Please ask why we didn't have more viable choices. Ask and ask often.
After I finished laughing at Saturday Night Live and the many times that they portrayed the possibility of a President Trump as preposterous, I found myself resenting how easily we allow a ratings-hungry media to not only tap into--but to basically conduct an Election. Don't get me wrong: I'll probably watch Kate McKinnon as Hillary at least once a week for the rest of my life. But I realized that, more often than not, SNL and most media outlets came across as smug and cocky on the side of a candidate who had neither the timing nor the love of the public that affords one to be smug and cocky. I realized that when we spent all of the time that we did laughing at Trump (and again, don't get me wrong: I see why), that translated to making fun of people who wanted different options than what they were presented. You had to be a bigot and a sexist to vote for the guy--or to vote against Hillary. No ifs, ands or buts. End of story.
The American public could handle being called stupid--god knows they'd heard it enough over the years--but they drew the line at being told they were honorary members of the KKK if they differed in their opinion. Just like Trump called out a differently-abled reporter, Progressives called out that American who happened to be more concerned with their wallet than social issues--and basically told them that they obviously wanted every minority eradicated from Earth. And that's one of the many reasons why Trump will be inaugurated tomorrow instead of Hillary: it was easy to vote against not only a candidate, but a group of people who so openly despise you for something you are not, even if there is guilt by association. Spite sucks. The Left movement is often associated with throwing paint on fur coats, anarchy and setting Hummers on fire. I consider myself a Left-leaning individual, but I wouldn't participate in any of those things. Not every single Trump supporter should have been marked as an idiot or a skinhead. Voters are going to address their own economic situation and/or fears--be they realistic or imaginary--and place their own needs first. That's how Equality, Climate Change and other issues tend to take a backseat--not always because of a deep-rooted hatred. Did ignorance, sexism, racism and homophobia play a part in the divisiveness of this election? You bet it did. But did every Trump supporter go to the polls for him because they hate all minorities? Did every Clinton supporter go to the polls for her because they supported the slimy way in which she was elevated to the nomination?
From the Democrats, I would've liked to have seen someone with the youth and Washington-outsider status of Martin O'Malley and the centrism of Bill Clinton, circa 1992 with just a touch--and I mean a sliver--of Bernie Sanders populism and a good serving of Elizabeth Warren's genius. We didn't have that in 2016. I don't know who that person was or under what rock they were/are hiding--but I know they exist and we need to find them by 2019.
From the GOP, John Kasich would've been the best bet--although I would've been more likely to vote for former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman. Both of these men were too nice for the Republicans who were in charge this year; too moderate, too sensible.
In a nutshell, both of these parties allowed themselves to be hijacked by their own extremes. America is not Conservative, nor is it Liberal. We are a moderate country. And when you nominate the likes of Trump, Clinton or flirt with Bernie, you scare the hell out of most moderates. Voters were forced into one of the nastiest choices ever--and the divided result is obvious. I didn't make the rules, folks. And unless we have the balls to change them, this is the hand that we're dealt.
So, come 2019/20 and a Draft Hillary or Draft Bernie movement emerges, don't be surprised when I start campaigning loudly against both. And as much as I respect you, Senator Warren, you stay home, too. If we run another far-Left candidate against Trump--no matter how much we like Her/him, we're setting ourselves up for the same failure of 2016. Websters tells us that the definition of insanity is attempting the same idea over and over again and expecting different results. Besides: let's let the cat out of the bag here: you don't like Hillary, anyway. You never did. Not in '08--and only in '16 because you were told to and she sounded better than the alternative. Screw that. You deserve better and so do I. Plus, just like Bernie, all of the players in 2016 will definitely be too damned old then (while I refuse to accept the labels 'bigot' or 'sexist', when it comes to the health of our nation, I'll certainly accept 'ageist'.) Fresh, non-career politicians, people. Start the search. Go.
As for fears surrounding the GOP/conservative takeover, please calm down for a moment to look at our history. We have a long torrent of progress at our advantage, even as the pendulum swings every four-to-eight years. In 2000, the election was on the heels of one of the most arguably Liberal administrations up to that time. In 2008, we traded in one of the most Conservative presidents for an even more Liberal chief. And here we are today. Just as the 'Defense of Marriage Act' resulted in civil unions followed by eventual Marriage Equality, just like the increased segregation of the fifties led to the Civil Rights Act of '64--we can only regress so much before we return to natural progression. To be sure, there will be legislation that with which we emphatically disagree. Success was so ripe in some areas of the Obama Administration that the Election took some of us off guard: we forgot that we don't always win.
But we eventually did--and we eventually will. We will not get there by dismissing differing opinions as stupid. We will not showcase our Will, our Worth and our points of view by reacting more to propaganda than to real issues. POTUS #44 didn't get kicked out of office after four years of people claiming he was an evil, golf-course-living Muslim born in Kenya--and POTUS #45 won't be kicked out in four years because you scream how he's a Twitter-happy, money-grubbing tangerine with a trashy spouse. As difficult as it is in theory, I really agree with our outgoing First Lady: "When they go low, we go high." Issues, people. Issues.
Some of you wont want to understand this, but I continue to wish President Trump the best. Again: I didn't vote for him. I don't care for him and I think he's in way over his head. But I'll always wish each President the best as the task of governing our nation is daunting and not for the faint of heart. George W. Bush was my President. Barack Obama was my President. I'm giving Trump the chance to do things right--and it's my duty and yours as a voting, taxpaying American to sure as hell let him know when he isn't.
In the meantime, four important things that I commit to work on when and where possible:
**-Look for socially-moderate-to-left, fiscally-moderate, non-career politician
candidates, especially those who can contribute to shattering glass ceilings.
Remember that I must evaluate their positions on all issues--not just one or two.
**-Help my fellow citizens to understand that their decades-old political parties
are as loyal to your interests as they are to their donors.
**-Open dialogues and remain civil with those willing to do the same.
**-Be more discerning in where I receive my information.
In 2017, that's the change I can believe in.
From the Democrats, I would've liked to have seen someone with the youth and Washington-outsider status of Martin O'Malley and the centrism of Bill Clinton, circa 1992 with just a touch--and I mean a sliver--of Bernie Sanders populism and a good serving of Elizabeth Warren's genius. We didn't have that in 2016. I don't know who that person was or under what rock they were/are hiding--but I know they exist and we need to find them by 2019.
From the GOP, John Kasich would've been the best bet--although I would've been more likely to vote for former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman. Both of these men were too nice for the Republicans who were in charge this year; too moderate, too sensible.
In a nutshell, both of these parties allowed themselves to be hijacked by their own extremes. America is not Conservative, nor is it Liberal. We are a moderate country. And when you nominate the likes of Trump, Clinton or flirt with Bernie, you scare the hell out of most moderates. Voters were forced into one of the nastiest choices ever--and the divided result is obvious. I didn't make the rules, folks. And unless we have the balls to change them, this is the hand that we're dealt.
So, come 2019/20 and a Draft Hillary or Draft Bernie movement emerges, don't be surprised when I start campaigning loudly against both. And as much as I respect you, Senator Warren, you stay home, too. If we run another far-Left candidate against Trump--no matter how much we like Her/him, we're setting ourselves up for the same failure of 2016. Websters tells us that the definition of insanity is attempting the same idea over and over again and expecting different results. Besides: let's let the cat out of the bag here: you don't like Hillary, anyway. You never did. Not in '08--and only in '16 because you were told to and she sounded better than the alternative. Screw that. You deserve better and so do I. Plus, just like Bernie, all of the players in 2016 will definitely be too damned old then (while I refuse to accept the labels 'bigot' or 'sexist', when it comes to the health of our nation, I'll certainly accept 'ageist'.) Fresh, non-career politicians, people. Start the search. Go.
As for fears surrounding the GOP/conservative takeover, please calm down for a moment to look at our history. We have a long torrent of progress at our advantage, even as the pendulum swings every four-to-eight years. In 2000, the election was on the heels of one of the most arguably Liberal administrations up to that time. In 2008, we traded in one of the most Conservative presidents for an even more Liberal chief. And here we are today. Just as the 'Defense of Marriage Act' resulted in civil unions followed by eventual Marriage Equality, just like the increased segregation of the fifties led to the Civil Rights Act of '64--we can only regress so much before we return to natural progression. To be sure, there will be legislation that with which we emphatically disagree. Success was so ripe in some areas of the Obama Administration that the Election took some of us off guard: we forgot that we don't always win.
But we eventually did--and we eventually will. We will not get there by dismissing differing opinions as stupid. We will not showcase our Will, our Worth and our points of view by reacting more to propaganda than to real issues. POTUS #44 didn't get kicked out of office after four years of people claiming he was an evil, golf-course-living Muslim born in Kenya--and POTUS #45 won't be kicked out in four years because you scream how he's a Twitter-happy, money-grubbing tangerine with a trashy spouse. As difficult as it is in theory, I really agree with our outgoing First Lady: "When they go low, we go high." Issues, people. Issues.
Some of you wont want to understand this, but I continue to wish President Trump the best. Again: I didn't vote for him. I don't care for him and I think he's in way over his head. But I'll always wish each President the best as the task of governing our nation is daunting and not for the faint of heart. George W. Bush was my President. Barack Obama was my President. I'm giving Trump the chance to do things right--and it's my duty and yours as a voting, taxpaying American to sure as hell let him know when he isn't.
In the meantime, four important things that I commit to work on when and where possible:
**-Look for socially-moderate-to-left, fiscally-moderate, non-career politician
candidates, especially those who can contribute to shattering glass ceilings.
Remember that I must evaluate their positions on all issues--not just one or two.
**-Help my fellow citizens to understand that their decades-old political parties
are as loyal to your interests as they are to their donors.
**-Open dialogues and remain civil with those willing to do the same.
**-Be more discerning in where I receive my information.
In 2017, that's the change I can believe in.
