We read to learn we’re not alone, right, so it really helped to hear you echo a lot of my own thoughts and internal debates. If you HAD been reading political articles this past week, you’d learn that the Democratic Party has gotten a spanking, as many think we must become better at everything (to lure bigots, low-information voters, etc.). Which is annoying. I love how the Republican Party can put forth Trump, yet the Democratic Party has to be perfect and become Jedi masters. But actually maybe it isn’t so complicated. I think we have to do what we should’ve done this past election: 1) Run a white hetero guy candidate with side-parted hair 2) Constantly repeat simple, clear, compelling messaging that would appeal to even a person who only gives a shit about themselves, and 3) Become way better at trumpeting every problem the administration is solving successfully AND constantly call out Republicans for blocking passage of policies that benefit the majority. Okay, I’m sorry for this long comment. YAY YOU FOR RUNNING THE MARATHON!!
To me, a problem with the “Just let Trump do his thing and let them get what they deserve,” is that it seems to be predicated on the idea that they will ever acknowledge that the consequences are a result of their own actions. That’s not how this will work. There will always be someone to blame. If tariffs cause avocados to cost $20 each, of course that’s not Trump’s fault, but rather the fault of Biden/Democrats/Mexico/Transgenders/Woke. I don’t think there’s ever any amount of evidence that would persuade these people that they were wrong. And no matter how bad it gets, Trump will tell them they’re winning.
You said exactly what I came here to say. Trump is a master at deflecting blame, and his supporters always buy it. "Let Trump be Trump" might mean we'll have a worse America and still be no closer to breaking the MAGA fever.
Well written as always. The part that disturbs me about the election is that a majority of the people in this country do not read anything but Facebook posts. I call it the dumbing down of America and they are going to keep ruling the U.S. for the foreseeable future.
And I know the Dems will never do it, but 100% agree with JVL.
In my life I want to see a political party hoist one’s own petard, unencumbered, right now.
And then we can try to find common ground after the post mass deportations $25 head of lettuce, collapse of NATO/Ukraine, every 4 year old’s teeth falling out/suffering through measles.
And I’m not going to know about any of it because I will only be reading the sports page and doing wordle…
I could not have said it better. I really hoped to see Harris and Walz in charge but it will not happen. My granddaughter, an ICU nurse, texted me after he was declared the winner. She said she was so depressed at our fellow citizens and their cruelty. And, then she added “I also just had to tell you how much I love you. I’m so glad we have our wonderful family. We’ll get through this together.” We will.
And then a friend posted this message from Barbara Kingsolver, one of my favorite authors:
Truth and love have been smacked down so many more times in history before today. Truth because it’s often inconvenient, and love because it is vulnerable.
But truth is like gravity and carbon, and the sun behind an eclipse: it’s still there. And love stays alive if you tend it like a flame. If you feel crushed by unkindness today, it ‘s a time for grieving, reaching out to loved ones, noticing one bright color somewhere in the day. Remembering what there is to love. Starting with the immediate, the place and people we can tend ourselves and make safe. We can’t save everything all at once, but it’s still worth saving something. Because there are so many of us to do it.
And, we are still here today, exactly as we were yesterday. Like gravity and carbon and the sun behind an eclipse.
Will, I think your piece hit all my emotions. I have several Republican friends who told me before the election they can't stand Trump, but will vote for him anyway, or just not vote for a President, because they just can't bring themselves to vote for a Democrat. Trump has successfully just lowered most of the electorate now to his level. It's scary and depressing. I don't see us coming out of this garbage hole anytime soon.
One thing I'm not doing, is letting that dude have control of my news cycle like he did from 2016-2020. I'm going to do my damndest to turn myself into one of those aloof dudes that "doesn't really follow the news or politics." I realize as a nearly 40 yr old white dude, that is a privilege. But I am evoking that privilege. I've got 2 kids and another on the way. I'll spend my time raising them, watching my teams and movies.
This is right, and I'll try to focus on it, but I do think I need to keep some sort of balance. I won't let him hijack my life. But hiding my head in the sand just gives him what he wants.
I feel like America just elected the bully from “A Christmas Story.” (Again.) We didn’t have to elect him. There was someone pretty normal who was not “the bully from ‘A Christmas Story’” running against him. We had a choice! And we said, “Nope! The bully from ‘A Christmas Story’ is my guy! Sign me up!”
The Democrats should get some slack, by the way. There were actual other Republicans who ran against Trump in the primaries and THEY couldn’t beat him, either. The bully from “A Christmas Story” calls Nicky Haley “bird brain” and makes fun of her deployed husband and Republicans STILL said, “No problem! Bully for me, please!”
Normal politicians from any party could not beat him because enough Americans did not want what a normal politician would offer. During her campaign, Haley said that America could not afford four more years of the chaos that another Trump presidency would bring. We shall see how right she was.
And Nicki Haley still endorsed him and publicly said she was waiting to campaign for him! The desire of her and Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and everyone else Trump insulted to say “thank you sir, may I have another?” never ceases to amaze me.
Friend, I sympathize with a lot of this, but (as with your Kamala Harris column) I think you're WAY overstating her appeal as a candidate. She was pretty objectively awful and made many unforced errors, one after another.
I can only hope the Democrats see how their support tanked in almost every meaningful demographic and do some real soul-searching about what they may be doing wrong, but the immediate response I've seen is not encouraging. It's basically lots of folks doing the Principal Skinner meme, over and over.
I grew up visiting my grandparents in Maryland just outside of DC. I loved the Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo, and the sporting events I attended with family. Seeing them always brought a smile to my face. Just walking through the National Mall made me feel patriotic. I have never felt less connected to that version of myself than I do now.
Also, I drafted Will Riley in my fantasy NCAA league and it looks like he’s a keeper.
I watched a clip of Trump in Detroit where he raged about how he hates to pay workers overtime and how he'll look into making OT illegal. The crowd cheered loudly. In Detroit. That's scary.
More than anything I'm disappointed that half the country is still so naive and blind to his BS.
I thought people here were more intelligent than that.
Shock. Grief. Wondering how this outcome happened. Wondering how I so colossally misjudged the collective will of the nation. But this time Trump won; this time I don’t feel the white-hot rage I did in 2016. We straight up lost. As for how to deal with Trump 2.0, I fall somewhere between you and JVL. There’s a lesson in there somewhere, but that can wait until we’re ready to examine it.
We read to learn we’re not alone, right, so it really helped to hear you echo a lot of my own thoughts and internal debates. If you HAD been reading political articles this past week, you’d learn that the Democratic Party has gotten a spanking, as many think we must become better at everything (to lure bigots, low-information voters, etc.). Which is annoying. I love how the Republican Party can put forth Trump, yet the Democratic Party has to be perfect and become Jedi masters. But actually maybe it isn’t so complicated. I think we have to do what we should’ve done this past election: 1) Run a white hetero guy candidate with side-parted hair 2) Constantly repeat simple, clear, compelling messaging that would appeal to even a person who only gives a shit about themselves, and 3) Become way better at trumpeting every problem the administration is solving successfully AND constantly call out Republicans for blocking passage of policies that benefit the majority. Okay, I’m sorry for this long comment. YAY YOU FOR RUNNING THE MARATHON!!
Courtney, you've just proven yourself smarter than all the Democratic consultants!
My sister-in-law has met Carville. Maybe she can get my plan of attack to him and he can disseminate it amongst Democratic Party leaders. 😂
To me, a problem with the “Just let Trump do his thing and let them get what they deserve,” is that it seems to be predicated on the idea that they will ever acknowledge that the consequences are a result of their own actions. That’s not how this will work. There will always be someone to blame. If tariffs cause avocados to cost $20 each, of course that’s not Trump’s fault, but rather the fault of Biden/Democrats/Mexico/Transgenders/Woke. I don’t think there’s ever any amount of evidence that would persuade these people that they were wrong. And no matter how bad it gets, Trump will tell them they’re winning.
I think you're right about this. I think the piece speaks more emotionally to the moment than realistically (or morally).
You said exactly what I came here to say. Trump is a master at deflecting blame, and his supporters always buy it. "Let Trump be Trump" might mean we'll have a worse America and still be no closer to breaking the MAGA fever.
Once Trump destroys the economy the American people will wake up, or at least a majority of them (I hope).
Hearing some of the reasons South Texas Hispanics swung for Trump was hilarious/disheartening.
They don't call them "low information voters" for nothing.
I have a more choice word to describe them.....
Well written as always. The part that disturbs me about the election is that a majority of the people in this country do not read anything but Facebook posts. I call it the dumbing down of America and they are going to keep ruling the U.S. for the foreseeable future.
very well said!
Well said young Will, well said.
Congrats on the marathon!
And I know the Dems will never do it, but 100% agree with JVL.
In my life I want to see a political party hoist one’s own petard, unencumbered, right now.
And then we can try to find common ground after the post mass deportations $25 head of lettuce, collapse of NATO/Ukraine, every 4 year old’s teeth falling out/suffering through measles.
And I’m not going to know about any of it because I will only be reading the sports page and doing wordle…
I could not have said it better. I really hoped to see Harris and Walz in charge but it will not happen. My granddaughter, an ICU nurse, texted me after he was declared the winner. She said she was so depressed at our fellow citizens and their cruelty. And, then she added “I also just had to tell you how much I love you. I’m so glad we have our wonderful family. We’ll get through this together.” We will.
And then a friend posted this message from Barbara Kingsolver, one of my favorite authors:
Truth and love have been smacked down so many more times in history before today. Truth because it’s often inconvenient, and love because it is vulnerable.
But truth is like gravity and carbon, and the sun behind an eclipse: it’s still there. And love stays alive if you tend it like a flame. If you feel crushed by unkindness today, it ‘s a time for grieving, reaching out to loved ones, noticing one bright color somewhere in the day. Remembering what there is to love. Starting with the immediate, the place and people we can tend ourselves and make safe. We can’t save everything all at once, but it’s still worth saving something. Because there are so many of us to do it.
And, we are still here today, exactly as we were yesterday. Like gravity and carbon and the sun behind an eclipse.
Excellent article Everyone hurting including my family and friends
started using a term many years ago, cultural arrogance. Basically that means we think everyone else thinks as we do
Prime example; Cheney et Al thinking they could establish Democracy in Afghanistan
I learned a long time ago to get out of my head and try to understand how the other person thinks and feels
Otherwise I’m just still in my ego
I’ve realized for a good many years that the anger was out there I first heard it out of my youngest brother and some of his friends
But I intellectualized it. I didn’t feel it
Reading Gabes column on Wednesday I moved it from my head to my heart
If I am not the problem there is no solution
Yes, helpful.
Will, I think your piece hit all my emotions. I have several Republican friends who told me before the election they can't stand Trump, but will vote for him anyway, or just not vote for a President, because they just can't bring themselves to vote for a Democrat. Trump has successfully just lowered most of the electorate now to his level. It's scary and depressing. I don't see us coming out of this garbage hole anytime soon.
They'd rather hold their nose and hurt America and I can't wrap my head around that.....
One thing I'm not doing, is letting that dude have control of my news cycle like he did from 2016-2020. I'm going to do my damndest to turn myself into one of those aloof dudes that "doesn't really follow the news or politics." I realize as a nearly 40 yr old white dude, that is a privilege. But I am evoking that privilege. I've got 2 kids and another on the way. I'll spend my time raising them, watching my teams and movies.
This is right, and I'll try to focus on it, but I do think I need to keep some sort of balance. I won't let him hijack my life. But hiding my head in the sand just gives him what he wants.
I feel like America just elected the bully from “A Christmas Story.” (Again.) We didn’t have to elect him. There was someone pretty normal who was not “the bully from ‘A Christmas Story’” running against him. We had a choice! And we said, “Nope! The bully from ‘A Christmas Story’ is my guy! Sign me up!”
The Democrats should get some slack, by the way. There were actual other Republicans who ran against Trump in the primaries and THEY couldn’t beat him, either. The bully from “A Christmas Story” calls Nicky Haley “bird brain” and makes fun of her deployed husband and Republicans STILL said, “No problem! Bully for me, please!”
Normal politicians from any party could not beat him because enough Americans did not want what a normal politician would offer. During her campaign, Haley said that America could not afford four more years of the chaos that another Trump presidency would bring. We shall see how right she was.
And Nicki Haley still endorsed him and publicly said she was waiting to campaign for him! The desire of her and Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and everyone else Trump insulted to say “thank you sir, may I have another?” never ceases to amaze me.
They're afraid of his rabid fan base and his ultra right wing billionaire supporters who will primary any critics of the dear leader.....
I agree with what Russ Robinson wrote.
I respect you very much Will and I appreciate you!
Friend, I sympathize with a lot of this, but (as with your Kamala Harris column) I think you're WAY overstating her appeal as a candidate. She was pretty objectively awful and made many unforced errors, one after another.
I can only hope the Democrats see how their support tanked in almost every meaningful demographic and do some real soul-searching about what they may be doing wrong, but the immediate response I've seen is not encouraging. It's basically lots of folks doing the Principal Skinner meme, over and over.
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/am-i-so-out-of-touch
I grew up visiting my grandparents in Maryland just outside of DC. I loved the Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo, and the sporting events I attended with family. Seeing them always brought a smile to my face. Just walking through the National Mall made me feel patriotic. I have never felt less connected to that version of myself than I do now.
Also, I drafted Will Riley in my fantasy NCAA league and it looks like he’s a keeper.
I watched a clip of Trump in Detroit where he raged about how he hates to pay workers overtime and how he'll look into making OT illegal. The crowd cheered loudly. In Detroit. That's scary.
More than anything I'm disappointed that half the country is still so naive and blind to his BS.
I thought people here were more intelligent than that.
Nope.aaàà
Shock. Grief. Wondering how this outcome happened. Wondering how I so colossally misjudged the collective will of the nation. But this time Trump won; this time I don’t feel the white-hot rage I did in 2016. We straight up lost. As for how to deal with Trump 2.0, I fall somewhere between you and JVL. There’s a lesson in there somewhere, but that can wait until we’re ready to examine it.