As difficult as it is for me to believe, apparently some states may give the electoral college votes to Trump.
In a previous life I lived in Utah. Utah, for the last 50 years, has given the college votes to Republicans. But, I could live with that, given the lack of diversity in the state.
However, this election is different. The Republicans have a clown running for POTUS. And to think a majority of any state would elect him. Inconceivable! And scary! And embarrassing.
If you live in such a state, how are you going to cope?
I live in Texas, so my vote for president has never counted. My first presidential election was 1988.
I live with it quite well. I campaign for my preferred candidates. I vote for my preferred candidate. The majority of Texas voters vote for someone else. So, my state’s very large number of votes goes to the candidate I don’t like. But, that’s the rules.
Am I supposed to feel guilty about something? What?
Not speaking for the OP, but I didn’t read it as “feeling guilty” as much as being flabbergasted by the fact that a majority of your neighbors are voting for someone who is not just “a candidate I don’t like,” but a completely incompetent and dangerous buffoon.
Is it really so difficult to accept Trump as a symbol of frustration, of anger. Even as a symptom of a now unacceptable disconnect between the Washington political class - up to it’s retirement fund in ‘donations’ at the cost of the democratic process and basic representation - and so many people?
What Trump means is the system of representation is broken, the democracy is broken - as Sanders did before, as HRC is not.
Another Texas resident, who happens to live in a district that reliably votes 60-65% Republican:
I don’t do anything special to live with that. I fight the good fight, lose graciously, and thank the baby Jesus that I don’t live someplace like Odessa.
Cope with what? If I were going to be bothered by anything, I’d be bothered by the right-wing idiots that people in my state keep electing as governor and state legislators; those people actually win, and have a material impact on my life as a state employee. The fact that my state is giving a grand total of six electoral votes to a candidate who’s almost certainly going to lose doesn’t affect my life at all. (If he wins by six electoral votes or fewer, then I might be kind of annoyed at my neighbors – but even if that happens, people aren’t going to blame us, they’re going to blame Iowa.)
“In a democracy, sometimes the other guy wins”. I have been on the losing end of a number of elections, as I imagine most folks have. If Trump carries my state (he will not), then I would expect the electoral votes to go to him. That’s how it’s supposed to work.
Same here. I’m in Alabama. I know where the votes will go. I won’t flabbergasted. I’m won’t even be surprised. Completely expected, even if I don’t like it. Not even as embarrassing as other things voted on in recent history.
I was raised in Oregon but now live in Texas. Talk about political whiplash. In years past, I was always disappointed, but never surprised, to see all the Romney/McCain/Bush yard signs. While I’m sure Texas will go for Trump (barely, maybe), I take some encouragement by the fact that there are very few Trump signs/bumper stickers to be seen. I would estimate 10-20%, at most, the number you’d typically see from a Republican candidate. At least many of those who’ll vote for him feel some shame or embarrassment for it I think. Living here just means not talking politics this time around.
I lived in Columbus, Ohio in 2004. That was the hardest political experience I ever had. Not only did I canvass for the Kerry campaign, I also worked against the same sex marriage ban and in favor of a citywide smoking ban in restaurants and bars. Yeah, my side won on the smoking ban but I had my heart ripped out and stomped on with the two big issues.
God, I loved seeing Bush leave office with that low approval rate and not even be able to show his face at Republican conventions. The same sex marriage bans got overturned and smoking bans are almost ubiquitous now.
I’d live with it with the realization that people–sometimes a majority of people–have different opinions than I do, and expressed them in a greater number than I would have wished. Welcome to the free world.
What do you mean, “cope”? I would…accept it. Matter of fact, the state I reside in currently is indeed most likely going to give its EVs to Trump, so your thread is the probable scenario for me.
In 2008 and 2012, the state I resided in gave its EVs to the presidential candidate I opposed, and I survived.
And Trump’s % likelihood of winning the White House is probably in the single digits right now anyway.
I don’t get it… even if you live in a blue state, you still have to deal with the fact that 40-ish% of the national vote is going to go to Trump. If I can’t find a way to relate to almost half the population, I really need to re-think how I’m handling my life.
Also, at least people who voted for Trump actually voted. I may disagree with them, but at least they didn’t passively sit around letting other people make a choice for them.
