I am....stunned. Heartbroken. As much as I feared this would happen, I am still shocked and devastated at the grim reality that our country - our state of Wisconsin - would rather vote for an ignorant, racist, convicted FELON than a Black woman. The only "argument" he could use against her was that she was "stupid???" Degrading words of a third grade playground bully gets him elected to be president?? But it is not really him is it? It is all the people he has lined up who are going to be in control now. And that is the truly terrifying part. They have a playbook and now, apparently, a mandate.Yes, Kamala was all those things you mentioned, and it still was not enough to defeat the hateful, misogynistic rhetoric and ideology that runs through the core of this kind of voting choice. It's not the price of eggs and gas. It is the inherent hate of women and people of color. And God help Ukraine now. And Palestine. And Sudan. This foolish, spiteful choice is going to have crushing consequences for them.
A lot of people will have to suffer to pay for trump's crimes. Let this be a lesson to all humanity. Unfortunately, I would have liked our time to be remembered for something better.
Thank you for your kind words Jesse. I didn't sleep last night. I expect to be a zombie hanging around on Substack all day. Feel free to check in later. Be well.
No, it's not 2016. We've never seen what will happen next as Christian Nationalism is ascendant, destruction of the administrative state is oncoming, mass deportation, rollbacks of Civil and LGBTQ rights, gutting of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the ACA, economic implosion in the wake of tariffs, brain drains, and deportations, packing the remaining federal courts, elimination of FEMA, the EPA, most vaccines etc, etc.
I understand the need to believe there are actions we can take, but it's simply not true.
I think there are a lot of high emotions running today, I certainly feel them. I see what hw was saying, and I see your reply too. It's going to be a while until we can process our new reality.
I can’t even make a vague comment without being “told off” by someone who assumes I don’t have the cognitive abilities to compare the differences between 2016 and 2024.
Then proceeds to tell me - a literal stranger - what I’m thinking and what my options are.
It’s actually more amusing than frustrating at this point. Enjoy.
Good morning Walter .. I’m in pain, all I want to do is run, not sure where, just run. I woke up in the middle of the night, saw the news. I’ve tried to sleep, ha, who am I kidding. A sip of coffee led me directly to Substack and your column .. thank you ..I’m feeling a bit better yet still very very angry and sad. We need to lean a bit on each other to get through this .. as you know I enjoy your writing! If it’s ok I’m leaning on you this morning, I hope it’s not too much. It truly is a sad day for this nation, yet how many will have their eyes, minds and hearts open enough to realize the tragedy that has happened and will be unfolding before our eyes for while.
Please do lean on me. I'm feeling a lot better answering all these comments. There are so many, and the people are kind. We have allies. We'll find a way to survive.
Misogyny, racism, and cruelty have won the day. I'm angry and bitter. It will be a while before I can function again. I'm not proud to be American today.
I am in disbelief. I really thought the U.S. was better than this. I thought we learned our lesson last time. Hate, misogyny and racism has won in this election. It really is devastating. The saying "F*ck around and find out" keeps running through my brain. I purposely didn't watch the election results last night, so I was able to sleep. But waking up to dystopia has me shell shocked. I am very seriously thinking about moving out of the country. I believe this time is going to be far worse. There will be no "adults in the room" to stop him. Our neighbors have just sold us all down the river. The people who voted for this will soon see that they've voted for their rights to be taking away- No social security, No Medicare, No public education, a total ban on abortion. Not to mention all the civil servants being fired by the thousands who are not Trump supporters. They have royally screwed all of us.
I was up all night, you made the right choice. I never expected to wind up here. The vote total for Harris is much lower than I anticipated with all the early voting and all the enthusiasm among Democrats. It's strange.
It's unfortunate. I really thought we were going to win. The worst part is all the gloating by MAGA that I've read in other onlinw articles. I've just waiting to see when the shitshow begjns and the consequences show up. As tbey say, be careful what you ask for, you just might get it. They will find out they've been conned once again.
Let's not put our past in our future, otherwise our future will be our past, leave the future empty of the possibilities of what it can be.
This is not okay by the way, but plenty of people will need all of us, we will need plenty of people to show up for us. Let's keep it together firends and let's take actions today to see the future we want to see.
Feel sorrow, feel what you need to feel ... then move on, what we need now is people taking actions for a future of possibilities against the future that is prepared for us right now :-).
Yes, I think we need to take our eyes off the bigger picture and just help somebody today. Just help a kid, do something nice. That will remind us that we do have the power to change our reality. Things will get better.
"what a leap of unthinking partisanship and collective amnesia it has taken for his party to embrace this twice-impeached, four-times-indicted, once-convicted con man"
It’s misogyny! It’s the high cost of living. But mostly it’s the misogyny. How else can you explain Latin men, and black men voted for him. Especially after they called Puerto Rico trash? Two of the most qualified women (a ton more qualified than the man they ran against) ran against an adjudicated rapist, a felon, a traitor to the Republic, a thief, a liar, and just all around horrible human being, and lost to him! And let’s not forget the Republican billionaires that have been setting this day up for decades! They played the long game, while Democrats played by the rules and dare not believe their counterparts would allow such horrible ideologies to take hold. We are fucked for the next 50 to 100 years because Democrats don’t have the balls to fight like they need to!
I really think the summertime switcheroo the Democrats pulled hurt them. You expect you are going to vote for a candidate you support, and then suddenly someone you didn't want (even if it was your candidate's veep) gets foisted upon you unexpectedly. Maybe if Kamala had been the candidate from the get-go...
But, still, there's not many voters in America who seem prepared to want a woman- of any race or background- to be President. Yet.
I feel for you, my American friends. I am Hungarian, and have good news. Just when your election turned out as it did, Viktor Orbán, Trumps closest friend is in a free fall on polls for the first time in his 14 years of his undisputed reign. There is hope to see him lose in the next elections in two years.
I am....stunned. Heartbroken. As much as I feared this would happen, I am still shocked and devastated at the grim reality that our country - our state of Wisconsin - would rather vote for an ignorant, racist, convicted FELON than a Black woman. The only "argument" he could use against her was that she was "stupid???" Degrading words of a third grade playground bully gets him elected to be president?? But it is not really him is it? It is all the people he has lined up who are going to be in control now. And that is the truly terrifying part. They have a playbook and now, apparently, a mandate.Yes, Kamala was all those things you mentioned, and it still was not enough to defeat the hateful, misogynistic rhetoric and ideology that runs through the core of this kind of voting choice. It's not the price of eggs and gas. It is the inherent hate of women and people of color. And God help Ukraine now. And Palestine. And Sudan. This foolish, spiteful choice is going to have crushing consequences for them.
A lot of people will have to suffer to pay for trump's crimes. Let this be a lesson to all humanity. Unfortunately, I would have liked our time to be remembered for something better.
I appreciate this post more than you know. I needed it, as the father of daughters myself. It was a little bit of light in the darkness.
Thank you for your kind words Jesse. I didn't sleep last night. I expect to be a zombie hanging around on Substack all day. Feel free to check in later. Be well.
This is 2016 all over again. Fool me once, fool me twice.
This country that shown me what it thinks of me. I’ll believe them this time and plan accordingly.
Yes, all we can do is look forward. Even if the US doesn't want to go forward, we as individuals can make that choice.
*has
No, it's not 2016. We've never seen what will happen next as Christian Nationalism is ascendant, destruction of the administrative state is oncoming, mass deportation, rollbacks of Civil and LGBTQ rights, gutting of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the ACA, economic implosion in the wake of tariffs, brain drains, and deportations, packing the remaining federal courts, elimination of FEMA, the EPA, most vaccines etc, etc.
I understand the need to believe there are actions we can take, but it's simply not true.
I share your fears. I think we can resist these things legally and peacefully. We are not without power.
You interpreted a lot from my statement. None of what you said applies to my current state of mind.
I think there are a lot of high emotions running today, I certainly feel them. I see what hw was saying, and I see your reply too. It's going to be a while until we can process our new reality.
Black Americans have no allies here.
I can’t even make a vague comment without being “told off” by someone who assumes I don’t have the cognitive abilities to compare the differences between 2016 and 2024.
Then proceeds to tell me - a literal stranger - what I’m thinking and what my options are.
It’s actually more amusing than frustrating at this point. Enjoy.
FAR worse than 2016.
It doesn't make sense on so many levels.
Good morning Walter .. I’m in pain, all I want to do is run, not sure where, just run. I woke up in the middle of the night, saw the news. I’ve tried to sleep, ha, who am I kidding. A sip of coffee led me directly to Substack and your column .. thank you ..I’m feeling a bit better yet still very very angry and sad. We need to lean a bit on each other to get through this .. as you know I enjoy your writing! If it’s ok I’m leaning on you this morning, I hope it’s not too much. It truly is a sad day for this nation, yet how many will have their eyes, minds and hearts open enough to realize the tragedy that has happened and will be unfolding before our eyes for while.
Please do lean on me. I'm feeling a lot better answering all these comments. There are so many, and the people are kind. We have allies. We'll find a way to survive.
Misogyny, racism, and cruelty have won the day. I'm angry and bitter. It will be a while before I can function again. I'm not proud to be American today.
I feel the same way.
I am in disbelief. I really thought the U.S. was better than this. I thought we learned our lesson last time. Hate, misogyny and racism has won in this election. It really is devastating. The saying "F*ck around and find out" keeps running through my brain. I purposely didn't watch the election results last night, so I was able to sleep. But waking up to dystopia has me shell shocked. I am very seriously thinking about moving out of the country. I believe this time is going to be far worse. There will be no "adults in the room" to stop him. Our neighbors have just sold us all down the river. The people who voted for this will soon see that they've voted for their rights to be taking away- No social security, No Medicare, No public education, a total ban on abortion. Not to mention all the civil servants being fired by the thousands who are not Trump supporters. They have royally screwed all of us.
I was up all night, you made the right choice. I never expected to wind up here. The vote total for Harris is much lower than I anticipated with all the early voting and all the enthusiasm among Democrats. It's strange.
It's unfortunate. I really thought we were going to win. The worst part is all the gloating by MAGA that I've read in other onlinw articles. I've just waiting to see when the shitshow begjns and the consequences show up. As tbey say, be careful what you ask for, you just might get it. They will find out they've been conned once again.
Let's not put our past in our future, otherwise our future will be our past, leave the future empty of the possibilities of what it can be.
This is not okay by the way, but plenty of people will need all of us, we will need plenty of people to show up for us. Let's keep it together firends and let's take actions today to see the future we want to see.
Feel sorrow, feel what you need to feel ... then move on, what we need now is people taking actions for a future of possibilities against the future that is prepared for us right now :-).
Yes, I think we need to take our eyes off the bigger picture and just help somebody today. Just help a kid, do something nice. That will remind us that we do have the power to change our reality. Things will get better.
We will dig in our heels and fight more than ever. I will not give into despair.
That is good. But give yourself a moment to grieve too. I've shed a few tears and I already feel better.
inability or refusal to accept that this thing is true or real.
I feel that way too. Find a way to find some peace and carry on. This is going to be a hard day.
"what a leap of unthinking partisanship and collective amnesia it has taken for his party to embrace this twice-impeached, four-times-indicted, once-convicted con man"
— NewYorker, Glasser
I’m just going to say it: I’m tired and weary of fighting for people who turned around and voted him back in. Sorry, I’m done.
Standing with you from Canada
Thank you, I appreciate that!
Thanks, Canada.
It’s misogyny! It’s the high cost of living. But mostly it’s the misogyny. How else can you explain Latin men, and black men voted for him. Especially after they called Puerto Rico trash? Two of the most qualified women (a ton more qualified than the man they ran against) ran against an adjudicated rapist, a felon, a traitor to the Republic, a thief, a liar, and just all around horrible human being, and lost to him! And let’s not forget the Republican billionaires that have been setting this day up for decades! They played the long game, while Democrats played by the rules and dare not believe their counterparts would allow such horrible ideologies to take hold. We are fucked for the next 50 to 100 years because Democrats don’t have the balls to fight like they need to!
Yes, the problem this whole time is that Democrats are just as conservative as Republicans.
Being a Democrat doesn’t mean you can’t be misogynistic. I heard it over. And over.
Nice satire there. Was it appreciated ?
No I actually mean that. Our whole political spectrum is conservative and that's why nothing works.
It was the Electoral College that let him win again, wasn't it?
Let's just say the ignorant asshole vote is more potent than you think.
That's what's odd, the total shows he got more votes this time. I never would have predicted that.
I really think the summertime switcheroo the Democrats pulled hurt them. You expect you are going to vote for a candidate you support, and then suddenly someone you didn't want (even if it was your candidate's veep) gets foisted upon you unexpectedly. Maybe if Kamala had been the candidate from the get-go...
But, still, there's not many voters in America who seem prepared to want a woman- of any race or background- to be President. Yet.
Could be.
Sad, fearful, angry, defiant, all at once.
I'm trying to find footing. I just awakened to a different world than the one I thought I lived in.
Thanks, Walter. Just perfect. We will each remember where we were when we got the news. Sadly, yet another "date that will live in infamy."
Thanks Dan. We'll support each other and survive somehow, although hardship is ahead.
I feel for you, my American friends. I am Hungarian, and have good news. Just when your election turned out as it did, Viktor Orbán, Trumps closest friend is in a free fall on polls for the first time in his 14 years of his undisputed reign. There is hope to see him lose in the next elections in two years.