It has been a difficult and exhausting week. My emotions have been all over the place.
Initial shock led to grief right after the election. Then anger set in. I have read many articles and comments and participated in online discussions and arguments. I have found much support for my emotional roller coaster and my point of view. I was also exposed to the harshness of those who supported Trump and wanted us whiners to just get over it. Many were insulted that we blamed them for supporting racism, misogyny, bigotry, hatred, lies. After all, many were "just voting for their party". I still believe a vote for Trump was a vote for ignorance and hate.
By Wednesday I had reached the stage where I was just curious about what would happen in a Trump presidency. Then I read more articles about what the Trump presidency might be like that scared the hell out of me and disturbed me deeply. By this morning, Friday, I was ready to fight!
Now, as news begins to leak out from the transition, I realize that we have no idea what Trump will be like as a president. We only know what he was like as a candidate, where anything was allowed as long as it helped him win. The ugliness of that campaign was compounded by the dishonesty and slander of his opponents. Rage was released, bullying was condoned, and it all had the taint of evil.
Trump conned his supporters and his political party. No one knows what he really believed, and I don't think he did either. He just made it up as he went along, based on the boisterous reactions he got from his crowds.
Then reality set in. He won. Oh My God, he was going to be the President of the United States. Even Trump had to be taken back by that realization. He actually had to find a way to be presidential. He met with that good, kind and respectful man, President Obama, and he seems to have come away a bit more of a grown up. I am hearing now that he no longer plans to overturn the Affordable Care Act, but instead to revise it. And it does need some fixing.
The Congressional Republicans, who are in charge of both houses, are in for a bumpy ride. We all are. We really have no idea where any of this is going.
I can only have a glimmer of hope now that President Trump will not resemble Candidate Trump. We have him as our president for four years at least. We need to have some good come out of it. Please.
And still, at the end of this week, I remain deeply sad that I did not have the opportunity to celebrate the election of the first woman to be President of the United States. I have been a supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton for twenty-five years. I really wanted to be able to call her Madame President.
Hillary was hampered by being an educated and smart, competent, experienced, and (worst of all) ambitious woman. Never mind that she was qualified far more than the other candidate. I fear, given the apparent political savvy of the American populace, that we will have someone like Kim Kardashian as our first female president. I am disappointed beyond belief. Things happen for a reason though. I can't imagine what that reason might be,
ReplyDeleteI love how you think, Olga, and thanks for the laugh!
DeleteIt's a tough situation. With such a bitter campaign with all kinds of intolerant yelling, it will be difficult to bridge wounds and pull together.
ReplyDeleteYes, this has certainly been difficult but I'm adjusting or as my grandson said today "I've accepted it." Matthew Dowd said today to watch closely who he appoints as staff in the White House. More important than who he appoints as cabinet. I view this situation as a stop. A stop to progress and human rights was placed on the country Tuesday night. It will remain so for the length of this presidency. I'm not so worried about what he's said he will take away. Republicans have been threatening since the 30s when they opposed The New Deal. Since then they talk big about rolling back big government, The New Deal, The Great Society, Medicare, Social Security and the list goes on but it doesn't happen. Our job now is to put our shoulders to the wheels the next four years to try and prevent the wheels of progress from slipping back until we can again capture the White House.
ReplyDeleteI am definitely more pissed off at his stupid followers than I am the man himself. (at this juncture.) I think they are all jack-asses, but when half your family (or more) and your boss voted for him, I have to bite my tongue big time. I hope this is the beginning of the end of the Republican party, but if it is, we are all screwed. :: sigh ::
ReplyDeleteI am sorry the election didn't go as you hoped. Time will reveal his true intentions. Take care.
ReplyDeleteYour evolution this week has closely followed mine. I was so devastated that I couldn't sleep, and I am glad that I only looked for tickets to the Inauguration and hadn't made them yet. But I also was a supporter, although Bernie was my first choice, I'm glad that he is looking for ways to restore the Democratic Party. We're definitely in for a rough ride, but I am more hopeful today than I was three days ago. I will survive 11/9. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm stuck somewhere between depression and anger. I might be stalled there for a while.
ReplyDeleteLike Sharon above I'm also stuck somewhere between depression and anger. Mostly anger. I'm also having trouble sleeping. And I'm starting to worry much more about his followers than I am about him. I keep reading about how the people who voted for him felt unrepresented. Like, straight bigoted white men haven't ever had a say in governing us.
ReplyDeleteYes, many of us are still in shock as he begins back tracking on his statements. I'm no longer watching the news.
ReplyDeleteI think we will all be surprised by this man as he assumes office. I agree with you that the candidate and the real man are two different creatures. I think we will have less to fear and they will be a bit shocked as his promises fall by the wayside as reality and his true feelings surface. It will be an interesting time ahead.
ReplyDeleteI was in a tour bus in South Korea when we got the news. The entire bus was devastated and couldn't believe it. Our South Korean tour guide said she'd been getting updates constantly because her colleagues were all worried. They feel that South Korea will be LESS safe now since Trump is so belligerent. They feel the world will be less safe. My son tells me to remember that the sun will still shine, the birds will still sing and I should move forward. Sigh... I'm trying. I'm trying.
ReplyDeleteYou're a stronger person than I am: I can't bring myself to place the words "President" and "Trump" next to each other.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could have written this blog entry. You wrote was is in my heart and mind, Linda. I'm still in the grieving stage. I have accepted the fact that DT will be our president and I will take a wait and see approach but I am also preparing to join any watch dog group that will help keep him exposed if he goes off the rails. ACLU and Southern Law Poverty Center, etc. We have a few months to mourn but then we have to get back in the game to fight for what is right and decent.
ReplyDeleteI am not devastated right now, though I voted for Clinton. Let's give Trump a chance to prove that he is a reasonable and rational president.
ReplyDeleteI am also very deeply sad. I want to accept that things happen for a reason and that there is something that we need to learn from this election, but mostly I just want to scream and cry.
ReplyDeleteAftermath? Recess. Then we go to specialists, then writing, lunch, and reading... Oh you were talking about something entirely different. Such a roller coaster ride of emotions this has been. With you, I'm hoping for something positive to come of the president vs candidate.
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