So when I realized the outcome of the election at first I was like
then I was like
but now I'm like
So I am with most of you in saying I am very disappointed in the election results. I expected to feel sadness on election day, because that's the kind of person I am.. I was not going to be satisfied no matter who won on Nov 8th. What I wasn't expecting was to be anxiety stricken to the point of not being able to eat, and pleading with my friends to play some late night Tricky Towers with me to ease my mind.
All that being said, when our political system disappoints us it is easy to get carried away these negative feelings. We saw this from conservatives when Obama was elected and then reelected, but needless to say, most of the concerns they held of an apocalyptic future under an Obama presidency were greatly exaggerated (though there's still time for him to take all the guns away!). The point is, conservatives were getting carried away with their disappointment in our political system, this is one characteristic that liberals often share with them.
So getting into why a Trump presidency might not be as doom and gloom as our emotions tell us, the first thing that is worth noting is that US democracy was designed to withstand terrible presidencies. Also, when we look at Donald Trump's political history, he is someone who has been around a long time, and actually has a longer history being a moderate than an extreme GOP candidate.
In 2011 it was revealed that Trump had donated $1.3 million of his money to political campaigns, 54% of which went to Democrats. Trump also described himself as "more of a Democrat" . He was a lobbyist for Hillary Clinton in New York, and in 2008 he said that she would "make a great president" and then said she would make a great secretary of state. Trump was a bigger supporter of Democrats than he was Republicans clear up until after the 2008 election. He himself ran as a third party candidate in 2000 in which he stated "I would put forth a comprehensive health care program and fund it with an increase in corporate taxes" and he described himself as "very pro-choice" and said that he would not ban partial birth abortions if president.
Donald Trump expressed support for single payer healthcare as recently as January 2015 , and Trump maintained a pro-choice stance clear up until he started talking about running for president again, but as a Republican candidate. Now it could be that Trump had a sudden epiphany to take a pro-life position at the same moment he decided he would run as a Republican, but I find it far more likely he used the pro-life stance as a political strategy, because who was the last person to take the pro-choice position and get the GOP nomination?
We are also seeing several indications that a lot of the things Trump said were more for political points than a genuine platform. His ban on all Muslims entering the US? he abandoned that plan around the time he got the GOP nominee, changed this position to supporting a ban on travel from a specific list of countries (list has yet to be revealed). His plan to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants? He later softened that position to say he would legalize some of those immigrants, but still promises a deportation force
The sad fact about our political system is Bill Clinton set a record number in deportations that was broken by George W Bush, that was later broken by president Obama, and will likely be broken again by a president Trump. He is probably going to deport a lot of people, but he is not going to deport most of our 11 million undocumented immigrants. He cannot do that, we have a due process of law in the US which gives every individual subject to deportation their due in court fist. It is impossible for him to deport that many people within a single presidency without ratifying the US constitution, which would require a 2/3rds approval from both the house and senates
In regards to supreme court picks, the only seat up for grabs now is Scalia's who was already a member of the conservative wing, and in regards to a woman's right to choose, I do not believe Trump will take a more hard line stance on abortions in his nominations than Reagan, Bush 41, or Bush 43 (who combined assigned 7 members) given his history on the matter.
In regards to LGBT rights, Trump is actually better than most Republicans, said that transgender individuals should be allowed to use whatever bathroom they want. On same sex marriage he has sent mixed messages, and while it is true he did indicate disapproval in the supreme court's decision to legalize same sex marriage abroad, he made no such promises to overturn the court's decision (contrary to what many internet sources have claimed) http://www.snopes.com/trump-plans-reverse-marriage-equality-elected-president/
And finally, maybe... just maybe... he might be less hawkish on foreign affairs. His positions on foreign affairs is a mesh, he has used both the pro-war and the anti-war rhetoric, and while I find his sucking up to Vladimir Putin pathetic, it is not in our best interest to start another cold war with Russia. Such a thing would only lead to more excessive military spending, and would be bad for both Americans' and Russians' economic status. Back during the the 2012 debate Obama criticized Romney's aggressive position on Russia, and quipped that the 1980s called and they want their foreign policy back, and he was right to criticize Romney's position.
So in short, while I am with most of you in saying that I am very disappointed in this election's results, I do not believe we need to worry about our gay friends losing their right to marry, I do not believe we need to worry about our Muslim friends being blocked from the country, I do not believe we need to worry about our Latino friends getting deported, and I do not believe that women will lose authority over their own bodies
I understand most of you are pretty upset, and I am with you, but we're going to get through this together. If you're thinking about moving to Canada, please don't. We need you to be a part of our political system in 2018 and 2020. Having good people leave the country is the last thing we need right now. Also, while many of Trump's supporters are bigoted individuals, most of them are not, and it is our job to reach out to them rather than shame them. These are our neighbors, friends, and for many of us, our families.
Ultimately our political fate is in our own hands, and it is our job to do what is right.
then I was like
but now I'm like
So I am with most of you in saying I am very disappointed in the election results. I expected to feel sadness on election day, because that's the kind of person I am.. I was not going to be satisfied no matter who won on Nov 8th. What I wasn't expecting was to be anxiety stricken to the point of not being able to eat, and pleading with my friends to play some late night Tricky Towers with me to ease my mind.
All that being said, when our political system disappoints us it is easy to get carried away these negative feelings. We saw this from conservatives when Obama was elected and then reelected, but needless to say, most of the concerns they held of an apocalyptic future under an Obama presidency were greatly exaggerated (though there's still time for him to take all the guns away!). The point is, conservatives were getting carried away with their disappointment in our political system, this is one characteristic that liberals often share with them.
So getting into why a Trump presidency might not be as doom and gloom as our emotions tell us, the first thing that is worth noting is that US democracy was designed to withstand terrible presidencies. Also, when we look at Donald Trump's political history, he is someone who has been around a long time, and actually has a longer history being a moderate than an extreme GOP candidate.
In 2011 it was revealed that Trump had donated $1.3 million of his money to political campaigns, 54% of which went to Democrats. Trump also described himself as "more of a Democrat" . He was a lobbyist for Hillary Clinton in New York, and in 2008 he said that she would "make a great president" and then said she would make a great secretary of state. Trump was a bigger supporter of Democrats than he was Republicans clear up until after the 2008 election. He himself ran as a third party candidate in 2000 in which he stated "I would put forth a comprehensive health care program and fund it with an increase in corporate taxes" and he described himself as "very pro-choice" and said that he would not ban partial birth abortions if president.
Donald Trump expressed support for single payer healthcare as recently as January 2015 , and Trump maintained a pro-choice stance clear up until he started talking about running for president again, but as a Republican candidate. Now it could be that Trump had a sudden epiphany to take a pro-life position at the same moment he decided he would run as a Republican, but I find it far more likely he used the pro-life stance as a political strategy, because who was the last person to take the pro-choice position and get the GOP nomination?
We are also seeing several indications that a lot of the things Trump said were more for political points than a genuine platform. His ban on all Muslims entering the US? he abandoned that plan around the time he got the GOP nominee, changed this position to supporting a ban on travel from a specific list of countries (list has yet to be revealed). His plan to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants? He later softened that position to say he would legalize some of those immigrants, but still promises a deportation force
The sad fact about our political system is Bill Clinton set a record number in deportations that was broken by George W Bush, that was later broken by president Obama, and will likely be broken again by a president Trump. He is probably going to deport a lot of people, but he is not going to deport most of our 11 million undocumented immigrants. He cannot do that, we have a due process of law in the US which gives every individual subject to deportation their due in court fist. It is impossible for him to deport that many people within a single presidency without ratifying the US constitution, which would require a 2/3rds approval from both the house and senates
In regards to supreme court picks, the only seat up for grabs now is Scalia's who was already a member of the conservative wing, and in regards to a woman's right to choose, I do not believe Trump will take a more hard line stance on abortions in his nominations than Reagan, Bush 41, or Bush 43 (who combined assigned 7 members) given his history on the matter.
In regards to LGBT rights, Trump is actually better than most Republicans, said that transgender individuals should be allowed to use whatever bathroom they want. On same sex marriage he has sent mixed messages, and while it is true he did indicate disapproval in the supreme court's decision to legalize same sex marriage abroad, he made no such promises to overturn the court's decision (contrary to what many internet sources have claimed) http://www.snopes.com/trump-plans-reverse-marriage-equality-elected-president/
And finally, maybe... just maybe... he might be less hawkish on foreign affairs. His positions on foreign affairs is a mesh, he has used both the pro-war and the anti-war rhetoric, and while I find his sucking up to Vladimir Putin pathetic, it is not in our best interest to start another cold war with Russia. Such a thing would only lead to more excessive military spending, and would be bad for both Americans' and Russians' economic status. Back during the the 2012 debate Obama criticized Romney's aggressive position on Russia, and quipped that the 1980s called and they want their foreign policy back, and he was right to criticize Romney's position.
So in short, while I am with most of you in saying that I am very disappointed in this election's results, I do not believe we need to worry about our gay friends losing their right to marry, I do not believe we need to worry about our Muslim friends being blocked from the country, I do not believe we need to worry about our Latino friends getting deported, and I do not believe that women will lose authority over their own bodies
I understand most of you are pretty upset, and I am with you, but we're going to get through this together. If you're thinking about moving to Canada, please don't. We need you to be a part of our political system in 2018 and 2020. Having good people leave the country is the last thing we need right now. Also, while many of Trump's supporters are bigoted individuals, most of them are not, and it is our job to reach out to them rather than shame them. These are our neighbors, friends, and for many of us, our families.
Ultimately our political fate is in our own hands, and it is our job to do what is right.
