In 2004, when George W. Bush won re-election, I wrote a post called "Hope In A Hopeless World." The election of Donald Trump seems so much worse. Is there any hope now?
My 2004 post sounds positively hopeful, especially in comparison to how I feel now. But reading it over, some of my ideas still seem sound, if I may so. The main points, adapted for today, are:
1. Trump is not popular. Clinton is favored to win the popular vote. That means Trump is vulnerable, especially in the court of public opinion. That leaves a door open to mount an effective opposition to his probably-even-more-unpopular policies.
2. We still have the court of public opinion available to us. Republicans have been very savvy about using messaging when they lost. Why can't we?
3. I wrote then that rather than condemn the Swift Boat Vets (who went after John Kerry with a bogus, irrelevant issue), we could take a page from their playbook: Fasten on a single issue and hammer it home again, again and again. Wouldn't social media facilitate that? And isn't it what Trump did very successfully?
6. We have a lot of material to work with. Trump has so many shortcomings that sooner or later his chickens will probably come home to roost. Why not rush them along so that we don't go down the tubes along with him?
We know that Trump will not be able to implement all the things he has promised. We know that he will disappoint many of his followers. We know that there are lots of Republicans who do not like him. Our only hope seems to be a robust opposition. I'm not so sure there's a chance but... well, what do you guys think?
I don't know that I'll be able to watch Fox today. I feel like I need to take a breath and think about where to go from here.
Let's all take a time out and take stock.
Meanwhile, here's the song I thought of in 2004 and again this morning when I could not sleep.
Do you like this post?
David Lindsay commented
2016-11-09 14:42:15 -0500
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Effects your finances??? It’s gonna effect my life and health! I just started using Obama Care. After Jan. 20th, 2017, it’ll be gone, gone, gone for me and millions of other Americans.
I still can’t believe the results. I guess the majority of Americans are past racism but not sexism.
Ellen I don’t see Congress doing anything to Trump. Not in 2018 either cuz democrats won’t get off their goddamned asses to vote in an off year.
I still can’t believe the results. I guess the majority of Americans are past racism but not sexism.
Ellen I don’t see Congress doing anything to Trump. Not in 2018 either cuz democrats won’t get off their goddamned asses to vote in an off year.
Eyes On Fox commented
2016-11-09 14:13:48 -0500
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I thank you for trying to cheer me up. I really do but this isn’t a normal election nor a normal candidate. This election effects me and my finances and my future more than you’ll ever know or I’ll bore you with.
Then there’s the alt-right. If Fox News is the first floor open to sunlight mainstreaming propaganda from basement dwellers like Rush. Trump, Bannon and company are the sub-basement just 1 level up from the publishers of “The Crusader”.
I’m totally alienated from America and Americans. I don’t want to sound like a spoiled Hollywood star but if I could emigrate elsewhere as a practical matter I would. No kidding. No drama. I’m done with America as long as white hoodies are in fashion in the Rose Garden.
Then there’s the alt-right. If Fox News is the first floor open to sunlight mainstreaming propaganda from basement dwellers like Rush. Trump, Bannon and company are the sub-basement just 1 level up from the publishers of “The Crusader”.
I’m totally alienated from America and Americans. I don’t want to sound like a spoiled Hollywood star but if I could emigrate elsewhere as a practical matter I would. No kidding. No drama. I’m done with America as long as white hoodies are in fashion in the Rose Garden.
Richard Santalone commented
2016-11-09 13:53:00 -0500
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@ David Lindsay And mark my words: the CEOs of the major health insurance companies (Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, Humana, Anthem, etc.) are probably POPPING THE DOM PERIGNON in their swanky executive offices right now!
David Lindsay commented
2016-11-09 13:43:52 -0500
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What little semblance we had of nationalized health care will be thrown out the window. The republicans will also most probably do away with the prohibition on pre existing conditions. Think about that, you folks with regular insurance. Turn back the clock to 2008 cuz 2008-2016 never happened.
truman commented
2016-11-09 13:17:48 -0500
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Check back with Trump’s teabilly supporters in two years.
When their jobs don’t come back from China because Orange Donald and his business cronies love cheap foreign labor.
When their sons and grandsons are sent off to a bloody, costly war against Iran.
In two years, the teabillies will be yelling “Lock HIM up.”
When their jobs don’t come back from China because Orange Donald and his business cronies love cheap foreign labor.
When their sons and grandsons are sent off to a bloody, costly war against Iran.
In two years, the teabillies will be yelling “Lock HIM up.”
mj - the same one commented
2016-11-09 12:52:44 -0500
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I read a comment on Kos that was a spot-on summary:
(paraphrasing) The main difference between the way Drumpf’s opponents and supporters took him was this:
his opponents took him literally, but not seriously;
his supporters took him seriously, but not literally.
As for Donny “acting presidential”, I figure that’ll last about as long as it takes for him to sign enough EO’s to erase Obama’s legacy (ACA, etc.) — about one or two days — then, he’ll just turn over everything to Pence, since he’s demonstrated, through word and action, that the whole “governing” part of being POTUS isn’t all that appealing to him . . .
.
(paraphrasing) The main difference between the way Drumpf’s opponents and supporters took him was this:
his opponents took him literally, but not seriously;
his supporters took him seriously, but not literally.
As for Donny “acting presidential”, I figure that’ll last about as long as it takes for him to sign enough EO’s to erase Obama’s legacy (ACA, etc.) — about one or two days — then, he’ll just turn over everything to Pence, since he’s demonstrated, through word and action, that the whole “governing” part of being POTUS isn’t all that appealing to him . . .
.
Bemused commented
2016-11-09 12:33:12 -0500
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David
True, that, but I wouldn’t justify taking the law into one’s own hands. Mussolini was subjected to mob justice because he’d already risen from the ashes, the war had not yet ended and the Partigiani didn’t have the means to keep prisoners of his calibre. In any case, the USA already has quite enough of a reputation for killing its leaders: highest rate in the so-called developed world.
PS: Although Italians do have a somewhat justified reputation for being good people at heart, the Mussolini experience tells us that every society has exceptions and the goon squads, also Italians, did some pretty awful stuff. That’s typical when the ignorant and frustrated get a chance to do whatever they want. That’s when we get lynch mobs, torturers, serial killers, whatever. I’m scared at what will happen in the USA should The Donald actually decide to act presidential.
True, that, but I wouldn’t justify taking the law into one’s own hands. Mussolini was subjected to mob justice because he’d already risen from the ashes, the war had not yet ended and the Partigiani didn’t have the means to keep prisoners of his calibre. In any case, the USA already has quite enough of a reputation for killing its leaders: highest rate in the so-called developed world.
PS: Although Italians do have a somewhat justified reputation for being good people at heart, the Mussolini experience tells us that every society has exceptions and the goon squads, also Italians, did some pretty awful stuff. That’s typical when the ignorant and frustrated get a chance to do whatever they want. That’s when we get lynch mobs, torturers, serial killers, whatever. I’m scared at what will happen in the USA should The Donald actually decide to act presidential.
Ellen commented
2016-11-09 12:25:28 -0500
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I don’t think that will happen to Trump and I don’t believe in violence toward anyone, even him, but he is almost certainly headed for a bad end.
David Lindsay commented
2016-11-09 11:49:05 -0500
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Bemused the way it ended for Mussolini was he was hanged upside down by his fellow countrymen and stabbed to death with pitchforks. Italians really are good people at heart.
David Lindsay commented
2016-11-09 11:45:16 -0500
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Is this the American version of Brexit??
Good God!! We suffered Reagan. We suffered the idiot, W. I don’t think America has the luxury of a third stupid President.
Good God!! We suffered Reagan. We suffered the idiot, W. I don’t think America has the luxury of a third stupid President.
Ellen commented
2016-11-09 11:31:37 -0500
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It’s hard to imagine anyone worse than Trump but Pence may be it.
Bemused commented
2016-11-09 10:28:01 -0500
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David,
You can bet your warmest pair of socks that Putin was chuckling in his vodka as he witnessed the beacon of democracy elect a person who does not seem to have ever read the Constitution, let along share the values laid down, therein. I deem myself to have been lucky to have had a history teacher in high school who believed in studying that document. A former Marine, he’d won a full slate of medals for having fought against the likes of Mussolini, Hitler and Hirohito. He spent a lot of time explaining the sort of things that we saw in a lot of movies made during the Fifties: e.g. The Nurimberg Trials with Spencer Tracy, a movie against anti-semitism with Cary Grant as an investigative journalist, a movie about racism. He sort of became my idea of a true American, whereas Trump fits my idea of an ugly American quite nicely. More’s the pity.
I, too, need time to digest this event. And to see how Trump behaves. I’d much rather see him at the helm than Pence. Can’t say why. Gut feeling.
You can bet your warmest pair of socks that Putin was chuckling in his vodka as he witnessed the beacon of democracy elect a person who does not seem to have ever read the Constitution, let along share the values laid down, therein. I deem myself to have been lucky to have had a history teacher in high school who believed in studying that document. A former Marine, he’d won a full slate of medals for having fought against the likes of Mussolini, Hitler and Hirohito. He spent a lot of time explaining the sort of things that we saw in a lot of movies made during the Fifties: e.g. The Nurimberg Trials with Spencer Tracy, a movie against anti-semitism with Cary Grant as an investigative journalist, a movie about racism. He sort of became my idea of a true American, whereas Trump fits my idea of an ugly American quite nicely. More’s the pity.
I, too, need time to digest this event. And to see how Trump behaves. I’d much rather see him at the helm than Pence. Can’t say why. Gut feeling.
Bemused commented
2016-11-09 10:15:11 -0500
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Richard,
I, too, believe that the USA will need a lot more soldiers and that’s always been a neat way to keep unemployment rates down. Send the men off to get themselves killed and conscript the women to take up the slack at home. That’s one of the reasons Mussolini decided to invade Ethiopia (??!!), along with a desire to “make Italy great again”. Didn’t end well for him because the rest of the world ganged up on him (and Hitler, who had his own agenda).
I, too, believe that the USA will need a lot more soldiers and that’s always been a neat way to keep unemployment rates down. Send the men off to get themselves killed and conscript the women to take up the slack at home. That’s one of the reasons Mussolini decided to invade Ethiopia (??!!), along with a desire to “make Italy great again”. Didn’t end well for him because the rest of the world ganged up on him (and Hitler, who had his own agenda).
Bemused commented
2016-11-09 10:05:01 -0500
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Daniel
May I suggest that you try scrolling through Politifact’s archive of debunked statements before passing judgement on who’s the liar? An occasional error is not a serious matter, but Trump has a 10 to one advantage over Clinton when it comes to totally off-the-wall declarations. I don’t think he even realises that what he’s saying is flat wrong, so long as it gets . laughs or a roar of gleeItaly had someone like that almost a century ago, and his name was Mussolini. It is my deep fear that history may be repeating itself.
Anyway, I’m perplexed by the attempts to equate Clinton’s misguided use of an unfamiliar, new technology that had not yet been legislated, to Trump’s more traditional “profiteering” practices which include: 1) not paying small-scale contractors (the big ones are paid, of course), 2) molesting inferiors (especially women, except for his daughters: he’s cheated on two wives so far), 3) leaving fellow investors in the lurch by withdrawing his own money before declaring bankruptcy (four times!!! That’s actually a record in the USA), 4) hiring illegals because they’re cheaper and easier to control, 5) having his branded goods made in other countries at a fraction of the cost. The first four practices are actually illegal, are they not? And the fifth one is something that Trump says he will legislate against. Why are these practices not considered to be “crimes” since they are illegal?
Although I really hope that Trump will shape up and “become presidential”, I fear that Trump voters shall rue the day they voted for the guy who made them laugh instead of the lady who treated them like rational beings. His own wife pleaded for a world where people treated each other with respect. I share her dismay and do so earnestly hope that she can start by convincing her husband.
May I suggest that you try scrolling through Politifact’s archive of debunked statements before passing judgement on who’s the liar? An occasional error is not a serious matter, but Trump has a 10 to one advantage over Clinton when it comes to totally off-the-wall declarations. I don’t think he even realises that what he’s saying is flat wrong, so long as it gets . laughs or a roar of gleeItaly had someone like that almost a century ago, and his name was Mussolini. It is my deep fear that history may be repeating itself.
Anyway, I’m perplexed by the attempts to equate Clinton’s misguided use of an unfamiliar, new technology that had not yet been legislated, to Trump’s more traditional “profiteering” practices which include: 1) not paying small-scale contractors (the big ones are paid, of course), 2) molesting inferiors (especially women, except for his daughters: he’s cheated on two wives so far), 3) leaving fellow investors in the lurch by withdrawing his own money before declaring bankruptcy (four times!!! That’s actually a record in the USA), 4) hiring illegals because they’re cheaper and easier to control, 5) having his branded goods made in other countries at a fraction of the cost. The first four practices are actually illegal, are they not? And the fifth one is something that Trump says he will legislate against. Why are these practices not considered to be “crimes” since they are illegal?
Although I really hope that Trump will shape up and “become presidential”, I fear that Trump voters shall rue the day they voted for the guy who made them laugh instead of the lady who treated them like rational beings. His own wife pleaded for a world where people treated each other with respect. I share her dismay and do so earnestly hope that she can start by convincing her husband.
David Lindsay commented
2016-11-09 10:03:34 -0500
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I had a hard time believing last night and I am having a hard time believing the Dow now.
Is Putin laughing in his jammies??
Is Putin laughing in his jammies??
David Lindsay commented
2016-11-09 10:00:11 -0500
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Every serious poll yesterday had Hillary winning by a comfortable margin. Either all those mathematical eggheads were wrong or yesterday’s true guru was Mike Judge. Today is day 1 of Idiocracy.
David Lindsay commented
2016-11-09 09:47:43 -0500
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On Google I’m getting really screwy reads on the DJIA. Up down up. Screwy.
David Lindsay commented
2016-11-09 09:43:26 -0500
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At 4:30 pm yesterday, DU was seriously hacked. They are still down. Does that give anyone pause??.
mlp ! commented
2016-11-09 09:43:06 -0500
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I don’t think the country has yet recovered from GWB and his criminal administration. We made some positive steps under Obama, but any SIGNIFICANT improvement was shamelessly blocked by judges and others embedded by the Bush administration.
So, is there hope? Trump and his administration of assholes and fools cannot be stopped. They will be capable of horrors that we cannot yet imagine because they have no empathy or concern for anyone or anything but power.
Morons like Daniel Celmer will cheer brainlessly and follow Trump to hell…and ultimately take the rest of us with them.
So, is there hope? Trump and his administration of assholes and fools cannot be stopped. They will be capable of horrors that we cannot yet imagine because they have no empathy or concern for anyone or anything but power.
Morons like Daniel Celmer will cheer brainlessly and follow Trump to hell…and ultimately take the rest of us with them.
David Lindsay commented
2016-11-09 09:37:37 -0500
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Up then down. People were buying up what was left of civilization.
David Lindsay commented
2016-11-09 09:36:03 -0500
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The Dow is not tanking in the opening minutes. This may be a bad sign as well. The greedmeisters are back in control. Welcome to the 80s.
Richard Santalone commented
2016-11-09 09:33:44 -0500
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Hey Daniel Celmer — I have a question: by any chance, are YOU military aged or have loved ones who are at least 18 or will turn 18 within the next four years like I do? If so, you or your loved ones better suit up and be prepared to be deployed to the Middle East, because mark my words:
THE DRAFT WILL BE REINSTATED — I GUARANTEE IT!
THE DRAFT WILL BE REINSTATED — I GUARANTEE IT!
David Lindsay commented
2016-11-09 09:22:38 -0500
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Daniel Celmer, go take a flying fuck at the moon.
Daniel Celmer commented
2016-11-09 09:13:49 -0500
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ellen i am sorry that you are upset that donald trump won but the reality is that hillary clinton by every measure was both a liar and a criminal this whole election.
David Lindsay commented
2016-11-09 08:58:13 -0500
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It is 5 minutes to eight here in Houston. The stock market will open soon. The market will take a nosebreaking dive to the floor. I have problems accepting these election results. I hope there are more like me.
Kent Brockman commented
2016-11-09 08:43:16 -0500
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Trump calls Xi Jinping in China – We want our factories back Now!
And so it will go. tRump will squander his support on so many levels because he cannot deliver.
And so it will go. tRump will squander his support on so many levels because he cannot deliver.
