The 2016 Presidential election
Posted by John Reed on
In the Spring of 2015, I said Trump was not going to run. I was wrong.
During the primaries I said repeatedly that he was sabotaging his own campaign with stupid statements and being tricked into going down a dozen rabbit holes that had nothing to do with the election. I was right about those behaviors being wrong, but I was wrong about their being fatal to his campaign.
I believed the pollsters in 2008, 2012, and 2016. I was right on the first two and wrong on the third.
I said all candidates have advantages and disadvantages and strengths and weaknesses and rejected both the “Trump can do no wrong” and “Trump can do no right” crowds, praising how well he and his wives raised their kids, praising the dignity and class of his wife, defending his business failures as par for the course, extolled his real world business accomplishments, admired his ability to accomplish so much with so little money and as a rookie politician.
I am hopeful that such a successful mover and shaker will finally get things done—the right things—in Washington. I hope he reads my Unelected President novel for ideas.
I am scared to death that he will keep his promise to renege on America’s existing and pending international trade agreements. And I believe that will trigger a second Great Depression. My wife and I can probably survive such a Depression, and we will help our kids and grandkids, but I fear for their futures and that of most Americans in a new worldwide depression.
Otherwise, I think he will probably be good for the nation and the world.
More important is the message the American people sent to America’s ruling class and to the ruling classes of the developed democratic nations. Trump’s election is of a piece with Brexit—another shocking not-predicted by the pollsters result—and the rise of third parties in those countries. Roughly speaking, it is part of a worldwide movement that has been having trouble getting the attention of the ruling classes. I think we have their attention now.
I am thrilled to death that no more Clintons will strut their entitled untouchability on the public stage, that the influence-seeking donors to the Clinton Foundation will now have less influence in the halls of U.S. government. I got great Schadenfreude from watching the faces of the oh so diverse, oh so politically correct, and oh so looking forward to their positions in the new Hillary Administration and their tickets to the Inaugural Balls, crying at the “victory” celebration.
I am thrilled to death at the rejection of politics as usual, the total rejection of Barack and Michelle, the total rejection of Black Lives Matter, the total rejection of the anti-police movement. White votes matter, a fact that you would not have believed during all the talk about the African-American vote, the Latino vote, the youth vote, the educated left-handed suburban vote.
I am thrilled to death at the unexpected fact that the Republicans not only captured the White House but retained both houses of Congress. I am thrilled at the profound defeat handed to the unions starting in Wisconsin and elsewhere in recent years and culminating in the 2016 election.
I am thrilled to death at the rebuke handed to the corrupt media, the corrupt Justice Department and the corrupt FBI. I am thrilled to death at the ineffectiveness of big money both in the Jeb campaign and in the Democrat campaigns. And these are the people who hate Citizens United.
George W. Bush set the stage for the Obama victory with his wise ass Texas frat boy who thought responding to criticism was beneath him. And now Obama set the stage for the Trump victory with his unconstitutional overreach, his apology tour, his sucking up to Muslims and Black Lives Matter and Occupy and his attacks on cops and his efforts to turn out the black vote by calling opponents Klansmen and vote suppressors.
We got to see one of the most historic, dramatic elections in world history.
Cool.
During the primaries I said repeatedly that he was sabotaging his own campaign with stupid statements and being tricked into going down a dozen rabbit holes that had nothing to do with the election. I was right about those behaviors being wrong, but I was wrong about their being fatal to his campaign.
I believed the pollsters in 2008, 2012, and 2016. I was right on the first two and wrong on the third.
I said all candidates have advantages and disadvantages and strengths and weaknesses and rejected both the “Trump can do no wrong” and “Trump can do no right” crowds, praising how well he and his wives raised their kids, praising the dignity and class of his wife, defending his business failures as par for the course, extolled his real world business accomplishments, admired his ability to accomplish so much with so little money and as a rookie politician.
I am hopeful that such a successful mover and shaker will finally get things done—the right things—in Washington. I hope he reads my Unelected President novel for ideas.
I am scared to death that he will keep his promise to renege on America’s existing and pending international trade agreements. And I believe that will trigger a second Great Depression. My wife and I can probably survive such a Depression, and we will help our kids and grandkids, but I fear for their futures and that of most Americans in a new worldwide depression.
Otherwise, I think he will probably be good for the nation and the world.
More important is the message the American people sent to America’s ruling class and to the ruling classes of the developed democratic nations. Trump’s election is of a piece with Brexit—another shocking not-predicted by the pollsters result—and the rise of third parties in those countries. Roughly speaking, it is part of a worldwide movement that has been having trouble getting the attention of the ruling classes. I think we have their attention now.
I am thrilled to death that no more Clintons will strut their entitled untouchability on the public stage, that the influence-seeking donors to the Clinton Foundation will now have less influence in the halls of U.S. government. I got great Schadenfreude from watching the faces of the oh so diverse, oh so politically correct, and oh so looking forward to their positions in the new Hillary Administration and their tickets to the Inaugural Balls, crying at the “victory” celebration.
I am thrilled to death at the rejection of politics as usual, the total rejection of Barack and Michelle, the total rejection of Black Lives Matter, the total rejection of the anti-police movement. White votes matter, a fact that you would not have believed during all the talk about the African-American vote, the Latino vote, the youth vote, the educated left-handed suburban vote.
I am thrilled to death at the unexpected fact that the Republicans not only captured the White House but retained both houses of Congress. I am thrilled at the profound defeat handed to the unions starting in Wisconsin and elsewhere in recent years and culminating in the 2016 election.
I am thrilled to death at the rebuke handed to the corrupt media, the corrupt Justice Department and the corrupt FBI. I am thrilled to death at the ineffectiveness of big money both in the Jeb campaign and in the Democrat campaigns. And these are the people who hate Citizens United.
George W. Bush set the stage for the Obama victory with his wise ass Texas frat boy who thought responding to criticism was beneath him. And now Obama set the stage for the Trump victory with his unconstitutional overreach, his apology tour, his sucking up to Muslims and Black Lives Matter and Occupy and his attacks on cops and his efforts to turn out the black vote by calling opponents Klansmen and vote suppressors.
We got to see one of the most historic, dramatic elections in world history.
Cool.
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