Let’s face it, after a presidential election, roughly half of American voters are thrilled and the other half are upset. Rarely is an election a run away anymore. Not since Reagan in 1984 (nearly 59%) has a president won with more than 55% of the popular vote.(http://ropercenter.cornell.edu/polls/us-elections/popular-vote/) Most presidents are elected with 45-55% of the popular vote.
I feel compelled to mention the following: Because of the negativity surrounding both major candidates, I decided about a month before the election (when I was still unsure of how I would be voting) that I would not tell anyone who I chose to vote for. Even my husband does not know who I voted for, and I plan to keep it that way. The way I see it, you have five basic choices in each presidential election; Democrat, Republican, Third Party, Write In, or stay home and not vote. In the six elections that I have voted in prior to this one, I have voted twice Democrat, twice Republican, once Third Party and once I wrote in a candidate. So, I am truly an independent voter and have no real affiliation for either major party.
I think what scares half of Americans after this election is the same thing that excites the other half- Trump is not a politician. For sure, he’s going to shake things up. That could go very badly or it could go very well, that remains to be seen. But he is going to be the next president and he needs to be given a chance.
Some things to consider:
- No one runs this country alone. Trump is a smart, successful businessman. He’ll surround himself with people whose strengths will be utilized to their fullest.
- His campaign promises will be tempered by sanity. He will adjust the extremes to align with reality. Cooler heads will prevail. “Campaigning is not governing” I have heard the pundits say.
- Our country has weathered worse; we can withstand anything for four years.
- The beauty of term limits and re-elections. An opportunity for change presents itself every four years.
No president can change this country single-handedly in four short years. President Obama made changes that some weren’t happy with and now Trump will tweak them back a bit (Obamacare, for instance). It’s all give and take, the pendulum swings left and right over time, as it should. No one man or administration can bring our country down. Our foundation was built stronger than that and we are better than that as a people.
Incidentally, if Clinton had gotten in, most of what I just wrote would still apply.
Built-In Safeguards
If you think about the magnificent job our founding fathers did in crafting the constitution, the document our country is based on, you will realize that they took into account so many possibilities of error, failure and circumstances and adjusted for it.
Separation of powers, checks and balances, safeguards, the whole nine yards. I don’t claim to understand it all, but it works, and it works well. We are still standing. We have survived good presidents, bad presidents, riots, protests, scandals, impeachments, the pendulum swinging left and right, and we still manage to be the greatest Republic on earth.
No single administration, in four or eight years can destroy America. Our country was founded on Judeo-Christian values and I believe that the Constitution was divinely inspired. It is no secret that the founding fathers were men of faith and I believe that God’s guidance played a role in these men coming up with such a beautiful, complete, all-encompassing plan of governance. The foresight they had was astounding. So respected is this document, that over 100 countries have used our constitution as a template for their own. (for a great website on our constitution visit http://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-constitution-amendments/ )
Another good website to check out is by Tara Ross, a retired lawyer and author of several books on American history and government. She does an excellent job explaining the electoral college here:://www.taraross.com/2016/10/electoral-college-myth-8-candidates-who-lose-the-popular-vote-shouldnt-win-the-white-house-the-system-is-rigged/
Come back next time for part II on this topic
So I will try to make this brief and respectful. Here are a few reasons why I fear a Trump presidency. Firstly, you’re right that “no one runs this country alone,” but so far the “team” Trump has surrounded himself with includes Breitbart’s Steve Bannon and Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions. I just don’t see these people as “cooler heads.”
Then there’s Roe v. Wade. If you believe in Roe v. Wade, as I do, then you would be fearful of a pro-life leaning Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade. I won’t go into all of my arguments for being pro-choice, and this was a position it took me years to come to, but I do believe it is better than unsafe “bedroom abortions.” Not all women will be able to “go to another state” as Trump suggested in his 60 Minutes interview.
As an African-American, I am also afraid of Trump. Why? Well, for one thing, he calls us “the blacks.” He has a condescending and false perception of the average black person in America. “What do you have to lose?” Um, plenty. Increased police brutality, loss of civil rights, the end of affirmative action (which is at its base an acknowledgement that historical and everyday racism makes life really, really difficult for black people), increased racism. Related to this, he has not called out some of his supporters for their blatant racism. And saying “Stop it” to the cameras during his 60 Minutes interview is not enough. It is why I am afraid to let my son go out with his friends. Why I am fearful for his college years, when he is on his own for the first time. And this isn’t just a fear for African Americans. Ask Muslim Americans who are experiencing an increase in Islamophobia-related harassment and violence. Or Mexican-American children who face the taunting of their peers at school.
If you are an immigrant, you might be fearful that if Trump follows through on his campaign promises, that deportations could break up your family. This also creates a climate where certain people will be more likely stopped by the police to make sure they have proper ID.
I fear the rise of a resurgent imperial Russia. I fear an even bigger national deficit as we lower taxes (especially for the top 1%), pay for a wall that won’t work, pay for a Muslim registry that also won’t work (Bush already tried it), and pay for a $20 billion grant program to encourage states to expand school choice (a move that would decimate public education).
So I’m trying to be proactive. Getting involved in those campaigns that support the causes I believe in. Being extra nice to everyone and avoiding those who do not return the favor. Reading the news, the real news, so that I stay informed. Discussing this with my children, so that they grow up to become active, politically engaged members of our country. And trying to dialogue with good people like you.
Valerie, Thank you so much for your response. I share many of your concerns and I appreciate your ability to be so honest and give such a well-thought-out reply. I Truly did not know who to vote for this election and i knew when I woke up the day after and found out who won, I would not be satisfied either way.
My feelings are that we had two very flawed candidates. I think many agree with that statement, at least to some degree. I guess I am trying to make the best out of what happened, and I would be doing the same if the election went the other way. I really wish to emphasize that fear itself is not helpful, but to put action behind it, stay informed and stay hopeful and positive.
Thanks again for responding and I hope you will check out part two, as you have addressed much of what I have to say in your final paragraph.