In the name of all that is reasonable, if you’re saying these things right now, just stop. Thanksgiving is coming up, so it might be helpful to be aware, before making conversation, of how you might be sounding.
Stop and think… are you saying any of these things?
3 Things NOT to say about the 2016 election
- “He is not my president!”
I’m sorry to point this out… but yes he is. I didn’t vote for him either. Despite the fact that I understand and I sympathize for those who voted for him based on their real need and hope for change, he was my absolute last choice. He comes to power with fewer than 50% of voters having chosen him, yes. But he’ll still be my president, and if you’re an American citizen, he’ll be yours, too. That’s how our elections work.Remember how crazy the “other side” sounded when they said the same thing about president Obama? Well, people-saying-“Trump isn’t my president,” you’re doing the same thing.
Trump won the election. Trump won the election. You don’t have to like it, but you do have to acknowledge that.
People feel afraid, and yes, they have good reason to feel that way. It is a rational fear shared by many. It’s even shared by some people who voted for him, I’d guess.
I’m afraid, too. Truth is, you can’t help how you feel, and when the fear is reasonable, maybe we shouldn’t be trying to numb those feelings. But we should put them to good purpose. Denying reality and claiming that “He’s not my president!” is not only counter productive, it is counter-factual. It doesn’t help to deny the truth; it just weakens our argument.
If liberals didn’t like it when people claimed “Obama is not my president!”–but you’re saying it about Trump, you’re being a hypocrite. On the other hand, Trump supporters, if you said it about Obama and now you’re infuriated that people are saying it about Trump, you’re being a hypocrite, too.
Let’s all stop being hypocrites, please.
- “Let’s abolish the electoral college!”
Should we be saying this? Not without addressing the problems it would create, at least.I’m not absolutely opposed to removing the electors, but maybe we should think about it first, because if we abolish it, that will removing one of the checks and balances our founding fathers put in place. If you live in WV or a place like it, you should have mixed feelings about this prospect. Let me explain.I grant it goes against the grain for a candidate to win the popular vote by such an unprecedented margin—and then to have the other guy inaugurated—but it should be pointed out that we were given those electoral votes for a reason. The reason is to make certain that populous areas of the country take into account the needs of the areas outside those population centers, to prevent the “tyranny of the majority.” So perhaps the solution to the problem is not to eliminate the electoral college, but to address the recovery gap that caused the disparity between the electoral college and the popular vote. That those are SO different should tell us something. That’s what it was designed to do.
If you ultimately believe eliminating the electoral college is the best course, then don’t simply call for abolishing it; also share your proposal for placing new, fairer checks on population centers to make certain the heart of the country doesn’t simple waste away. What does it tell us the popular vote and electoral vote are so different?
- “We have to oppose everything Trump does!”
Lawsie, no. We do have to oppose him when he does terrible things that will hurt people and which threaten our freedom. We should oppose him when he appoints people like Steve Bannon. What if he appoints moderates, like President Obama tried to do with Merrick Garland? Should we behave the way Senate Republicans did, and try to become the new “party of no“?
- Credit. CC 2.0. Image modified.
No, thank you. That will serve no one, and I think we’re better than that. When moderate Republicans wonder how their party was taken over by Trump, they should be able to see that it’s because they obstructed everything, and their own party had no desire to see more-of-the-same. Their goal was to be a bunch of jerks, not help the country.
And they didn’t help the county.
Trump says he’ll get the money out of politics. Now, I don’t believe he will, and thus far, it certainly doesn’t look like he’s trying… but if he DOES try to do something good, are you really suggesting we oppose it just because Trump is working for it? That’s madness. YES, I don’t think he will actually get the money out of politics, because it benefits him too much. I haven’t seen any indication of his deep conviction to pay more taxes, a fair share, and keep lobbyists from taking over our government.
I’m not asking you to have hope that a President Trump will do the right thing here, either. (As I said, you can’t always help how you feel.) All I’m saying is that if you’re suggesting that our strategy should be to oppose everything, then stop saying that. You’ll sound like the worst of the worst of the Republicans. We should absolutely work with President Trump IF he tries to accomplish things we agree will help this country.
And now for the last part of the equation.
The reason I’ll never get elected.
See what I did there just now? If not, I’ll explain it, and pardon my language:
I just pi**ed everyone off. And if not everyone… then A LOT of people.
I made liberals angry by taking up for Trump voters, and I made Trump voters angry by acknowledging I don’t like him. I will continue to do say things like this.
Horrifying of me, I know.
If you wonder why reasonable people don’t get elected, it’s because of this. When you are reasonable, when you speak the truth, you’ll be a target of the worst partisans on both sides. I won’t get elected because I’m honest about what I think, and I say too many things that can be taken out of context and made into some dire and misleading sound bite. Watch for that, BTW, because it WILL happen. Skim through this article again and see how many out-of-context soundbites you can find on this ONE page. If you live in this area, expect to see them on a political mailer in your mailbox in about two years, illustrating why you shouldn’t vote for me.
The Appalachian Oracle 