So Donald Trump is President-elect. For all the usual reasons, that is an election outcome I fervently hoped would not come to pass. During the campaign I didn't even want to mention his name, but I can't keep that up for four years.
Now protesters are exercising their right of free speech and assembly, but if their gatherings are mere expressions of hatred and bursts of vandalism, they will become isolated. Democrats should resist President Trump where he is wrong and support him where he is right. For the sake of national sanity, we must look for common ground. Trump has taken a number of conservative stands, but he seems not to have an ideology. And he touts his deal-making skills, offering hope that that he will not give the right everything they want. Yes, he will probably make them happy with his next Supreme Court pick, but justices are independent--for example, President Eisenhower appointed Earl Warren and later said it was the worst mistake he'd ever made. Whether a Trump appointee will one day overturn Roe v. Wade is a distinct possibility, and Democrats should fight hard to block such a person. But we shouldn't do what Mitch McConnell did, blocking any nominee no matter the qualifications.
By the way, my voting record hasn't been all that successful since my first vote for LBJ back in 1964: six wins and eight losses, which break down thus:
64 W 80 L 96 W 12 W
68 L 84 L 00 L 16 L
72 L 88 L 04 L
76 W 92 W 08 W
Monday, November 14, 2016
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3 comments:
It's history now, and the process has shown how much hate has been built up by the very groups that support Trump. He encouraged roughing up the opposition during campaign, and we think this peacock will change his colours? I have little faith in his doing a good job, but I'd be glad to be wrong.
Many of those asking that we give Trump a chance have done nothing but bash Obama for years. Why should this man, Trump be treated any different? He has to prove himself and do it without corruption. I worry about my family that lives in the States, and how Trumpism will work with other countries, including Canada.
I'm scared, Bob. Really. And I don't even live in the US. I'm scared because of what this means in terms of the swing over to the right... It's happened (and happening) in Europe already, and I fervently hoped that the US wouldn't follow that trend. The world desperately needs a beacon for human rights and civil liberties, and I thought we could trust the US to be that. Now that it's lost, I'm not really sure where to look to find another one.
Guilie @ Quiet Laughter
Guilie, I'm scared too. Will midnight tweets become policy? He just tweeted about criminalizing flag-burning, which almost never occurs here in the States. George H. W. Bush was the last president to make it a campaign issue, and it was a phony issue then as well. Look, I love my country and our flag. I would never disrespect it. If anyone burns it, spits on it, or sews it onto the ass end of their jeans, I will be offended. But the United States allows offensive speech under the First Amendment.
My worry though is not only what Trump may do, but what others may do while invoking his name. I fear the haters will ooze out of the woodwork and bash Muslims and others who are different.
Let's keep the faith. We have to watch the man closely and stand up to him.
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