It's turning out to be a sad night. I started watching the election returns on MSNBC around 5 pm with a lot of optimism. After all, a couple of days ago I wrote a blog post called "Why I expect Harris will beat Trump fairly easily."
For sure, that's not going to happen. I was wrong.
At the moment the New York Times Live Presidential Forecast gives Trump more than a 95% chance of victory. Harris' only option is to win Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Currently Trump is leading by 3 points in Pennsylvania, 6 points in Michigan, and 4 points in Wisconsin.
The Blue Wall is crumbling. When I wake up tomorrow, likely it will have fallen, and Trump will have been declared the victor.
Which is so depressing, I had trouble writing that last sentence. My daughter is depressed. Friends are depressed. My wife is watching something on TV that isn't the election results. I read an update from a New York Times reporter that said:
The Harris campaign just shut off the sound on the TVs at her watch party and replaced it with music after a guest on CNN said tonight felt "more like 2016 than 2020."
I feel the same way. Once again, a competent, highly qualified woman is poised to be defeated by one of the worst presidents our country has ever suffered under. And Trump has vowed to make his next term in office even nastier.
Unless Harris pulls off a near-miracle in the Blue Wall states, get ready for Robert Kennedy Jr. to ban vaccines and fluoride in the water supply, for Elon Musk to make the federal government into a MAGA playground, for millions of hard-working undocumented immigrants to be rounded up in detention camps before being thrown out of the country, for the abortion pill to be banned nationwide along with possibly other forms of abortion due to the Trump administration putting a hitherto unenforced law from the 1800s into effect, for all U.S. aid to Ukraine being withdrawn thereby handing a victory to Putin, for giving unfettered free rein to Netanyahu to kill as many Palestinians as he wants with no consequences, for Trump tariffs devastating our economy via a huge sales tax on all imported goods.
That's what it appears American voters have said they want.
If a Harris defeat is disturbing, equally bothersome will be the realization among those of us who supported her that half of the people in this country are absolutely fine with having an authoritarian, who has been termed a fascist by his Chief of Staff, becoming president again. Well, almost certainly they're going to get what they asked for: a fascist authoritarian president.
I'm afraid for the United States, and the world. From what I know of the prelude to Hitler taking full control of a Nazi'fied Germany, Trump's plans for his second term in office are disturbingly similar. German leaders thought Hitler wouldn't be as bad as those who warned about him thought he would be. Until, the worst happened.
Understand: I'm not saying that we will become a 21st century version of Nazi Germany. But the fact that I can even think that we're heading in that direction is beyond disturbing. It's terrifying.
Obviously voters bought into Trump's incessant lies. They are fine with his stated desire to be a "dictator on Day 1." They can accept all of the things happening that I included in the lengthy paragraph above. In short, they have given a thumbs up to the first truly authoritarian presidency in our nation's history.
I want to end this post on a positive note. And that is, my deep gratitude to Kamala Harris for stepping up after Biden withdrew from the race. She ran a virtually flawless campaign. I found little to criticize in how she presented herself to the American public. Harris gave those of us who supported her hope, joy, and laughter when we needed it in the dark times after Biden's disastrous debate performance.
I don't blame Harris for her impending loss to Trump. I blame the voters who failed to see Trump for who he is: a mortal danger to our country and the world. Say goodbye to federal efforts to combat climate change, young people. Say goodbye to any chance of a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestinians, American Muslims. Enough of you voted for Trump to help him return to power.
Soon you'll see how wrong you were to dismiss Harris.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to watch an expected concession speech from Harris tomorrow. I'm sad enough now. I don't need more tears. But if I were able to speak to Kamala, I'd tell her that she ran a great campaign. As her running mate Walz likes to say, she left everything on the field. If she loses, as I expect she will, it won't be due to a lack of effort or competence.
It will be due to the inability of the American public to recognize that they could have chosen a gem to become president. Instead, it looks like they've chosen a piece of shit.
You're thankful for how she campaigned?? Speaking of altered realities vs. facts...
Kamala Harris refused to attend the Al Smith dinner (bewildering Jim Gaffigan), refused to go on many podcasts and talk shows, and did little else. Kamala followed the loser's strategy of Hillary and Biden, putting in the absolute least effort.
Most of all, Kamala the Word Salad Veep demonstrated she had no real plans or even grasp of the issues. One wonders what she's been doing the last 4 years.
Meanwhile, Trump didn't sleep for 48 hours before election day and held many dozens of rallies.
Trump won and will be our president for the next 4 years - - have a nice day!
Posted by: sant64 | November 06, 2024 at 11:50 AM