Mourning in America

15
November

Did the defeat of Grover Cleveland in 1888 (he was then the President) occasion such distress as tens of millions of Americans are experiencing now? (Unlikely. And remember, he was elected once again in 1892). Children are crying, parents are beside themselves, minorities feel vulnerable, and the undocumented sense they are exposed and unprotected. And consider what the rest of the world must be thinking.
Americans, we’re told, are nothing if not resilient. So, get up off the floor, dust yourself off and consider the following spirit boosters. Consolation can come in different forms. Feel free to choose whatever works best for you.
• In just two years the next presidential campaign will be getting underway. It’s just around the corner.
• The pollsters set us up. They’re to blame. Maybe in the future they’ll add lawn sign density to their calculations.
• Hillary is steadily pulling ahead in the popular vote. What mandate?
• Hitler was just 44 when he became German chancellor. Trump is over 70. How much time is left?
• Homework assignment: Browse through “It Can’t Happen Here,” 1935 novel by Sinclair Lewis.
• Putin’s Russia is hardly Communist. Long-standing fears of a “Red Menace” are unwarranted. And we’ve long been comfortable with foreign dictators.
• Thank God for Federalism. Blue states will be our protective mantle. (Watch for migration into those areas.)
• Then, too, Canada is exceptionally spacious and under populated.
• Marginal and discredited retreads will end up in a Trump administration. Few, if any “A” list types will apply. Get the message!
• Pendulums swing both ways. It’s just a matter of time.
• Republicans would lose much of the time if they didn’t cheat (voter suppression, PAC $ flows, partisan redistricting, etc.).
• With the Donald in the White House his “groping” days may be over (but let’s not forget Jack Kennedy).
• Now that the election has concluded, maybe the NFL can recapture the audience it had lost.
• Bernie’s battalions can be mobilized when the moment is right.
• What’s wrong with keeping the Supreme Court at eight members? Over the years we’ve been at six, seven, nine and ten. Surely the time to try eight is now.
• Senator Chuck Schumer can use all his experience to combat Republican extremism. Then, too, Bernie is back, as is Elizabeth Warren. A “liberated” Barack Obama could make a difference as well. Michelle?
• “Just kidding”. . . Donald John Trump.
• Trump campaigned in harsh “prose.” A touch of “poetry” would serve us all well now that he prepares to become President.
• Christmas music is already upon us. Let’s hope that holiday cheer can serve to keep us going for a time.
• “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

Leave a Reply