Random thoughts on the night the presidency became an entry-level position...
Donald Trump was right about one thing: we were tired of winning, so we're all going to lose for the foreseeable future.
Donald Trump is the first US President to have no governmental or military experience. Even the new Governor of Missouri, Eric Greitens, who had never held public office, was a Navy SEAL.
Don't tell me this is the end of the Republican Party. They not only control all three branches of the federal government, but also the vast majority of statehouses. Their agenda now rules.
But it is the end of the Clintons. It's also the end of Bernie Sanders, who returns to being a Senator with no standing.
I wonder how much Joe Biden wishes he'd run.
Who do Dems have in the pipeline for 2020? I don't mean to start talking about the next presidential election already, but is there anyone who can rise to the top in the next couple of years to potentially lead that party going forward? Or are they hoping that Trump screws up the country so much that they can take back Congress in 2018?
Speaking of Congress, I don't buy that Trump's election is proof that Americans wanted change in Washington -- just check the number of incumbents of both parties who will be returning to the Senate and House. There was no draining of the swamp.
Clinton lost Florida by less than 3%. If the people who decided to vote for Gary Johnson had chosen her, she'd be our next president. Congratulations, protest voters. How many of you voted for Nader in 2000?
This marks the sixth time in the last seven presidential elections that more Americans have voted for the Democratic candidate than for the Republican. Let's restart the arguments about the electoral college, since Clinton won the popular vote, but don't hold your breath that it will change because the people in charge have no interest in changing it.
Don't give me this nonsense about "the country has to come together behind our new president." Not going to happen. When did the country come together behind Obama? There is nothing United about the States Of America.
Republicans proved one thing yesterday: it doesn't matter what you say or do, who you insult or attack, whether you're supported by David Duke and the KKK. They'll still vote for you to protect their greater political needs, including the Supreme Court.
Speaking of SCOTUS, my friend Joel Makower tweeted, "Here’s a toast and a prayer for the good health and long life of Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Stephen Breyer." It'll be interesting to see if the Democrats, who were hoping to win the Senate, use the same obstructionist tactics with Trump that Mitch McConnell et al did with Obama -- not just for legislation, but using the power of the filibuster to deny him any Supreme Court nominees (not to mention other federal court judges).
This is not a good day for pollsters and pundits, who all got this election wrong. And don't tell me they had it within the margin of error. When you woke up yesterday, they all said Hillary was going to win. And yet, as they did last night, the broadcast and cable news outlets will be filled with the same experts who have been proven wrong, because they have no accountability.
It's also not a good day for: anyone who has any investments in the stock market anywhere in the world, Obamacare, NAFTA, civil rights, gay rights, banking regulations like Dodd-Frank, the Iran nuclear deal, climate change scientists, and most of the First Amendment.
It is a good day for weed. California, Massachusetts, and Nevada have legalized recreational marijuana, while Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas have passed medical marijuana measures. We're still waiting for the final tallies in Maine, Montana, and Arizona.
It's also a good day for minimum wage increases and assisted suicide, both of which added more states. Oregon elected the first LGBT Governor in history, Kate Brown. Small victories, but they're something to cheer for progressives.
America voting for change is nothing new. Since 1952, no party has held the White House for more than 8 consecutive years except 1980-92.
Nothing has been said in this presidential campaign about Mike Pence's extreme homophobia. This is a guy who believes in gay conversion, who would re-ban same-sex marriage, and wants businesses to be able to discriminate against customers based on their sexual orientation. The fact that he's our new Vice President may be the only reason to hope that Donald Trump serves his entire term as president.
Trump will be the first president who refused to put his investments into a blind trust. He has said that he would turn them over to his sons and daughters, which means he will still be able to make political decisions that enrich himself and his family, a pure conflict of interest.
Vladimir Putin sent Trump congratulations by telegram. There are still telegrams in the 21st century? #hackingwesternunion
I wonder how long it will take for the people who voted for Trump to realize how gullible they have been. Amidst all the boorish behavior, misogyny, racist remarks, and personal attacks, they have chosen a leader who will do nothing to help middle class, will cut taxes on the rich in yet another real-life proof that trickle-down economics don't work, will give them more government intervention in their lives (not less), and will not be able to bring manufacturing back to the US. I bet he won't even have his own products made in the USA. One of these days, they might wake up to realize they've been lied to for all these years by conservative talk show hosts, Fox News, right-wing websites, and everyone else who has ginned up fear and conspiracy theories and fact-free nonsense.
Speaking of which, I can't tell you how happy I am to not have a daily radio show on which I'd have to talk about all of this over and over hour after hour with listeners and callers.
Meanwhile, I think I hear Mexico building that wall after all -- to keep Americans out.
Enjoy your new global recession.
Added at 11:23am CT...Raw numbers to remember: Obama got 65.9 million votes in 2012 while Romney got 60.9 million. As of 11am today, Clinton has 59.3 million, Trump has 59.1 million. Bottom line: Trump didn't move the needle, but Democrats and Obama supporters didn't show up and vote for Clinton, to the tune of 6.6 million missed opportunities.