thing, which other than 2012 has held true for centuries: People vote their wallet.  This year, that appears to have been quite true. 

Uncivilized behavior.
Every time Trump had a rally, some group seemed to show up and make a disturbance. Several instances led to protesters closing down major highways and disrupting life for everyday folks.  Listen, you don’t like some politician, protest to your heart’s content.  Start making it so I can’t get to my kids to pick them up from school, blocking ambulances and firetrucks from reaching emergencies?  Sure, you get your message out, but some think your message is “Someone needs to stop this shit.”  I implored people back in the early days of the primary to stop with the angry, intolerant protests.  You are depicting the very behavior you are purportedly trying to illuminate in your opponent, and pissing off a lot of fence sitters. This issue I almost double down on.  I think it might have been the tipping point in the overall scheme of things.

Literally the worst candidates ever.
Well, I should say in the last hundred plus years at least.  Each party simply chose the most polarizing, contemptable candidates they could, and said to the other side in a gesture of middle finger love, take this…  Neither of these two are vaguely trustworthy, honest people.  They seem to both love the person in the mirror and work hardest for themselves.  Maybe you disagree, but I saw them both as essentially the same in that regard.  And if you disagree, well, what I can say is this: in years past, most candidates would get some grudging respect from politicians on the other side.  Even Ted Kennedy and Reagan had friends across the aisle who respected them.  That was not the case here. 

Polarization of everything.
In the past few years, I have even seen my choice of favorite fast food become a political issue (Chick-Fil-A).  Everyone from celebrities to your FB community has a large contingent of self-important, smug, superior, holier-than-thou activist types who have made everything a political issue.  Sometimes I go to see a movie because I like the story, the experience, etc.   I don’t sit out Star Wars if Princess Leia and Han Solo support single-payer health care.   It’s a movie.  If I only went to movies or listened to music of those I agreed with 100% of the time on key issues, I would die without seeing another film or hearing another song.  Listen, you choose your battles and I will choose mine.  I may not agree with all of Disney’s corporate policies, but my one day grandkids will dang sure get to see Mickey one day. 

I think all of this combined into a perfect storm.  Somehow Donald Trump took the idea of extending a middle finger to the news media and every opponent and parlayed it into a Superhero-like power to repel any scandal or loathsome character attribute when it came to voters.  It somehow worked in Florida, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and a majority of states.

I would enjoy hearing other’s theories.  The historian/citizen in me is quite curious. 

But again, to those who truly believe America is doomed.  Don’t give in to the fear.  Don’t give up faith in your fellow Americans and our system of government.  I supported neither of these candidates, and I assure you, I am not going into hibernation for the next 4 years.  We must continue to hold our elected officials accountable, or perhaps I should say we need to start holding them accountable again.  Pay attention.  Don’t cower in fear, rise to face the adversity.  The last candidate I supported wholly and with all the passion in the world was Jack Kemp.  It has been a long time, and I have had lots of times I seriously questioned the American electorate.  But this is still the greatest nation on earth, we’re just off our meds. :-)