Lessons Learned on Tuesday

If you are like me, you are profoundly disappointed in the outcome of Tuesday’s election. You are left stunned, in pain from a gut punch to the stomach, and wondering what went wrong. Here are some takeaways:

1.        We do not live in “the greatest country in the world,” nor do we live in a country that can be made “great again” by the likes of Donald Trump. Some of us fantasize that we live in a racial, gender, ethnic origin, and sexual orientation-neutral country, but we do not. We are not tolerant of other ways of living, nor do we accept that others have the same rights as white Christian Americans.

A man convicted of 34 counts of fraud, is a civilly adjudicated rapist and fraud, embraces strongmen dictators, and craves generals like Hitler’s, has bested a highly qualified, joyful Black/Asian woman in an American presidential election.   In other words, there is no “Rainbow Coalition.” Almost 250 years after founding our “more perfect union,” America has a long way to go to perfect that union.

2.        Earning our vote is a complicated endeavor. In the process, strange bedfellows are created. The child of a Holocaust survivor recently explained to me that he voted for Donald Trump because Kamala Harris was a “socialist.” Despite despising the things Trump says and does, and especially his fascist tendencies, this man voted for the fascist over the perceived socialist. When I compared Trump to Hitler and “MAGA” to “Deutschland Uber Alles,” the man became incensed, terminated the conversation, and walked away. Thus, because in his mind, a socialist is worse than a fascist, this Jewish son of a Holocaust survivor voted with blocks of voters that included “The Proud Boys” and other neo-Nazis. Complicated, right? Go figure.

3.        America, a gender-biased country, is not ready for a female POTUS. By way of example, most of the Latino community, despite being disgustingly disparaged by Donald Trump for years, voted for him in record numbers. Why? According to Pennsylvania radio host Victor Martinez, Latino men believe that a woman’s role is in the home and would never vote for a woman. Most of the Orthodox Jewish community feels the same way. Again, politics makes for strange bedfellows. Is this the prevailing view in America? I doubt it, but traditional gender bias was a contributing factor in the election outcome.

4.        We are a homophobic country. Democrats who embraced alternative lifestyles, transgender issues, marriage equality, or LGBTQ rights, rightly or wrongly, paid a price for their support of those issues.

5.        Kitchen table issues still rule politics. Americans care more about wages, inflation, neighborhood schools, etc., than things like tax credits, helping those less fortunate, or social issues. Are we just plain selfish? You decide.

6. The rise of podcasts, biased news, the Internet, and social media has created a misinformed citizenry—we do not get our news from legitimate news sources and accept blatant lies as truth. I recently argued with a Trump supporter about a Facebook post she made. She posted that the Biden administration only gave Hurricane survivors $750 in relief benefits. When I corrected her (on her Facebook page) that this was only one program available through FEMA and that there were many more, she went nuts on me, told me she was entitled to “her truth,” unfriended me and blocked me from her page. She claimed I “disrespected her” when I was nothing but respectful. Why do I share this story? Because most citizens no longer care about “the truth,” they only care about their truths, you know, those that Russia or China circulate on the Internet.

7.        The majority citizen hates left-wing elitism but embraces right-wing elitism. As a result, issues on the left are grossly overdramatized and overreported (see number 6 above) to right-leaning citizens. Again, go figure.

One of my favorite movies of all time is The American President. Fictional President Andrew Shepard would have said it this way:

“Whatever your particular issue is, Donald Trump is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only. Making you afraid of it and telling you who’s to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections.”

In the 2024 election, the issues were the economy and the “American way of life.” The scapegoats were immigrants and the LGBTQ community. Think I’m exaggerating? Transgender citizens make up something like .5% of our nation’s citizens, yet most Americans believe that a transgender person in a locker room is a more critical issue than climate change.

The same majority believes that illegal immigrants (3% of our population) are taking our jobs. Climate change might devastate our planet and severely impact the lives of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and no one seems to care. When people worry about who their daughters play sports with, that immigrant crime is rampant (when it is not), or that the economy is failing (when it is working) more than an issue that might harm the planet for centuries, Houston, we have a problem. The media and our leaders are failing to keep us properly informed.

8.        The outrageously deranged outbursts of Donald Trump became mainstream in the media. Sources bent over backward to claim that “both sides” engaged in outrageous rhetoric and actions, even when one side presented truth while the other engaged in multiple outrageous lies throughout the campaign.

·      Candidates for president and vice-president may claim that illegal immigrants are eating people’s pets and still get elected POTUS and VEEP. Who cares if the immigrants are here legally or that the food source allegation is outrageously false?

·      A candidate for vice-president may call the current vice-president “trash” and still be elected VEEP.

·      A candidate for president may simulate sex acts to a microphone and still be elected POTUS.

·      A candidate for POTUS may threaten his opponents and others who disagree with him and still be elected.

·      A candidate may lie, cheat, rape, steal, commit fraud and still be elected POTUS.

·      A candidate may call America a “trash can” and still be elected POTUS.

·      A candidate kay claim that illegal immigrants are taking “black jobs” and still be elected POTUS.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. The media grew tired of reporting Trump’s multiple crimes, scandals, outrageous remarks and behavior, moral and financial bankruptcy, and gross incompetence. It simply dropped the ball. “Who cares? He’s good for the economy!” What a load of excrement!     

9.        MAGA is an angry and aggressive online creature that repudiates democracy, places Trump on a cult leader-type pedestal, and demeans women. That the movement’s predators choose the morally and mentally bankrupt Trump as their savior more than demonstrates their entry into fantasyland and their hatred for women. They don’t care about America or democracy. They pledge allegiance to fascism and Trump, a phenomenon fueled by the Internet’s dark web. This is why a candidate for president may put Liz Cheney before a fictional firing squad, Kamala Harris in the ring with Mike Tyson, and depict Nancy Pelosi as the “enemy within” and still get elected POTUS.    

10. Democrats are not blameless. Rightfully calling Trump a fascist does not demonstrate how voting for the Democratic Party puts food on American tables or more money in Americans’ pockets. Dems either maintained or lost ground in every key demographic. They were mysteriously (and remarkably) unable to sell a highly successful Biden economy of high GDP growth, high wages, great jobs numbers, and declining inflation. Instead, a large percentage of American voters began to agree that they were worse off today than they were four years ago. The elderly, feeble-sounding Biden could not take advantage of the bully pulpit that is the presidency.

11. America has a short memory. As a result, in a short time, we have become an untrustful, extremist, self-interested, misogynistic, and bigoted country. There is now a massive backlash against left-leaning politics. While Trump is primarily responsible for the demise of America’s soul, the Democratic Party offered little to prevent this transformation. Even more troubling, Trump made solid gains with young voters. How? Why? Because our kids, particularly young men, are being educated or indoctrinated on the Internet.

And what did Trump and the right offer to his new constituency instead? Almost nothing. He won by offering a slew of grievances, disrespect for his political rivals and American institutions, and a rejection of left-leaning ideologies, which the media and the Internet mimed. Students on college campuses across the country bought into this rejection. God bless America. The Democrats have a lot of work to do in the next four years. Who would have thunk it?