Like James Carville, Democratic pundit, I\u2019ve been in a dark tunnel since late Tuesday evening. Even though I predicted Trump\u2019s triumph, I had continued to hope that the Democrats might win. Somehow, I can\u2019t get over how we could re-elect a president who publicly spews hate and profanity and instigated a violent attack on the Capital.<\/p>\n
While I\u2019m still processing the election results, I don\u2019t buy all the second guessing and pontificating by journalists and political pundits either right or left. Three things stand out in my mind. First, many, if not a majority, of liberal Democrats are absolutely clueless as to what motivates Republican\/conservatives in their contempt and opposition to liberal values. However well intended, Democrats frequently go too far forgiving student loans, exalting affirmative action, being politically correct, welcoming immigrants, dismissing religious concerns, and sanctimoniously ridiculing their opponents. Perhaps, most egregiously, they have little interest in understanding their opponents.<\/p>\n
Secondly, most Republicans are so driven by their political goals and contempt for Democrats that they are willing to let the ends justify the means. This is especially the case in their continued support for Trump, even in the face of incontrovertible evidence as to his malfeasance, including his refusal to accept defeat in the 2020 election and subsequent responsibility for the attempt to overthrow the election on January 6, 2021.<\/p>\n
Thirdly, the candidacy of Kamala Harris was a risk right from the beginning. Even without the drama of Biden\u2019s withdrawal and the late start, the nation remained reluctant to elect a woman as president. And as a Black woman Harris was hobbled right out of the blocks. However unspoken, bigotry and racism helped bring about her defeat.<\/p>\n
The 2024 election will continue to be debated and analyzed for some time. Partisans will offer up self-serving explanations that make them feel good and denigrate their opponents. Unfortunately, the specter for the next four years will be scary and unpredictable for Americans, our European friends and others. It remains to be seen whether the MAGA crowd, like the Jacobins of the French Revolution, will destroy themselves in pursuit of all things Trump. They have successfully destroyed the conservative party and continue to threaten our constitutional democracy. In the meantime, they have given us a demagogue for president<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Like James Carville, Democratic pundit, I\u2019ve been in a dark tunnel since late Tuesday evening. Even though I predicted Trump\u2019s triumph, I had continued to hope that the Democrats might win. Somehow, I can\u2019t get over how we could re-elect a president who publicly spews hate and profanity and instigated a violent attack on the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-by-robert-fischer"],"yoast_head":"\n