# Personal reactions to the Presidential election results **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 9, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235 "2016-11-09T17:02:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/81 "2016-11-10T12:58:51Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > We are now on a path to a more efficient government that will do more, will serve the people more, at a lower cost. A government run by a businessman and not by a lifelong politician. > > I do feel great. Say it again! Over and over and OVER :D:D:D:D May your above statement come true, sooner rather than later!!!:D:D:D:D and to the rest of you…have some faith!! :eek::p:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/82 "2016-11-10T13:26:24Z")
> [@Patx2](#): > > I respect that he believes in the future of America. Something needs to be done about the healthcare system. Of course Obanacare can’t be repealed and replaced automatically, too many people would lose benefits, but I hear horror stories from friends about rising premiums. I was lucky my husband took a new job a few months ago that offers benefits or our rates would have soared. > > I have no problem with him putting America and Americans first. We cannot help others in need if we are not healthy ourselves. > > Yes, I believe in a strong military and support for those who do, and have served. I believe national security is too important to take risks with it. > > I also think many people on both sides of the aisle have had it with the nonsense in DC. Maybe someone who is not a career politician can bring some fresh faces and ideas to the table. Thank you. It gets to be an echo chamber around the Dope sometimes. This is one of them. Hearing a rational alternative view is very helpful. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/83 "2016-11-10T13:43:07Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > They are very congruous. We are now on a path to a more efficient government that will do more, will serve the people more, at a lower cost. A government run by a businessman and not by a lifelong politician. > > I do feel great. I am glad you feel great about the outcome. I do want to reiterate one point-a government and business are two different things that have different structures and purposes. A business exists to make a profit. A government exists to mediate and solve problems. Two different goals and purposes. Running one like the other is not going to work well. Trump may be able to move from doing one to doing the other. Hope so. But being a good businessman is not the same as being a good politician. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/84 "2016-11-10T14:00:42Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > They are very congruous. We are now on a path to a more efficient government that will do more, will serve the people more, at a lower cost. A government run by a businessman and not by a lifelong politician. Leave aside the nature of distributed powers in government vs. concentrated direction in a business - what specific Trump policy do you see doing any of that? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/85 "2016-11-10T15:32:02Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > They are very congruous. We are now on a path to a more efficient government that will do more, will serve the people more, at a lower cost. A government run by a businessman and not by a lifelong politician. > > I do feel great. Yeah, he’s a great business man. Stiffing investors and contractors, declaring multiple bankruptcies, opening a fraudulent “university”. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/86 "2016-11-10T15:59:49Z")
I feel grateful. Grateful that I made the decision to drink myself into a drunken mess on Tuesday night so I could stomach the disaster that was about to unfold. Grateful that some economic policies may soon be changed that have been devastating for me and my family. Grateful that Senate stayed close enough that one party cannot just run away with everything (assuming that the Republicans don’t go nuclear and totally eliminate the filibuster). Grateful that the results are being accepted, and that a peaceful transition of power will occur. Grateful that my (physical) hangover only lasted one day. Boy has it been a long time since I drank so much. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/87 "2016-11-10T16:33:43Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > This has been a year of scant hope leading to epic heartache and despair. > > January: something was wrong with my wife, but whatever it was, scans and scoping should should show it to be something benign. > > February: scans and scoping were inconclusive, but did show some things that needed further investigation. But whatever it was, it was most likely a cyst or something. > > March: it was pancreatic cancer. > > July: after months of debilitating and misery-inducing chemotherapy, it had to have had some effect. Scans showed minimal reaction — but it was operable. > > August: surgery went better than expected, they thought they got it all. > > September: pathology reports come back. They got the main mass, but it was too late; it had already metastasised to Stage IV. > > October: new chemo regime without anything to cling to > > November: Hillary went into the election ostensibly strong, but the thuggish and ignorant children outnumbered the adults in voting booths. Utter devastation. Tying it together, instead of watching the returns together, that days chemo rendered her bedridden and barely concious last night. > > This has not been a good year. The hell with the election. Some things are more important than me whining about politics. **Rhythmdvl** , my prayers are with your wife and with you. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![KAndre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@KAndre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KAndre)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/88 "2016-11-10T16:43:16Z")
I felt, for the first time in my life, “Not my president” and bitter. I didn’t feel that for Nixon (who I did think was a crook) or Reagan (who I hate as a smiling racist to this day and screwed us over economically) or even GWB who didn’t win the popular vote in 2000. Trump represents to me everything that is bad in America. I see all of those saying, “well, you shouldn’t call those Trump supporters names even when they do bad things” being perfectly silent when we were called names and mocked at the top of the ticket. That is seems perfectly clear that Trump voters don’t give a fuck for me and mine and want us to bow our heads while they chortle with glee with how they can fuck us over. That there are four more years of pretending Obama didn’t represent real America and real Americans and stuff he did to benefit us is to be disposed of like trash. That Trump and his people can scream “rigged” and whine about being abused while merrily trying their best to disenfranchise us. I can feel the hatred building in my heart the more I think about it and have to actively work at forcing it down. All I can go on for Trump supporters is what they’ve shown they are willing to tolerate in exchange for a change that might benefit them even if it damages others. I look at the current protesters and in my head, I know they’re wrong - but have sympathy in my heart. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/89 "2016-11-10T16:45:59Z")
I was shocked and numb. Completely gutted. I had put a lot of time and energy into Clinton’s campaign and I believed the polls. And then for the shock of a) Virginia being so close and then b) Wisconsin and Michigan going Trump just was like hitting a wall. I didn’t get to bed until 1:30 ET, trying to will those states back blue. Hoping against hope that Detroit and Milwaukee would send boatloads of votes in at the last second. To no avail. Then told my girlfriend, who was asleep and we laid there thinking how did this happen. I couldn’t fall asleep for a few hours, just grappling with it in my head. I spent yesterday in my office at work with the door closed (I tend to keep it open) being mostly unproductive and trying to process the results and trying to feel some hope or happiness. I had some friends online trying to ‘find hope’ and I was not into any of that. I was in the mindset of ‘just let me grieve; I’ll look for hope later’. And then I wrote this on Facebook and it felt good and a bunch of other folks liked it to, so I’ll repost it here: “Hillary, if I may be so bold, I gave to your campaign on the first day you announced your candidacy, and I gave to your campaign on the last day. All told, I gave over $1,000 to your fight for the White House. I’ve argued for you and campaigned for you. Since your candidacy announcement, I’ve witnessed your passion and fight for ordinary people. I’ve seen how deeply you care for those who have been marginalized. I’ve noticed how hard you worked in crafting policies and in fighting for us. I’ve regarded your deep faith and how it pushes you forward in the pursuit of love and justice. I’ve realized how many times you get back off the mat after you’ve been knocked down. I’ve been with you every step of the way. Every joy and every sorrow, including last night. Just know that I, along with millions of people around this country, love you for all these things. Deeply. To our cores. Last night was like watching my best friend suffer a horrific defeat. I hope that you continue to be in the public arena fighting for the things you have fought for all your life. Know that we will never forget you. Never. In the future, America will look back at this moment and know you as the one who got away. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We love you and we mourn with you and for you.” And I’m slowly feeling like more and more of myself today. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/90 "2016-11-10T17:03:26Z")
Hard to say. It’s definitely that same “through the looking glass” feeling that I got with the 2003 California recall election, or the specious impeachment proceedings against Clinton. I’m worried that a lot of the forward progress Obama has made will be systematically destroyed in coming years (esp. healthcare) and I’ll bet dollars to donuts that by 2020 Trump will have driven this country so far into debt, last decade’s economic crisis will seem like nothing. On the bright side, it’s gonna be an interesting ride. I’ve said it before: at least Trump isn’t _boring._ Call it morbid fascination if you like, but I really am interested to see where this new crazy bizarro ride takes us. > [@WildBlueYonder](#): > > You all thought Hillary would have been a better president? She would have been the less worse choice, yes. Though I’m aware that’s like saying it’s better to gouge your left eye out than to gouge both of your eyes out. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/91 "2016-11-10T17:10:21Z")
I was somewhat fortunate in that I had an early meeting yesterday in downtown Chicago, so I met up with a co-worker and we rode in together. He had the radio on music and I didn’t have much time for checking social media so I had a healthy period of separation when I needed it most. My wife is a Hispanic immigrant (from Peru and a naturalized citizen but we’re in a nation where looking slightly brown makes you either a Mexican or an Arab terrorist to too many people) and my younger son has special needs (ADS). Election night was not a lot of fun. I take some solace in the fact that we’re in a blue state with a heavily Democratic state legislature to help insulate us from some of what might be coming. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/92 "2016-11-10T18:03:36Z")
I was looking forward to at least 4 years of an adult in the White House. Fuck. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/93 "2016-11-10T19:00:12Z")
I’ve had a headache for two days and have been nauseated as well. I’m not doing well. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/94 "2016-11-10T19:28:37Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > IClinton spent twice what Trump spent, and despite many political advantages, including Barack and Michelle repeatedly stumping for her, **she lost miserably**. Bolding added. I think, although not perfectly relevant to this thread, it is good for us all to remember that Trump squeaked out an electoral vote victory (279 is enough but not many more than 270) and lost the popular vote by a small margin. Yes, Clinton lost and Trump won, but barely. Let’s not get carried away with talk of landslides and mandates (although I fully expect to hear that before long). ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/95 "2016-11-10T20:34:19Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Yeah, he’s a great business man. Stiffing investors and contractors, declaring multiple bankruptcies, opening a fraudulent “university”. For those who voted for Trump and are pleased with the outcome, I, too, would like to see this addressed. Please. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/96 "2016-11-10T21:04:57Z")
The lyrics to Leonard Cohen’s song _Everybody Knows_ have been going through my head a lot lately. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/97 "2016-11-10T21:40:26Z")
Day Two and still coming up with my long term coping strategy. First, no more reading national news. I don’t watch TV anyway. I’m not on Facebook so I don’t have that issue that some have mentioned. I’ve had my radio on classical music all day at home. We’ve been immersed in this political cauldron for over a year, with the heat getting turned up gradually every day until it finally came to a boil. Today I scrolled through the Washington Post on my kindle and every story was about how are we going to cope when the shit starts hitting the fan and everything Obama did is undone. Soon, no doubt, there will be hunting in National Parks. No more boundaries. Anything goes. No more national news for me. I can’t even bear to hear the words “Pr-s-d-nt El-ct D----- T----.” I’m done with knowing what’s going on in Washington. Denial, that’s where it’s at for me. That’s my coping strategy. Forever? Probably not, but for now. [Garrison Keillor said it well:](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-voters-will-not-like-what-happens-next/2016/11/09/e346ffc2-a67f-11e6-8fc0-7be8f848c492_story.html) > [@](#): > > The Trumpers never expected their guy to actually win the thing, and that’s their problem now. They wanted only to whoop and yell, boo at the H-word, wear profane T-shirts, maybe grab a crotch or two, jump in the RV with a couple of six-packs and go out and shoot some spotted owls. It was pleasure enough for them just to know that they were driving us wild with dismay — by “us,” I mean librarians, children’s authors, yoga practitioners, Unitarians, bird-watchers, people who make their own pasta, opera-goers, the grammar police, people who keep books on their shelves, that bunch. The Trumpers exulted in knowing we were tearing our hair out. They had our number, like a bratty kid who knows exactly how to make you grit your teeth and froth at the mouth. > > Alas for the Trump voters, the disasters he will bring on this country will fall more heavily on them than anyone else. The uneducated white males who elected him are the vulnerable ones, and they will not like what happens next. > > … > > We liberal elitists are now completely in the clear. The government is in Republican hands. Let them deal with him. Democrats can spend four years raising heirloom tomatoes, meditating, reading Jane Austen, traveling around the country, tasting artisan beers, and let the Republicans build the wall and carry on the trade war with China and deport the undocumented and deal with opioids, and we Democrats can go for a long , brisk walk and smell the roses. … The Trump supporters buttered their bread. Now they have to lie in us. Unfortunately, so do the rest of it. But we didn’t make it happen. It’s not on us. After all, Hillary won the popular vote. ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/98 "2016-11-10T21:56:20Z")
Meh. I’m already over it. I mean, I still cannot fathom how half of the country thinks he’s the man for the job. I really can’t. It’s over though. I’ll be fine. I’m a white male. What’s killing me are these protests going on right now. I’m looking at them in the news coverage. I see crowds of people protesting, and I all I can think of is “I bet 60% of you didn’t vote.” ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/99 "2016-11-10T22:27:37Z")
I cried like Claire Danes. Really, hot messy sobbing tears. I wasn’t “with her.” I voted third party in a staunch Red state, but I was resigned to Clinton. I can not resign myself to a Trump presidency. I can’t. The thought of him having so much power sickens me. How can so many good people be so fooled by him? He isn’t a good businessman. He is NOT a political outsider (You can not donate that amount of money over the years and schmoooz with politicians as much as he has and call yourself an outsider.) He isn’t going to make American great again. The things he supports are not great things. Racism is not great. Sexism is not great. Assault is not great. I know we had a hard time during the Recession, but we were coming back. Now I’m afraid well have a true depression because of this orange beast who’s been handed the Presidency. I’m sorry. I have to stop or I’ll be doing my Claire Danes impression again. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235/100 "2016-11-11T00:17:07Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Bolding added. I think, although not perfectly relevant to this thread, it is good for us all to remember that Trump squeaked out an electoral vote victory (279 is enough but not many more than 270) and lost the popular vote by a small margin. Yes, Clinton lost and Trump won, but barely. Let’s not get carried away with talk of landslides and mandates (although I fully expect to hear that before long). Keep in mind the 279 total does not include EVs for Michigan (16) and Arizona (11) which still have not been called. Trump holds a substantial lead in both. And the 228 for Clinton does not include 4 EVs for New Hampshire which still has not been called but where she holds a narrow lead. Looks like the final may end up as 306 to 232 (or 231 if that one Washington elector carried through on the threat to be faithless). For reference, winners in the post WWII era carried: Truman 303 Eisenhower 442, 457 JFK 303 LBJ 486 Nixon 301, 520 Carter 297 Reagan 489, 525 GHW Bush 426 B Clinton 370, 379 GW Bush 271, 286 Obama 365, 332 So looks like Trump pulled more EVs than JFK or Truman. :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-reactions-to-the-presidential-election-results/771235.md?page=6)