Had Hillary Clinton won the election, I would not have written a
post-election post. But Donald Trump won, and I would like to offer my
thoughts.
Donald Trump’s victory speech was gracious, and I appreciated the
goals that he articulated in that speech. He talked about tapping
potential in the inner cities, vastly improving the nation’s
infrastructure, and maintaining a spirit of peace and cooperation with
other nations. As a pundit on ABC observed, infrastructure was one of
Barack Obama’s main issues.
Like many people, I am worried about what he will do as President.
In part, this is because he is Donald Trump. He talks belligerently
about bombing, for example, and I fear the civilian casualties abroad
that may result from a Trump Presidency. In part, my apprehension is on
account of the policies that result when the Republicans are in power,
policies that, in my opinion, can hurt the disadvantaged.
Yet, we do not know what kind of President Trump will be. Trump,
although he never apologized or backed down from his gaffes and extreme
statements, did tend to qualify or moderate his positions when
questioned or challenged. Perhaps Trump will realize that maturity and
responsibility are required for a heavy position such as the
Presidency. While this is my hope, my wish is also that Trump will
maintain at least some of his independence of thought, some of his
renegade tendencies. If he continually fawns over the establishment and
looks to it for ques and approval, then he will betray those who
elected him to be a new voice in Washington, D.C. Things will run as
they have, but not much reform will result.
And maybe there can be at least some movement in a positive
direction, with Republicans controlling the Congress and the
Presidency. Trump calls for improved infrastructure. Perhaps he can
work with Republicans in Congress on this, without the polarizing and
poisonous partisanship that occurs when one party runs one branch, and
another party runs another branch.
We should also remember that Trump has flip-flopped, and that may be a
good thing. What if Trump decides that climate change is a real
problem and decides to take action, to show that he can be a competent
leader on this issue? Impossible, you say? We do not know.
My attitudes this evening (election night) have been ambivalent. On
the one hand, as I said, I am afraid of what a President Trump might
do. On the other hand, I enjoyed seeing a lot of Trump’s critics
getting knocked off their high horse. The polls did not predict Trump’s
victory. Pundits were predicting a Hillary win. My hope is that more
people will take account of voters who feel disadvantaged by the system
and voted for Trump in protest.
Many are attributing Trump’s victory to racism. In my opinion, this
concern about racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia is legitimate. At
the same time, I do note that Trump’s campaign has sought to appeal to
people of different races, nationalities, and religions. The
speaker-ship at the Republican convention was diverse, for example. May
a President Trump yield to whatever angels are in his nature.
Whatever anger I feel towards Trump’s critics and Hillary’s
supporters (not all of them) was mollified by Trump’s gracious victory
speech.
I do not know if I will be vote-shamed for voting for Jill Stein
rather than Hillary Clinton. I refuse to apologize for voting as I
did. As I said, I voted in Oregon, which is a solidly blue state. But I
voted according to who was closer to my values. I hope I can keep some
friendships, but I don’t plan on grovelling to people who want to
vote-shame me.
The future is uncertain, but I will be praying for this country more
than I have. I will pray for our current President and our
President-elect when he becomes President, that they might make
righteous and wise decisions that benefit rather than harm people, both
in the U.S. and in the world as a whole. I will pray for this nation,
that people, whatever their political persuasion, will listen to the
better angels of their nature rather than giving in to hate.