Thoughts after the 2016 election

After the shock and dread subsided, I tried to get perspective.

The Clintons and the Obamas continued their graciousness; Trump recited the RNC litany.

How many people are aware that around 2002 the vast majority of female applicants to ivy league schools chose Hillary Clinton as their essay topic on integrity in women and a woman to admire for all she had already done. Then came the name calling and mud slinging from the Trump camp. The director of the FBI, a Trump supporter, announced in the last week of the campaign that he would again investigate Hillary’s e-mails. The fact that within that week he announced that there was nothing to investigate was somehow ‘missed’ in the Trump ads, which were remarkably already prepared. Of course the FBI would support a white supremacist like Donald – with little effort the FBI could revert to the J. Edgar Hoover days. Sadly, followers of Trump, reveling in the power to spew hatred, name calling and lies, have probably rendered Hillary Clinton unable to continue her work for children, families, women and America. Let’s see how far the Clintons can go with continuing their Foundation work.

I used to think it doesn’t matter what a presidential candidate spouted, since the balances of power usually rendered him helpless. Then came Ronald Reagan, who destroyed our economic future within a week of taking office. So, yes, I am scared. It took Obama eight years to dig us out of a recession that was headed for a depression. Trump could reverse all this progress.

I need to take care of my health, teeth and vision before the end of January, when Trump and the Republican Army manage to repeal what they called Obamacare. It has helped me out a lot, and even though the insurance companies took cruel advantage of the last phase by hiking premiums, there was a lot of good in medical reform done, much of which Hillary Clinton started fighting for when her husband became President.

One would think that what happens on Capitol Hill wouldn’t affect the ordinary citizen, especially one in the Trump-support demographics – adult white rurals. But here I am, with only one difference – I am educated beyond high school. But I live on a tiny pension and social security, which has not even had a cost of living increase for three years. I foresee that income not only not increasing, but possibly disappearing entirely, in which case I lose everything I worked for all my life; I’ll be out on the street.

And there is going to be war. Putin, once head of the dreaded KGB, is not a Gorbachev. He is trying to rebuild the USSR and overtly interfering with the mid east and eastern Europe. He interfered with the DNC. He reveled at the news that Trump had won – no more sanctions; instead, military interference. And war is always good for conservatives, as they make money on it, while wealthy people keep their children and grandchildren out of harm’s way.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the draft system was reconstituted, aiming at all the minorities Trump so vehemently hates. And the fighting would be defined as ‘military action’ rather than war, so the draftees who survive cannot claim veterans’ benefits.

The Republicans in congress held the country still for eight years, on an anti-Obama campaign they boasted about. Now they have a President that will allow them to tear it all down with impunity.

The world summit on climate change signed an agreement last month. Something that would normally take years was decided quickly. Why? Because Trump denies the existence of climate change. As the only world leader holding that opinion, he could have put a monkey wrench in the works. They wanted it resolved before he got any power.

Trump had two kinds of supporters. The first type was very vocal, loading media with hateful statements, lies and threats. The second type was very quiet – they lied to pollsters, ashamed to say they liked Trump. It crossed my mind – if you are ashamed, then why continue that support? Surely you didn’t expect Clinton advocates to burn crosses on your front lawn. One has to wonder why someone would be embarrassed by his or her own opinion.

The Founding Fathers created the electoral college because they were “afraid of direct Democracy,” according to FactCheck.org. In the 1700s there wasn’t even a telegraph. All newspapers were local. All information travelled by horse. So it made sense to have a set of representatives decide the leaders of the country for the illiterate masses. But things have changed.

When I turned 21 I registered with a party so I could vote in the primaries. This was on Long Island. To my dismay, when it came time to vote in the primary, all the representatives were “uncommitted”. So who to vote for and why???

The country is much more educated and communications are instant now. There is no more need for an electoral college. And this is the third presidential election in my memory where the popular (citizens) vote differed from the electoral college vote. Time to abolish the electoral college and have a true democracy.

The phrase “President Trump” sticks in my throat. The bad taste in my mouth dates way back to when he divorced his first wife, Ivana, for the bimbo Marla, who has since been replaced by a new bimbo. His comments at the time belied his misogynist attitude. He has always been a braggart who is proud to beat the system, cheat contractors, fire employees, and emblazon his name on everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves into the Trump House in January. His television show was just his enjoyment of pushing around celebrities. His only goal in life has been to increase his personal income and brag about it. Never a thought or word about tolerance, generosity, or America.

I am horrified at the idea of Trump and the current Mrs. Representing my country.