Thoughts on the Election

The results of the 2016 presidential election surprised just about everyone. I’ve been trying to get my head around it and what it all means.

During the primaries, I was debating with my son-in-law, a fervent Bernie Sanders supporter, about Sanders’ electability. I viewed Sanders as too left-leaning and too strident to win a general election. In hindsight, it was Hillary who was unelectable.

Sanders, like Donald Trump, had tapped into the anger, frustration and disenfranchisement felt by so many people – particularly traditional Democrats. Clinton didn’t get what Trump and Sanders got – that peoples’ patience had worn thin, that they were fed up with a struggling economy that had left them behind and an unresponsive, broken government.

Many of us were hit hard by the Great Recession of 2008, and have struggled to claw back to being whole again. Factory workers across the country have seen their jobs move overseas. The disparity of income between executives and front-line workers has never been greater. Full-time jobs with healthcare and other benefits are increasingly rare as companies rely on contract workers.  And the economic recovery has been tortuously slow.

I voted for Hillary Clinton with one hand while holding my nose with the other. She is eminently qualified to hold the reins of the U.S. presidency. She has vast knowledge of and experience -- at the highest levels of leadership -- in domestic and international policy.

And yet, the shadow of scandal and lack of judgment have always followed her, from the days of Whitewater to her manipulation of the Democratic National Committee to impede Bernie Sanders’ campaign and reports she received debate questions from DNC chair Donna Brazile, and a whole lot in between.

I voted for her despite these shortcomings in Clinton’s character because I found Republican candidate Donald Trump’s character, his complete lack of experience, and lack of understanding, or seemingly even interest, in basic issues to be even more disqualifying. Mass deportation of millions? Religion-based immigration tests? A Mexico-paid wall? Please.

Donald Trump won the election. He is not someone I admire -- I find him to be despicably vulgar, immature, egotistic, shallow, bigoted, hateful, and vindictive. But I will support his presidency – not necessarily his decisions or actions – because I believe in the system we have in place to choose our government leaders, including our president.

When Trump is sworn in on January 20, he will have a Republican Senate and a Republican House. He has a vacancy on the Supreme Court that is currently balanced between liberal- and conservative-leaning justices. His cabinet is likely to have such castoffs as Newt Gingrich, Chris Christie and Rudolph Giuliani. He has said his children, who are overseeing his business interests, will also serve in senior positions.

I fear dark times ahead, but I hope Mr. Trump can rise to the presidency. I hope that he becomes a good president, that he overcomes his insecurity and petulancy and impulsiveness, and leads our country to better days.

Good luck Donald. We’re counting on you to not fuck up.