This is a stunning time and place. I couldnt even bring myself to talk about the election as it was such a moment in the time running up to the race, and then that dark night of hearing that this man who the press, pundits, pollsters, and policy wonks proclaimed definitively that "would not win the race". I was listening to every podcast around--seeking confirmation that no, Trump was in no way going to win. I was clicking on fivethirtyeight.com--looking for the data to tell me the same. There was so much confidence that someone as narcissistic and bloviating as this man is--would not con or trick the electorate into believing that he could do the job...but none of us "snowflakes" saw the mirror that Trump represented. Trump was "for" anything that the viewer saw. Want to protect your wealth? Vote for Trump! Want to take care of the "welfare moms"? Vote for Trump! Closet racist or misogynist? He speaks your language. Hateful of our first black president? Misunderstanding around health care? Want to carry your gun everywhere? Oh, yeah...Trump will bring back coal and at the same time, lighten and eliminate all structures around regulation. And his "back up band" of Bannon, Conway, Preibus, Miller and his cabinet of many misfits?
However...for each of those voters...they did not see the whole package until he ascended to the office with his weak fist bumps and spew that does not match the world we all surprisingly took for granted. And candidly, Hillary was not the person to represent the alternative viewpoint. As a Trump voter told me "Hillary already had her chance. It was time to let Trump have his chance." This is confounding...but I think this type of understanding is out there...and that the naivety and trust that many people have in leadership--is going to be challenged every day that Mr. Trump holds the reins of power.
Hillary was shrill. She had too much baggage with Bill which, though not fair--she had to bear the weight of. Hillary is a bright, hard working person but she could not compete with the con, and dazzle of the gold plated tin man and his third wife, "the model". The Dems did not organize well, did not have a compelling platform about change, and presented "more of the same" which albeit the majority wanted to continue--the electoral college presented the votes of the few to be those that swayed the election. And candidly though many talk about how Trump represents change--so did Hillary by changing the dynamic and having a country run by a woman. But that was a step too far. It is a world of change...from industry to information--from an all white ruling class to that of a multitude of race/creed/gender/ religion--and this is something that the norm is not ready to give up...thought they have no control or choice in this massive change. This vote was for that too.
And then Trump won. It was a moment, when I woke up at 3 a.m. and checked social media to see that he had taken the race. It was that sick, sick feeling that it wasnt just a regular loss like other republicans, but more a loss of innocence. It was that feeling I had on 9/11....that moment that life as we knew it, was going to irreparably change. And you know, given the last month of chaos--I have to sorrowfully say-- I was right.