* * * ! Official 2016 US Presidential Election Day Thread ! * * *

[snowmaster]

Being presidential might be a bit of an issue for Trump. When he’s blasting someone, he sounds like an ass. When he’s humble and trying to act presidential, he seems kind of milquetoast, unintimidating. Can he find a powerful voice without just being loud?

[Leaper]

At least the suspense is over, and I can start reacting to realities now.

Also, to repeat somethings wrote elsewhere, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we would have to deal with the zeitgeist of Trump supporters sooner rather than later, and I can’t help wondering if it’s better to confront it now, rather than just bury it under a thin topsoil of disapproval. I know people are going to suffer, probably unnecessarily, but given the Congressional results, I feel like this doesn’t have to end in complete devastation of everything liberals believe in.

[davidm]

So is PA called or not?

“Pennsylvania likely not to be called tonight: NBC”

Donald Trump wins Pennsylvania, wins U.S. presidency: NBC News

Pennsylvania is not likely to be called tonight, NBC News reported, saying the race is too close to call and a number of provisional ballots have yet to be counted in the state.

The eyes of the country turned to Pennsylvania as it is one of the remaining battleground states, and has become a must-win for Hillary Clinton after Trump’s victories in other battleground states.

The article is time stamped “14 Mins Ago” and talks about a “must-win” for Hillary.

Is this just wishful thinking on the part of NBC or have others jumped the gun?

A related thought: Clinton has not conceded yet. Is she going to challenge it? Are we going to have a drawn-out battle like in 2000? I could see her challenging it and asking for recounts in close states.

[JKellyMap]

@ultimate11

I didn’t think Clinton would lose. I didn’t think Trump would win, shock the numbers of 538 and Sam Wang, shock everyone, disrupt the markets and do the unthinkable.

I voted straight D. Almost everything on that post was correct, except for Clinton. Who’d have thunk?

I’m in shock, too, but I can’t say this enough: 538 got it RIGHT. Nate built much more uncertainty into his model than many critics thought was justified, but when his model spit out a Trump win once every three or four times it was run, DESPITE the consistent 3-to-4-percent-Hillary-lead polls that were fed into it, that was a triumph for his approach.

[ultimate11]

NBC is in denial. Fox News has called it already, so has RealClearPolitics.

ABC, CBS has also called it.

And while I’m editing, NBC has finally said Trump has won.

[SlackerInc]

@octopus

That’s advocating treason is it not?

I suppose it might could be interpreted that way. And Trump will be in charge of law enforcement soon. So I’d better make it clear that I was TOTALLY KIDDING about that all along. You’re awesome, Donald! I even tried to get people to vote for you in the primaries. We cool? :o

[JKellyMap]

@Leaper

At least the suspense is over, and I can start reacting to realities now.

Excellently put.

It will be difficult or impossible for me to feel what you express in the rest of your post, though.

[I_Love_Me_Vol.I]

What’s up with Trump playing “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” after his speech? Didn’t he and all his supporters just get what they wanted?

[aceplace57]

Trump’s speech was very conciliatory. His comment’s about Hillary seemed heartfelt.

A good beginning for the Trump Presidency.

CNN is reporting Trump will soon be over 300 electoral votes. That’s a resounding victory.

[Tabby_Cat]

All I want to know is if these were protest votes that got out of hand (a la Brexit) or if this is real.

As someone outside of the US, all I want to know is if the US still likes (or thinks it even needs) the rest of the world.

I’m less concerned about actually electing Trump than what that means for America as a society. What it means for the world as a society. Feels like the good times have gone on for too long and we’re overdue for some good old fashioned hardship (dare I say war) to shake people out of their complacency and false persecution. We haven’t been burnt in so long that fire doesn’t seem dangerous any more.

[Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank]

“Things Finally As Bad As Trump Claims” - the Onion’s headline

I had to see what they’d cooked up.

[davidm]

@Tabby_Cat

…
As someone outside of the US, all I want to know is if the US still likes (or thinks it even needs) the rest of the world.
…

Half of us do. The rest… I wish I could say.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank

“Things Finally As Bad As Trump Claims” - the Onion’s headline

I had to see what they’d cooked up.

As accurate as they were on 17 January, 2001: [Bush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over’

“My fellow Americans,” Bush said, “at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us.”

During the 40-minute speech, Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.

“You better believe we’re going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration,” said Bush

](Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over')

I love The Onion.

[Kolak_of_Twilo]

And now we can begin contemplating what Secretary of State Gingrich and Attorney General Giuliani will do for the next four years.

[octopus]

@SlackerInc

I suppose it might could be interpreted that way. And Trump will be in charge of law enforcement soon. So I’d better make it clear that I was TOTALLY KIDDING about that all along. You’re awesome, Donald! I even tried to get people to vote for you in the primaries. We cool? :o

Lol. President-Elect The Donald is a forgiving man.

You know, this is surreal. They aren’t really letting him hold the nuclear switch are they?

[SlackerInc]

@Spice_Weasel

I mean I believe that white privilege is a thing, but try explaining white privilege to a white person who feeds a family of four on $20k a year. It makes no logical, strategic sense to focus on a demographic enemy (‘‘white people’’) because they are defacto not gonna give a shit what you have to say if the first thing out of your mouth is that they are racist. My MSW required me to take an entire year-long sequence on the black-white binary, so I understand, fundamentally, what ‘privilege’ means but most people are not interested in a sophisticated academic discussion about the racist history of social policy in the U.S. All they are hearing is ‘‘white = bad.’’

Repeat for feminism. Now I, a woman, have been personally shut down in feminist circles as ‘‘tone policing’’ because I think it’s irrational to hate/fear all men. When people try to slap me down with the ‘if only you had lived what I have’ thing, I inconvenience them by mentioning that I was sexually abused by two stepfathers, and I gasp still don’t hate and fear men. God, what a dumbshit message to send to men you need as allies – that you see them as the enemy. God, what a cowardly fucking move as any advocate. I take this especially personally because 1) I fucking LOVE the men in my life, like would take a bullet for them love and because 2) it makes me look bad as a self-identified feminist.

Even if it were warranted – and I don’t believe it is – it’s just stupid, stupid strategy for implementing change. In fact I’m beginning to question the entire assumption underlying the idea that civil disobedience or rioting have some kind of positive impact on social change. Our surveys bear it out – after Ferguson, more white people were convinced than ever that institutional racism is not a thing.

These are great points. I would throw in, similarly, the perspective of Sam Harris–my favorite public intellectual, as a lot of people here probably recall. He has been warning that extreme political correctness risks (both here and in Europe) pushing people into the arms of right wing populists who are at least willing to acknowledge things like Islamic extremism.

@SeaDragonTattoo

That fucker is said to be coming out to say something. Of course. There’s no way he would head home without gloating to the crowd.

I’m going to do my level best to never see this. Or the inauguration…etc.

@JKellyMap

I’m in shock, too, but I can’t say this enough: 538 got it RIGHT. Nate built much more uncertainty into his model than many critics thought was justified, but when his model spit out a Trump win once every three or four times it was run, DESPITE the consistent 3-to-4-percent-Hillary-lead polls that were fed into it, that was a triumph for his approach.

It’s true. And yet someone came on one of my FB posts to complain that Silver totally blew it. People just don’t understand probability.

[drewder]

@SeaDragonTattoo

That fucker is said to be coming out to say something. Of course. There’s no way he would head home without gloating to the crowd.

Yes because it is completely unusual for a president-elect to make a speech win they win.

[TonySinclair]

@Kolak_of_Twilo

And now we can begin contemplating what Secretary of State Gingrich and Attorney General Giuliani will do for the next four years.

Don’t forget Secretary of Transportation Christie.

[SenorBeef]

Remember how much the world loved us and stood with us after 9/11? And how much Bush squandered decades or even centuries of the rest of the world liking the US? And then we elected probably the coolest president we’ve ever had, and he worked to rebuild our standing in the world?

… And then, just like that, it’s worse than ever?

And I bet Trump supporters are proud of that, too. “Fuck the rest of the world, if they wanted to be worth something they’d be Americans”

[Spice_Weasel]

Well, that was fun.

Kudos to my Trump-voting friends on FB for not gloating yet.

I’m going to bed now.