- Considerations of the anti-Trump push back.
Since the general election I have been preoccupied with other priorities. However, I have kept an eye on the news regarding the push back to Mr. Trump's victory. Yes, I have seen the demonstrations and anarchist riots, the Grubhub boss who threatened to fire employees supporting Trump, people physically attacking Trump supporters, the Seattle councilwomen calling for a blockage of the presidential inauguration, the parodies of Trump on television, the "Hamilton" reprimand of Mr. Pence, the flag burnings, the invention of "Post-election anxiety" whereby service dogs and grieving counselors are provided for students, and that Mr. Obama may not go quietly into the night as other presidents have done before him.
One comment that particularly caught my attention was from a parent who lamented, "What am I going to say to my children; how will I explain this to them?" Perhaps the best way is to learn from Republicans who had to do likewise in 2008 when Mr. Obama was elected president, by explaining this is how our electoral process works. Democrats may be surprised to learn when our current president was elected, many Republicans believed the country had made a big mistake, and many still believe so to this day.
Republicans were aghast to watch Mr. Obama follow a socialist agenda. The Affordable Care Act (aka, Obamacare) was drafted and implemented without consulting GOP congressmen or senators; their input was simply not wanted. This established a confrontational relationship with Congress and gridlock ensued that haunted us throughout his term of office, leading him to write executive order after executive order as an end run around Congress. His policies led to more than doubling the national debt, a regressive Gross Domestic Product, the rule of law was threatened, violence and joblessness plagues our inner cities, an out-of-control immigration situation, and a diminished leadership role in the world community. From a Republican's point of view, Mr. Obama was an epic failure, even worse than Jimmy Carter. Consider this, if he had done so well, Hillary Clinton would have easily ascended to the presidency on his coattails. Instead, the American people said "enough is enough," and elected Mr. Trump instead in a landslide electoral victory of 290-232. Mr. Trump's victory represents a rebuff of Mr. Obama's policies and programs. Whereas Jimmy Carter begat Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama did likewise for Donald Trump. Despite all of this, Republicans still recognized Mr. Obama as the legitimate President of the United States, like it or not. Liberal Democrats simply do not comprehend any of this.
Democrats feel it is their duty to demonize Trump supporters as racist and sexist bigots. It is now an inherent part of their vernacular. In contrast, an argument could be made to call the anti-Trump people politically and historically ignorant as they have no comprehension of how the electoral process works. Once again, we heard from the left regarding the evils of the American electoral college, that the popular vote should suffice. If they had studied history, they would realize the electoral college is a stroke of genius by our forefathers who sought parity between the metropolitan and rural areas of the country. It was devised by men such as James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson, who had an in-depth understanding of government based on their studies of ancient Greece, Rome, and Europe. Our young people have simply no comprehension of any of this, which is what happens when you no longer teach civics or history anymore. Interestingly, despite the voiced displeasure of our young people, ages 18-29, only 19% voted in the election. They either do not know how to cast ballots to voice their desires or have simply abdicated the American electoral process.
Honestly, what are the young people crying about? Because their candidate lost? It is certainly not the end of the world, or our country. Maybe it is because we have conditioned youth to believe everyone wins in sports and academics, that there are no losers. No, I have no sympathies for any of this. I'm sorry, the home team doesn't always win. Ask the Cleveland Indians. Get over it.
Fanning the flames of discontent is the news media who is still reeling from being proven so wrong about the election, they were embarrassed and humiliated. To compensate, they are now doggedly psychoanalyzing and criticizing every decision and appointment Mr. Trump makes. The degree of hounding will undoubtedly go way beyond that of Richard Nixon. However, as a businessman, look for Mr. Trump to redefine the rules of the game for the press in his White House.
Following Mrs. Clinton's defeat, the Democratic party has gone into a tail spin. They desperately need to clean house under new leadership. This also happened after Ronald Reagan soundly defeated Jimmy Carter in 1980. The DNC had to do some introspective soul-searching under the assistance of Lee Iacocca.
In the senate, Harry Reid is finally being put out to pasture. Before leaving though, he called Mr. Trump, "a sexual predator who lost the popular vote and fueled his campaign with bigotry and hate." If the country is going to heal, such rhetoric has to be removed. Hopefully, his replacement as Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, will be more effective, particularly in lieu of the fact he and Mr. Trump have a long relationship in New York.
In the House, Nancy Pelosi was challenged for minority leader by Tim Ryan of Ohio who is more interested in reestablishing relations with the working class as opposed to the liberal agenda. He's right. During the presidential campaign, I met many Trump Democrats who lamented their party had deserted them. If the Democrats do not heed the warnings of people such as Congressman Ryan, they are doomed to lose more power in the next electoral cycle.
What we are witnessing is a widening of the cultural divide in this country. Whereas one side respects the rule of law and order, the other does not. Our moral values are becoming increasingly incompatible; and our interpretation of reality is blurred. It is no wonder, there are those who perceive the Republican agenda as evil, and the Democratic agenda as reckless and non-pragmatic.
As to the Liberal Democrats concerned with what to say to their children, try telling the truth. I do not recall any backlash in 2008 by the Republicans. We may not have liked Mr. Obama, but he was the one who was elected president, not John McCain.
Also published with The Huffington Post.
Keep the Faith!
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Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com
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