What is even worse is that the average voter is more educated and makes more money than the average citizen. Around 25% of people age 18+ have a bachelors degree, but 50% of voters in 2016 had a bachelors degree. About 24% of households in the US have a household income of 100k+, among voters it is closer to 36%.
It sucks. The people who actually bother to vote are generally more educated and more successful than average, and they still picked Trump.
The stupid runs deep in America. I never felt this way about Romney, McCain, even Bush.
I would have went with disgust also.
I know Trump supporters loved to call Hillary a crooked liar, but when she said Trump supporters were “deplorables” it was one of the most honest statements ever uttered.
Oh, you mean they don’t respect democracy as much as the candidate that stood on stage in a national policy debate and responded to the question, “[Will you] … absolutely accept the result of he election?” responded by saying, “I’ll keep you in suspense,” and later clarified that he would accept the results but “…only if I win.” Yes, that Trump is as great a respector of democracy as you are of conveying the true intent of your words.
I feel like I just discovered we are trapped in a third rate SF story. What hasn’t been revealed yet is if it is some sort of farcical satire or apocalyptic nightmare.
Actually, it may be more like we are in some sort of B Universe. Hopefully travelers from the real universe will get back and correct the mistakes that led to this.
Perhaps we’ve been the B Universe since Reagan became president, but then the first Bush seemed believable so for a while things normalized. But now things have become so divergent we are completely off the rails and reality will have to close this universe off to restore balance.
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
We can’t let this happen. We should march on Washington and stop this travesty. Our nation is totally divided!
8:29 PM - 6 Nov 2012
and
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
Lets fight like hell and stop this great and disgusting injustice! The world is laughing at us.
8:30 PM - 6 Nov 2012
and let’s not forget about how Trump won
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy.
8:45 PM - 6 Nov 2012
and to finish up
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
He lost the popular vote by a lot and won the election. We should have a revolution in this country!
November 7, 2012
Somewhere between anger and fear. I’m angry that it happened and angry at the people who voted for him. (Especially the 80% of the white evangelicals, and anyone I thought was a kind-hearted person.)
But the reason I’m angry is that I’m afraid. Choosing him was such an obviously bad choice for the bad things that could happen. I’m angry that people chose the more risky option–the option more likely to cause harm.
I mean, that’s what morality boils down to, in my opinion. The reason we learn to hate people with certain characteristics is that those characteristics are dangerous to society. Those things we consider immoral are those things that produce the worst outcomes.
We call the narcissist and psychopath evil because those personality traits lead to bad outcomes for society as a whole. Society exists because everyone got together to work with each other. The asshole who is only out for himself is dangerous.
And, no, I’m not saying all politicians aren’t selfish. But, the point is, they had to at least pretend not to be, which serves basically the same purpose. That pretending put a cap on what selfish things they could do. We can’t make people actually be good, but we can vote for the those who act good.
But Trump got elected despite all that. Or even because of that. And that is a very dangerous road to walk down.
Yes. Yes, yes, and yes again. I gotta hand it to them, they were right all along. For years, I simply could not understand what anyone could possibly object so strenuously to with regard to the stable, moderate, pragmatic Barack Obama. That’s what led people to believe the objections were rooted in racism (still believe that played a big part, but the time for arguing about that is over).
But now I get it. There is nothing… and I mean absolutely nothing, that will make me recognize this person as the leader of my country. Does that make me a bad American? Well, guess what… I don’t really feel like an American anymore. I was never one of those gung-ho rah rah types waving the flag, but now that it’s all over (for me, anyway), it’s obvious that America did mean something to me, just by the sense of loss that I feel right now.
So now I’d like to thank Red America* for showing me the way. The theme now is resistance. There is nothing I won’t do now to resist, to obstruct, to sabotage this thing. And since there’s no such thing as America anymore, no qualms about being “unpatriotic” or “treasonous”.
“Oh, cuauhtemoc, you’re so stupid for not realizing this until now!” Ha ha, guilty! Laugh all you want, I deserve it! But don’t worry, I’m all caught up now. We can’t stop what’s coming from coming, I realize that. The important thing is that when (and I do mean when) the knives come out, we know which side we’re on. I do, and I thank you again for opening my eyes to it.
*I like Barack Obama, but there most definitely is a Red America and a Blue America, and the time for denying that is over. The time for discussion is also over. If we’re gonna do this thing, let’s just fucking do it and get it over with.
That’s how I feel. Anybody want to tell me how I should answer the poll?
I’m worried. I’m in health care policy, so worry is kind of a given.
I wish I were content to let his voters reap the whirlwind, but I’m trying to mitigate it as best I can. I’ll fight for affordable, high quality health care for all, and it’s nice that my job actually gives me the opportunity to do something rather than feeling helpless.
And it’s as always funny to see how bad Republicans are at governing. I’ve never seen such an incompetent group of people in my life.
So many appropriate choices but I settled on"shame." My expat colleagues are still laughing at the final result. Even the Angolan nationals were very surprised at the outcome.
I put “worry” but “fear” and “helplessness” also work. I’m in a low paid job in a Republican state that of course rejected and continues to reject the ACA Medicaid expansion, so the ACA has never been able to work the way it was supposed to here anyway, and now it will likely be repealed and not replaced. So I guess health care is not a new worry for me - it’s been this way for me ever since I dropped off my parents’ insurance years and years ago now. Maybe Dumpster - er, Trump - can’t make it any worse than it has been for me already with my long preexisting conditions and lack of ability to finance my own health care costs.
But I do worry that he will make my already-not-great job situation worse with even more pro-business, anti-employee legislation, such as maybe even cutting out the minimum wage entirely, so people like me will find ourselves working for $2 an hour and with no safety net (which he will probably also gut).
I also feel helpless because my state and now much of the rest of the country are dragging us into this Republican wet dream and the uncertainty that comes with Trump.
People often vote for the most annoying/weird/shocking/strange person on reality shows, but I didn’t think they’d do it in real life when voting for the President.
Schadenfreude with a generous helping of hilarity. I cannot stand the liberal elite, and their bewilderment, anger, and deep melancholy is the best thing I’ve seen in politics in my life.
The office of the president has received successive punches to the gut of its credibility over the last 45 years or so. Nixon is a punchline. Reagan, Clinton, and W are punchlines. Obama is a media pet. Now comes the beautiful Donald Trump to wipe his ass with what’s left of the office.
I agree with Bob. Let us tear down the alters in Washington and dynamite that monstrosity in South Dakota.