For me, it was Wisconsin. That’s when I had to accept President Trump.
I watched results at work on slate.com, and saw promising signs for Clinton across the board. High turnout in Florida was likely to carry her to victory, and Ohio and Iowa seemed more competitive than forecast.
I got home and saw Indiana and Kentucky go for Trump. No surprise there.
Ohio and Iowa were called. Florida started slipping away. It wasn’t going to be a Clinton rout, but I believed the 272 Electoral Votes in the “blue wall” would hold. Maybe 278 with Nevada.
Virginia made me nervous, and I started getting “this can’t be happening” texts. Urban centers pulled Clinton through, and I believed the same would happen in Michigan, despite her early deficit.
Then I watched Wisconsin. Clinton was behind, and CNN’s John King couldn’t find anywhere that she could make up the vote. Pennsylvania flipped to Trump’s column, despite Clinton having achieved the margins in Philadelphia that she “needed.” Not long after, the friends who had gathered to celebrate Madame President left in a haze of shock and tears. Getting up on Wednesday seemed to make it real.
It reminds me so much of 2008, when the majority of Californians took away marriage equality. Maybe worse, because President Obama was some consolation that year.
Still, there are things that give me hope.
At the moment, it does not appear that a majority of Americans elected President Trump – the Electoral College did. That doesn’t mean he is illegitimate, but it means that the majority of Americans did not support his rhetoric.
Donald Trump likes to win and wants to be popular. He said what he thought would get him elected, and it worked. Even he likely knows he can’t govern that way. He may ditch some partisan rhetoric, and push some popular legislation, to win the approval of Americans.
If he doesn’t, we have the Constitution. Written in the shadow of an overthrown monarchy, it is perhaps history’s best bulwark against tyranny. It was made stronger when it was amended to limit presidents to two terms. We have a separation of powers for a reason, and the same checks and balances that limited the change I believed in will limit the changes I don’t.
We have Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
And Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is indestructible.
Your optimistic tone reflects none of the realities of the LGBT community but we ourselves are partially to blame. We have sold out ourselves but selling off our Gay Ghettos like Hillcrest, WeHo, the Castro, and more for profit. Driven our iconic gay establishments out of business due to the rising cost of rent. Places like David’s Place, The Living Room, the San Diego Gay and Lesbian Times newspaper and Obelisk Bookstore in San Diego were places where the community could meet and discuss important topics that are facing LGBT people at the time, network, and educate themselves on our history and movement. GONE! What we have instead are breweries’ and online tabloid news publications feeding us a never-ending stream of complacency and feel good consumerism. We are now in the omission phase of fascism, where they erase any sign that we ever existed. For example, the demolition of LGBT historic sites, like the building where our local charter was written and the selling of the first AIDS Hospice in SD during the AIDS crisis. Both being carried out without any protest or acts offer civil disobedience by the community itself, including our openly gay member of the SD City Council, Todd Gloria. Would there be this reaction if we demolished the Constitutional Hall in Philadelphia where the U.S. Constitution was written more than two centuries ago?
. Your article makes it seem like its business as usual? It is not! These certifiable psychopaths now control all 3 branches of government and will soon appoint some right wing fascists to the Supreme Court! We have a very long arduous road ahead of us and we need to realize it and get to work. Please stop feeding people these fairytale like narratives that are pure fiction.
. One final note, that paper you referred to that you say is our insurance policy back to civilization has been demolished too. The Patriot Act, FISA, and other laws passed by Congress and the President eliminated our Bill of Rights and now gives the President the authority to assassinate U.S. Citizens if they are “suspected” of terrorist (aka protesting and other acts of dissent). Our only options are educating ourselves, their are these great places where you can get books for free for 3 weeks called libraries provided by our tax dollars, you may want to visit one while they still exist. A well educated populace is not easily misled into wars and committing war crimes, unfortunately for us we already have. More importantly, the only way to restore our democracy is through the tactics developed and implemented by Ghandi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This means we are going to have to be willing to literally die for it. The only was to depose an oppressive fascist dictator, is to expose him and his supporters to be the monsters they truly are. Non-violent action done in love and selflessness is, I believe, the only road to liberty and true democracy. Considering the typical complacent attitude of most Americans, I end my rant with, “See you in the camps, I am already making my Pink Triangles!”.
Trump rejected the anti-gay sections of the Republican Platform in his nomination acceptance speech. You can easily find that speech on the internet.
He is not anti-gay or antisemitic (the latest unfounded charge against him).
He did not say one anti-gay thing during his campaign, and in fact it was Hillary who refused to criticize Muslim countries that persecute and murder gays.
As for Trump being “antisemitic,” the prime minister of Israel is delighted that Trump won. And Trump’s own extended family includes Jews.
Trump is not interested in “nation building” overseas (our pointless and unsuccessful wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan were given to us by both political parties.)
Trump — unlike the Democrats — does want to protect Americans from real threats, such as terrorism and illegal immigrants who commit serious crimes.
I wish the left wing media and activist community would stop insulting our intelligence with lies and distortions.