Fear and Trepidation From 2016 to 2018

In the run up to November  8, 2016, I was nervous.  The interminable campaign for President of the United States was finally and at long last in sight of an ending.  In three debates, Hillary Clinton demonstrated a considerable depth of knowledge and understanding of the problems in the world and her role as President to solve them.

Donald Trump demonstrated  a considerable lack of knowledge and understanding.

In three debates, Clinton had clearly proven she was the superior candidate of the two.

 

The poll numbers were looking good for Clinton. There was talk about not if Clinton would win but just how decisive and large that margin of victory would be. Trump had time and time again proven himself a moron with no temperament to be Commander in Chief. It almost seemed unfair how bad a beating this lumbering loud mouth man child was going to be in for.

 

Surely no one in their right mind would vote for this profoundly stupid, stupid man.

 

Nonetheless, I was nervous.

 

I’ve learned never to underestimate the stupidity of the American people. But surely Americans would not be that stupid to elect an obviously incompetent and unqualified person to be President. 

 

As the returns came in the night of November 8, 2016, my stomach churned with the nauseating realization that yes, there were more than enough Americans stupid enough to elect an obviously incompetent and unqualified person to be President. 

 

In the run up to November  6, 2018, I am once more nervous. 

 

We’ve had two years to witness Donald Trump’s incompetency at being President of the United States. He has consistently said things, made choices and taken actions to the benefit of a select few that fracture the nation as a whole. Donald Trump has proven time and time again his deference to being President only to the people who support him. Trump’s Presidency is to benefit his own self-aggrandizement. He only acts to bolster support for himself. And this has been shown repeatedly in a clear and evidentiary way. My assessment of Trump as President is not an opinion, it is objective fact.

 

As count down the days to November 6, 2018, there are two groups I’m worried about.

 

First of all are the Trump supporters, filled with passion and rage to defend their guy and support the apparatus that has so far protected him from harm. No amount of facts, of objective truth, of hard cold reality is going to change their minds. These people are lost, now and perhaps forever more. And they see themselves under threat because they’re great and powerful leader, Donald the Dufus, has told them so. Under threat, they are motivated to vote, to protect Li’l Donnie and his great work.

 

The other group is Millennials. A recent survey has revealed that about only 25 % of Millennials intend to vote. What the hell is wrong with these people? Issues one might think would  be important to Millennials are challenged and threatened by the current status quo of an unhinged Donald Trump unchecked by a Republican led complicit Congress. Do they not understand? Do they not care?

 

Trust me, those on the right of the partisan divide do care and do understand. The status quo is good for their side. Rolling back health care protections? Reversing the rights and options for women over their reproductive health? Denying basic rights to trans gender people? All this and more is on the table for conservative religious ideologues who see Trump and the sniveling sycophants in Congress as the victory of their every ignorant, fear filled, small minded objective.

 

They care a lot for their causes on the right. For everyone else, political passions do not burn with that same intensity. 

 

Maybe I should not fret so much. There is data to show that younger voters are voting in highers numbers than they did in the last mid-term election in 2014.

 

But is it enough?

 

I thought two years go we were going to be fine.

 

No, we were not.

 

Please understand that I am not ready to relax just yet.