Congratulations to President-Elect Donald Trump and his supporters that helped lead him to a secure win in the electoral College. You pulled off a stunning upset, perhaps the most surprising since Truman (hey- that's just a a couple different letters than Trump!) beat Dewey in 1948. At least we don't have any embarrassing headlines like "Dewey Defeats Truman".
As of the writing of this, it appears that Hillary Clinton will win the popular vote. I commiserate with her supporters, and although I was certainly ready for the first female President right now, a dream deferred is not a dream ended. I hope both major parties will in the future nominate more women for our highest office.
Because this is the second time in the last five elections that the candidate who won the popular vote lost the electoral college, there is understandably upset and consternation, There are even calls and petitions for electoral college voters to over-turn how their state went and cast their ballot instead for the winner of the popular vote. The way the system is set up, the electors are actually free to do this. We have had wayward electors before, but never in significant numbers, usually only one or two an election. There are two electors from Washington state who are on the Democratic slate who have previously vowed to vote for Bernie Sanders instead of Hillary Clinton.
So it's technically possible for the electors to defy the wishes of their state. As much as I wish the outcome of the election had gone the other way, I do not agree with this. Trump won by the rules of the game, and at this point, I don't think we should challenge it in this fashion.
It is also true that voter suppression efforts and legislation probably played a role in states like Florida, North Carolina and Wisconsin. But there again, it was based on state legislation, laws and regulations that were passed and supported by the people's representatives in those states. The Supreme Court backed off the Voting Rights Act, muting its protection provisions, very unwisely I think, but again, it's the law of the land. In many of the states, the road blocks should have been superseded by more people. The best act of defiance is to go through all the hoops and try to regain power.
Any of my regular readers know how much I detest Trump. He is highly unqualified to be President, and he appealed to the worst in us to get there. But he is there now. And we have to find a way to come to terms with it.
I regularly attend a Christian church. Religion and faith are important parts of my life. In my faith, every service has the Prayers of the People, spoken by an intercessor, who is not a priest but a parishioner. We devoutly pray for many things, including our political leaders, which includes the President of the United States, and we pray that they act in the best interest of the people with God's guidance. I will sincerely participate in that prayer. I pray for the President, even one makes me wary and leaves me filled with doubt and fear, because that is the right thing to do, and you never know when the spirit will transform us. I should know. I've played Scrooge twice in the play A Christmas Carol. Anything is possible with God.
But do not think for a minute that I will stop raising my voice in opposition to him. I will call him out on any policy position that is destructive to our country and planet. If he supports something that is actually beneficial, I will not be obstructionist and urge blocking it just to hurt him (does that sound familiar to you, Republican leadership,starting on Inauguration Day 2009?). I don't like him personally, and I don't see his selfish persona changing, but if it does, I'll be the first to congratulate him. I'll be honest with you, though. I don't expect him to change.
But I am praying for it.
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