Depressed - and deploring Trump
Published November 25, 2016
by Gary Pearce, Talking About Politics, November 23, 2016.
Happy Thanksgiving? Bah, humbug, say a lot of Democrats.
Two weeks after a loss they didn’t see coming, they’re still sorting through four of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining and depression. The fifth and final stage, acceptance, is a ways off.
So let’s pause and calmly assess the situation.
Here’s some advice from a psychologist I know who’s struggling with his own feelings – “I’m trying not to let Trump rent out space in my head and ruin my life” – and counseling clients who are upset and even “terrified.”
Looking for the bright side, he notes, “I’m hoping that Trump’s narcissism somehow will work in our favor and that he’ll be so greedy about his image and his legacy and doing deals that he might even go against Republicans. He’ll go against anybody if it serves him. That could work to our benefit at some point, ironically.”
Plus, he adds, “Arrogance usually bites itself in the rear.”
I’m no psychologist, but here’s my political advice to Democrats.
First, rein in the over-the-top reaction to Trump. Don’t make it easy for him to paint his opponents as extreme and himself as mainstream.
The level of hype and hysteria that some Democrats show over anything and everything Trump does could help him by setting expectations so low he can’t help but exceed them: “Gee, Marge, we didn’t have a depression or a nuclear war or concentration camps after all. Let’s give Trump another four years.”
Second, criticize Trump all you want. But don’t attack his voters.
It’s no doubt true that a lot of racists voted for Trump. But it’s not true that all Trump voters are racist. For Democrats to say that is just as bad as Trump saying all Muslims are terrorists or all Mexicans are rapists and murderers.
Third, don’t howl with glee at every little fumble or stumble during the Trump transition. All transitions fumble and stumble. It’s impossible not to when you just finished one marathon and you have to gear up for another one.
Fourth and finally, face up to facts – good and bad.
The bad: Trump and the Republicans won. They own it all in Washington. They’re going to get their way. For a while.
But it’s like I told Carter in 2008, when Democrats won the White House, the Senate and the House: “Don’t worry. We’ll find a way to screw it up.”
They will too.
The good: Hillary Clinton did win the popular vote. For all her problems, she came within a few thousand votes in a handful of big states of winning. Democrats can and will win again.
More good: Roy Cooper won, Josh Stein won and Democrats picked up legislative seats here, despite the Trump tide. And we can and we will win here again.
So be thankful. And Happy Thanksgiving!
November 28, 2016 at 12:25 am
Norm Kelly says:
God willing, and some educated, smart voters, Demoncrats WON'T win for a long time.
First, glad so many demons are depressed. Hope it lasts a long time. Some of us remember when gloating demons were saying nasty things about Republicans when we were so upset that the unqualified sorta black community organizer liar law-breaker was elected for a second term. (yeah, i know. demons berate republicans all the time. it's their second nature; whining being their first. and they sure are proving their whine ability now that they lost so big, aren't they!?)
Second, Roy has NOT won yet. Isn't is funny how demons want to claim victory so quickly when the margin is so thin, but so unwilling to give up when the same slim margin is against them? Kinda like Hildaliar/Hildabeast joining the recount lawsuit knowing full well that any investigation of vote counts will work against her or show voter fraud that attempted to work in her favor. Either way all this shows is that whining, poor 'sportsmanship', poor losers, and just generally unhappy, sour people populate the demon party. And it's getting to be a small tent after all!
'(Trump will) be so greedy about his image and his legacy'. Isn't this what has happened to the current occupier? He's so worried that his legacy of destroying race relations will be fixed. He's so worried that his attempt to destroy the American health care system is finally replaced with something useful. He's so worried that his over-reach executive actions will be wiped out with the stroke of a pen, that he's already planning to bad-mouth Trump at every turn. And based on his ego and lack of tact, he'll make opportunities to dis Trump. And, just like the Rev Buffet Slayer here in Raleigh, the media will be willing lap dogs for every bit that spews forth from the mouth of possibly the worst president in modern history. Isn't it partially due to the legacy and image of the current occupier that Trump was created? It's true that do-nothing Republicans assisted in his creation, but the socialists in the demon party are also responsible. Demons proved that NOTHING any demon pol does is grounds for disqualification from elected office. Stealing money? Not a problem. Refusing to do your current job? Not a problem. Might even qualify you to run for governor of some southern state. Lie to Congress? Under oath? No problem. Run for president. Lie about keeping your health insurance? Lie about keeping your current doctor? No problem. Just go golfing! When demons screw up, like lies to Congress or golfing during a disaster, media allies will cover for them, and demon pols find a way to blame Republicans. And media allies go along with the blame game.
'as bad as Trump saying all Muslims are terrorists or all Mexicans are rapists and murderers.' While Hildaliar DID say that half of Trump's supporters were 'deplorable', it is NOT true that Trump said all Muslims are terrorists or all Mexicans are rapists or murderers. This line was made up by demons. And their allies in media. But not by Trump or his supporters.
'The bad: Trump and the Republicans won. They own it all in Washington.' When demons control all of it, media allies celebrate. When demons run rough-shod over citizens, for some reason it's considered good. But when Republicans win, when most of the nation chooses Republicans, somehow demons tell us THIS is bad. But what demons fail to get grasp of is that demons LOST BIG TIME across the nation. And this is not a new trend. Demons' message is getting out loud and clear! Your message IS getting through. It's just being rejected in most places. Pockets of socialism exist, such as Wake County. But it's not the block demons thought it was. Most of NC is NOT socialist, as demons were thinking.
'The good: Hillary Clinton did win the popular vote'. But the 'better': SHE LOST ANYWAY! The electoral college probably saved the nation. The socialist few large states were not able to force their schemes upon the rest of us. And because we are mostly still a nation ruled by law, despite the best efforts of the current occupier, Hildabeast LOST! By a LARGE margin. And across the nation demons lost in droves. The GOOD: more voters are becoming both educated and frustrated, and they are rejecting lies, deceit, central-planning, illegal aliens taking American jobs, and most everything else the demon party stands for. Your message IS getting through. But it's a dire message, so it's being rejected.
I am very Thankful. And I am optimistic. Not because I'm an avid Trump supporter. But because I'm a determined Hildaliar opposer. I had to look at what was best for the nation, and came to the logical, educated, intelligent decision that Hildabeast was the absolute worst this nation could come up with, so had NO CHOICE but to vote for Trump. I'm optimistic that he can do half of what needs to be done, and if so the nation will be so much better off than we are now or would have been with the liar, that the half he didn't get done can be taken care of in a second term. And then a Pence first term. Cuz if demons continue to get out their message so effectively, and continue to run such garbage for candidates, Pence is a shoe-in! And if the recount(s) show that Roy won, his first term will be such a failure that a second term won't happen, and there will be hope for the future of NC!
