I am a white male. I have very little to directly lose from the selection of Trump (I say select because he was chosen by a quirk in our system, not the will of the people). And yet, I am filled with fear and anger, like many of us appear to be. I have a few thoughts and feelings I’d like to express.
First of all, I came across this:
This graph, it shows the total number of votes cast for each party in the last three presidential elections. 2008 was epic. 2012 was good but clearly some people didn’t vote. This year, I’d label as tragedy. The GOP numbers just bounce around 60 million over those three cycles. Clearly not growing in numbers. But the Dems … oh those Dems … 10 million fewer people voted. 10 fucking million voiced stayed silent. Why? There are so many reasons that may be possible, many reasons which this graph can not answers. It, undoubtedly, is partly due to voter suppression .. the elimination of polling sites and certain communities, long lines, etc. It could be that Hillary didn’t inspire someone to vote. But if someone found Hillary uninspiring, why didn’t the consequences of Trump motivate them? It is so difficult to know, but this is a bitter pill to swallow. In the last 7 presidential elections, the Dem has won the popular vote 6 times, and lost the presidency three times. This country has so much potential to be a progressive nation, and the Millennial generation shows that.
I am sure it is true that as people get older, they get more conservative. It hasn’t happened to me nor my wife and we both turn 40 next year .. so maybe not old enough? But I think the message from this map is clear, those Millennials who cared enough to vote get it. They want real progressive change. Protect our fragile environment. Protect healthcare. Protect the rights of women and minorities. But maybe, at the most basic level, we must continue to fight to make voting easier for all. Failure to do so, puts so many things at risk, as we are now reminded.
This gets to my second gripe about this past election. The selection of Trump was not the will of the people. This is the 5th time in our history that the popular vote split from the electoral college (1824, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016). And it is the second time in 16 years! I am having a hard time rationalizing the necessity of such a system and not just going to a popular vote winner. I understand the system is designed to give better representation to the less populated states, but how is that any more fair? The house and senate can certainly continue to operate that way (2 senators, and reps based on population) .. but the presidential election? We must move on from the electoral college and move to a popular vote system. And I ask for serious, critical reasons for and against doing this.
So now that we’re stuck with a nearly limitless President-select Trump, a GOP run house and senate .. how do we move forward? What should be our focus? I came across Robert Reich’s latest video, have you seen it? He lays out some interesting ideas. Basically, we have to start organizing for 2018 immediately. We know what Trump is about to do (one thing for certain, Trump has been clear regarding what he wants to do, no matter how bad it all sounds), and we have to send him a message that we want to protect our planet, our healthcare and the people around us who feel voiceless. Have your members of congress on speed dial.
I am deeply comforted by the fact that out of the ashes of W, we got Obama. So proud of his 8 years. The deeper question that we face is, who will rise from the ashes of Trump .. and there will be tremendously huge heaps of ashes. Will it be someone we know (Warren? Franken? Castro?), or another unknown person? What are your feelings?
Finally, I want to clarify something I started this post with. I said I have little to directly lose from Trump’s presidency. The major thing I am facing is healthcare. By training, I am an astronomer and I love it. The opportunities that arise in this field, however, are rare and the competition is high .. and so is the stress. And once a job is obtained, you’re still fighting for funding .. which is like having to endlessly search for a job. Anyhow, in June, I left my job and I have become a more freelance scientist. I am working with a small group of folks, but I have to be self insured. My wife is a freelance medical writer. These are jobs we would hardly consider doing if ACA wasn’t an option. But it is, and now it will be taken away. I also fear the many indirect impacts on my community .. my LGBTQ neighbors, the families of non-white, (and probably) non-Christian kids my son soccer team .. etc. How must they all be feeling?
If you read to this point, I thank you for your attention. Please leave a comments, and let’s discuss where we are going in the future.