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“About last night”–Observations from a confirmed Nevertrumper
I didn’t vote for Trump, voted for McMullin. Proudly called myself a nevertrumper. I couldn’t vote for him because he rejected conservative principles and was demonstrably untrustworthy and of poor character. He won anyway. What is a nevertrumper like me to take from last night’s results?
- Trump certainly deserves credit for seeing an opening and going for it. Whatever is out there, he tapped into it and rode it all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. He did something few (some of you did) thought he could.
- I am DELIGHTED that Hillary and Bill are finally rejected, kicked off the stage, and received their ultimate comeuppance. It couldn’t have happened to better people. For those of you who accuse us Nevertrumpers of being closet Hillary supporters—you are wrong (at least in my case). Her loss makes my day, my week, maybe even my year, in many ways.
- I am also thrilled that this election seems to be a rejection of Obama and any legacy he might try to
claim. He leaves his party is terrible shape. I think a large part of this loss (besides Trump’s political talent) can be laid at the feet of Obamacare and the economic slide which the electorate attributed to Obama and Democrats. Yesterday, Obama famously said, “The sun will come up tomorrow.” Yes, Barack, and it will set on the ruins of your lost empire. - I am encouraged by the evidence that people are persuadable-they can still break outside of the media bubble and cultural bias–even in places like Michigan and Wisconsin. I thought we were locked in blue nation-red nation forever. This is awesome.
- Can Trump win me over? Of course he can, if he wants to. But I am still very dubious about his policies, his character, and his ego. I pray that everything I have thought (and written about him proves utterly false, and all the positive things thought and written about him by his supporters (especially my conservative brothers and sisters) proves true. Will he actually appoint pro-life, conservative judges to the Supreme Court? Will he support NATO (even if he makes them pony up more) and oppose Putin’s ambitions? Will he impose wise limits on immigration and forget his most bombastic promises in terms of trade restrictions? We shall see. But to the extent he tries to impose a big government agenda or transgress constitutional boundaries, I will oppose him and will have no qualms about doing so. I do have hope that Pence (I love that guy) and other Republican conservatives can steer him to the right (despite his natural impulses).
- Do I regret not supporting Trump and voting third party? Of course not. I made that choice for very good reasons and I would vote the same today if I had to do it over again. Four years from now, he will have a much better record to run on. Again, he can win my vote, if he wants to.
- Politics, even when good to Republicans and conservatives, is still “the little kingdom.” It’s not your life (though it can be quite fun at times, as well as depressing), it really can’t make you happy (not in the long term), it won’t come to see you when you are sick or old, and it cannot save your soul.
- I’m really encouraged by the additional minority support that Trump got, even if it’s just on the margins. Again, it’s a breakout from groupthink, that’s always good.
- I will never have the same respect for Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Bill O’Reilly again. (jury is still out on Rush for me).It’s not just that they supported Trump or thought he had a chance. They were such sycophants–ready to throw over conservative principles without hesitation.
- It looks like the mask is off forever on the liberal bias of the mainstream media, I mean running story ideas past HC’s campaign, planting debate questions, outright cheating that is so obvious anyone can understand it! Will CNN and NYT even survive this? The NYT just reported an almost 100% decrease in profits. Is this “all in” loss the end of the Gray Lady as we know it?
- I am feeling extreme schendenfrade with respect to NYT, WaPo, Chris Matthews, MSNBC, CNN and all the liberal pundits who are playing chicken little today. Bonus: the idea that Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Whoopi Goldberg, Jon Stewart, Al Sharpton, Lena Dunham, Samuel L. Jackson, Amy Schumer, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg will really leave the country. (But I know they won’t they never do.)
- William F. Buckly CALL YOUR OFFICE! The opportunity to stand athwart history and shout “STOP” is before us. Can we really repeal Obamacare, limit the advance of abortion “rights,”restrain the imposition of so-called
gay marriage, and keep the federal government out of our bathrooms and lockerrooms? Can we reign in the regulatory state? Dare we dream of a conservative supreme court? John Bolton as secretary of state? Jeff Sessions as attorney general? Stopping the Iranians from getting a nuclear bomb? Open up the Keystone pipeline? Unleash fracking. The mind reels. All these are possible not just because Trump was elected, but the GOP won both houses and the Democrats were so thoroughly rejected.
HERE I STAND, really to do battle for conservative causes–smaller government, more freedom. Nothing about last night changes that.
I agree with everything you say here (we do that a lot apparently).
Thanks JL, if you agree with me, I must be doing something right. We’ll stand together, brother.
An unremarked side effect of the Trump win is the demonstration that a small-money campaign can defeat a huge-money campaign. This should please the “get the money out of politics” folks, including Senator McCain and se-NOT-or Feingold. But apparently it does not.
Our side should me calling them out on this.
Good point. In one sense, this is David beating Goliath. She had every advantage. He had the people. It shows us as well, people are persuadeable, they can see past media and cultural bias.
Mr. Conservative I owe you a debt of thanks for rearing my stubborn head. But I’m out of here. I didn’t think it mattered but now all I see is both sides gearing up to run populist, race-based, non free market, and insane campaigns to win. Evan McMullin says he will abstain from all this, which likely dooms him from winning, but screw it–I’m not going to give up on the American Experiment just because people are stupid.
Regards from a friend, you never see your most dangerous enemies coming. Read your Machiavelli, keep the ammo stocked, and watch new Attorney General Giuliani like a damn hawk. I pray to God I’m overreacting.
God Bless.
Thanks. I agree especially with #s 5 to 7. I hope I am proven wrong about him and spectacularly so at that. I would even be reasonably satisfied with his governing as a Rockefeller Republican, which is closer to what I expect. In any case, congratulations to the Trump supporters.
JLocked, you have become a friend. As your friend, I encourage you to stay the course. Let’s see what positive influence good men and women can have on Trump, where they can check his bad impulses, and push him Toward the good. God raises up leaders and can bring them down. Nothing they do is outside his control. God raised this man up for a purpose. Don’t give up on this country. And don’t give up your principles either. Stand firm my friend.
Mr. C., thanks for writing this; it saves me the trouble, as it expresses my feelings exactly.
Congratulations to all Trump supporters. Even a person as deeply skeptical about Trump as I am can derive deep satisfaction today from the knowledge that that corrupt woman and her sociopathic husband will never return to the White House.
I switched over to MSNBC once it looked like there was no way for Rodham to win. Chris Matthews was devastated. Andrea Mitchell was frustrated. James Carville was literally hanging his big serpent head.
Their tears taste sweet, like the nectar of the gods.
I added points 8 through 12 about 2 hours after the first post, so if someone earlier said they agree with everything, give them a break.
Well said, @Mr. Conservative. Here are some additional points from an equally dedicated NeverTrumper, and a Ricochet newbie.
almostinsane joy of seeing the fall of the House of Clinton. My loathing for her knew no bounds, and I was “rooting” for her to win only because–as I stated often–I thought it fairly likely that she would either die in office or resign within the year.I agree with ALL that, brother.
Agree on all counts, Mr. C. Trump proved me wrong by winning, and I hope he proves me wrong again by being a good president.
I’m not happy that Trump is president, but dang it – the humiliation of the Clinton Crime Family is awesome!!!
It can be argued that Obama destroyed the Democrat Party. After his first two years, the Democrats only lost ground in the states and in Congress. They have no young bench, they have no new ideas, so where does the Democrat party go from here? This will be another interesting dynamic to watch over the next few years.
From your lips to God’s ear.
I wonder. That seems a little too hopeful and final for me. I’m sure it can be ignored by many, and forgotten by many more soon.
p.s. pendant –> pedant?
Bill famously said, “The era of big government is over.” Will Obama now say, “The era of corrupt, media-propped-up government is over?”
I agree with everything else and this is a most important point.
Message to Senate Republicans: Push the button on the nuclear option, end the modern filibuster and holds on nominees, and return that chamber to being a legislative body. Keeping the filibuster rules in place (any Senator at any time can indefinitely require 60 votes to advance any legislation) does nothing but give control of the legislative agenda to Minority Leader Schemer.* The Dems have no problems doing end runs around it; time to kill it off.
* Interesting that the Ricochet autocorrect changes “Schumer” to “Schemer”. Freudian slip or a ghost in the machine?
I’m for it.
This post strikes me as pure narcissism.
Though can you win me over in future posts? Of course you can, if you want to…
Why is it narcissim (pure or otherwise) to say I am open to Trump winning me over (not just me, conservatives, the country) by how he governs. Every president has that opportunity and duty. I voted against the guy (for McMullin), but I am open to the conservative Trump, if he governs as the NY liberal Trump, I will oppose him. Will you not?
Yea, maybe too little sleep and too much caffiene for me. I tend to exaggerate under those conditions. ;)
Me too. Excellent post.
@Mr.Conservative – Amen to all those points.
Endorse. I’ll add that my optimism today surprises me. But I still wouldn’t change my 3rd party vote. 2020 will require a complete reevaluation, naturally.
Why on earth?
What a great post!
You are too kind, good sir.
He sits on the sidelines, making no contribution to the outcome of this important and hard fought election. Then he has the gall to celebrate the result that others, who were willing to get their hands dirty, earned for him. In other words, he gets to have his cake and eat it too. Finally, to top it off, he talks about what the president elect needs to do to impress him, as if he’s the center of the universe.
No thank you.
Thank you @Mr.Conservative. Very well said. Also thanks to @formerlawprof for the additional points. I shall be watching, skeptically, to see if Trump will govern as a conservative, and in accordance with the Constitution, as I would with any other president-elect. If he does, or even comes reasonably close, then I will admit I was wrong to reject him. We shall see. I am anxious, in both senses of the word, to find out who he picks to run his administration. Will it look like a Fox panel, or be full of Warren Buffet’s?
In any case, this post, and the posts today in general, demonstrate beautifully why Ricochet is such a great place, and a community to which I am proud to belong. Thanks, guys.