As a political liberal, a political junkie, a reader of history, and the founder in 1995 of this website, perhaps the oldest political blog in the world, I need to write my perspective on this election of Trump as president of the United States. I have watched and participated in political events my entire life, and even had the honor of shaking hands with John Kennedy at a political event in 1960. Some day, over the next four years, this site may be shut down by Trump, but until then, this will continue as a venue for citizen writers. At age 83, I want to write my perspective on our times.
“Adjust” was the word that came to my mind Tuesday night as reality slowly pushed out all optimistic thoughts. Watching the states falter one by one was chilling. Realizing that a majority of citizens in each of those states preferred Trump to Harris sank in slowly.
The American people knew the facts of their choice - and chose a big white man promising impossible dreams of comfort and a return to a past that never existed. The majority of people voted against their own best interests. The poor will probably suffer the most under his authoritarian rule.
Why? In a word, the Democratic Party turn to Neoliberalism by President Clinton - and sustained by President Obama and even President Biden. NAFTA, the WTO and the TPP impoverished hard working Americans and were signature deals made by Democratic presidents. The Democrats promised to help people but quietly worked with the bankers and mega corporations to water down those promises. The Democratic Party thought it could under-deliver to the American people and get away with it.
The result is that a majority of voters simply did not trust - did not believe - the promises that Kamala Harris made. I personally feel that she made them sincerely and that she would have reversed the Neoliberal practices of the Democrats; thus her promise to make “common sense” decisions. But, as she is vice president, she would not speak against Biden’s policies - and the Democratic Party hoped the American people would, again, buy their promises.
Biden ran and won in 2020 to save America from Trump. Once in office, he continued the Neoliberalism of Clinton and Obama, and ignored the concerns of poor Americans. He governed with outdated ideas and policies of 40 and 50 years ago; he was embedded in the past and could not see the realities of America. And he supported new wars.
Biden ignored the border crisis. Yes, he put Harris “in charge” but then prevented her from doing anything. He made all the decisions - in the old fashioned style of pretending to disperse power, but in reality keeping it all to himself.
Biden got us into the Ukrainian war. Really. He worked for years as vice president to sucker Putin into attacking Ukraine so we could then use Ukraine as a proxy to bleed the Russian military dry. He worked with the American military-industrial complex to get us into another war profitable to them. President Eisenhower’s warning was ignored. Trump has promised to end this war and a majority of voters believe him. The American people do not like foreign wars. Virtually every Trump supporter I have talked with since 2016 has pointed to the foreign wars as one of the main reasons for supporting Trump.
Biden has blindly supported Israel, feeding our military-industrial complex hundreds of billions more dollars. And Israel is systematically destroying all of Gaza and committing genocide. But we Americans cannot cast stones because we did the same to Iraq even though our leaders knew there were no nuclear weapons there and that Iraq had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. We have become an aggressor nation feeding our weapon-makers and starving our domestic programs. While Biden and the Democrats said they wanted peace, they fed the war machine.
So Trump, who does not like wars, is probably going to stop the aid to these two countries.
If Kamala had been elected, I believe she would have made a serious effort to bring reforms, end the wars, and make decisions for the benefit of rural and poorer Americans. But I also believe the Democratic machine would have stopped her reforms.
I have special criticism for Chuck Shumer, the Senate Democratic Party leader. He refused to end the filibuster, allowed Congress to stall out, and let the minority Republicans control the agenda. As Republicans will now control the Senate, we will see the filibuster end and the Republican majority will rule. Shumer will, of course, be outraged. He is a fool.
Before ending this article of accusations, I want to include our liberal news media as also responsible for the rise and success of Trump. They stoked the embers of division in our country, gaining more viewers and readers and making more money by dividing us. They made news-watching a “must” for more and more people, by inflaming any differences they could find. They ignored important but unexciting issues in favor of “gotcha news casts.” They all did it: the New York Times, CBS, MSNBC, Fox, CNN, and yes, the Washington Post. In reality, we Americans all want pretty much the same things. The only issue that divides us is women’s rights - big as it is. The news media treated Trump as a normal politician and made him a rock star.
As a tree-hugging, bleeding-heart liberal, I am crushed by Trump’s victory. But I do think he may decide some good things—as painful as they might be. If we have another election in four years, we may find a credible liberal leader whom we can elect president and find our way to a better future. For now, adjust to a new reality is the word.
Comments by Readers
Pearl Follett
Nov 08, 2024Thank you for your comments. My view is that many factors caused the defeat of Harris that had nothing to do with the Democtric party. Individuals vote. In the hearts and minds of the Trump voters many factors pushed the hand that marked the ballot.
One is that abused people idenify with the agressor . Fantasies play a part. Some very poor want to protect the rich so that when they themselves become rich everything willbe in place for them,
Obedience is taught in some churches and families. Do what you are told to survive.
The lack of critical thinking was a major factor. Our school system and the lack of righer educaton for the poor can be blamed.
Regardless of the reasons we are where we are with the problem of what to do about it.
For now we can do good where we see and help those who wil be in harms way due to Trump. We can build a comunity to help the disenfranchised. In doing so we can protect our morality and not live in dispair. Together we can build a better world.
Pearl Follett
John Servais
Nov 08, 2024Pearl, I agree with each of your points as to why different individuals probably voted for Trump. I most agree sith the lack of critical thinking and, yes, that goes to our education system. If Trump eliminates the Department of Education then each state will be on its own and we may see an improvement in public education in Washington state.
However, I do not think a majority of voters fit into the four points you make. The ones I know - both close relatives and good friends - do not. They are functioning, successful and level headed in all regards. They voted for Trump.
The turn to Neoliberalism by the Democratic party was a betrayal of the small business owners and the working folks all over America. It has come home to bite them. I think that is the major factor.
There are more reasons than those you and I have noted. No doubt. Trump may have lost if the Democratic Party candidate had been a tall white man, or if inflation had not been so high for so long or if U.S. Attorney General Garland had not sat on his thumbs for two years before beginning to take action against Trump. Just to name a few other factors. All in all, a self inflicted defeat. IMO
Jon Humphrey
Nov 08, 2024The Corporate Democrats, which the Whatcom Democrats are a shining example of, are definitely to blame. As a liberal, Bernie, supporter myself I have had the local Dems. try to cancel me for telling the citizens of Whatcom County the truth about fake progressives here in our fight for economic and social justice in telecom. It was the Democrats, still lead by pathological liar Andrew Redding, that tried to kill the issue and did not care who they hurt along the way. Even working families with children. They have since moved targets to a few people trying to resolve the homelessness issue because they want to line the pockets of their big developer donor friends. They are making up serious lies about them too, as they always do. They are a pitiful joke and they hate workers. However, Harris would have been better than Trump. Still, with good 3rd party candidates like Stein on the ballot, I can’t understand why anyone voted for either major party. They are both awful.
Pearl Follett
Nov 08, 2024I am a Bernie supporter also. I was not excusing the Dems only thinking of why people would vote for Trump.
Pearl
Satpal Sidhu
Nov 08, 2024John, you have outlined the major reasons very well. One more I would like to point that immigrant bashing gave false narrative to average person that their economic decline is solely becasue of asylum seekers. Flaming the rhetoric of crime on this population also tuned people off from democrats leaders. US agriculture, meat industry hospitality services, housing contruction (few I can mention) are run becasue of this cheap labor. The very republican businesses do not favor closing the borders as being portrayed in the political slogans.
Many American are drawn to the dream of white christian dominated America, and this scares almost the other half of Americans, who are inching towards the majotiry count in few years. Lets hope better brains prevail over next four years and some good is done for common citizen’s living conditions.
Randy Petty
Nov 09, 2024Looking down our noses at “low information” voters won’t change things. Many of Trump’s promises will either be stopped/limited by reality ( consumers pay for tariffs), “guardrailed” by those with more brain cells in the new administration or will just fail ( catastrophically in some cases). But the huge numbers that don’t read much or pay attention will either forget about the promises or not see it when they don’t come to fruition. ( or be embarassed to admit it)
So….those on the left should promise the moon. As James Carville said yesterday, “with elections, winning is everything.” Unless you just happen to enjoy falling on your own sword.
Say what the majority of people who swing elections want to hear about Gaza, trans issues, immigration etc., then do the right thing once in office.