The world is officially upside down.

[mzilliox]

we still can be good people and kind to one another and animals, he doesn't change that. Ill continue my mode of operation just the same.

I can't ride yet, still post vasectomy, but i can go fishing, so fuck it dude, lets go fishing.

[j44ke]

Pence is the new Cheney. Watch him. He'll want to have a hand in the Supreme Court replacement vis a vis abortion. But he's also a moralist who was forced into some difficult real-world decisions by the opiate epidemic and resulting HIV crisis in his state. Trump also has a whole sh't list of Republicans who didn't back him, and it will be interesting to see whether they come to kiss his ring or he makes their lives miserable. Is he going to be his own man (which is basically a political moderate with a desire to deregulate a wide range of investments,) is he going to just throw grenades ala Yeltsin or similar, or is going to be a tool of the powerful levers behind his constituency?

I think anyone who says they know what is going to happen next doesn't know what is going to happen next. Part of me doubts even Trump knows this. Friends in the Democratic Party have been screaming for some sort of committee to be formed in case Trump won and no one would do it. So it is like Brexit where the vote took place and then the government is like "now what?"

I do know that Ruth Bader Ginsburg is probably on the phone trying to get her money back on those plane tickets to the Carribbean or wherever she was going to retire. She going to have to chain herself to her part of the bench.

[rowdyhillrambler]

we still can be good people and kind to one another and animals, he doesn't change that. Ill continue my mode of operation just the same.

I can't ride yet, still post vasectomy, but i can go fishing, so fuck it dude, lets go fishing.

I can meet you in the middle, brother, but first I am walking out the door to ride my ATB... then we can fish.

[WFSTEKL]

Everything, and I mean everything has devolved to sport and entertainment, including quantitative and qualitative ethics.

[colker]

Everything, and I mean everything has devolved to sport and entertainment, including quantitative and qualitative ethics.

Yes. Otoh it's interesting(good) to watch celebrities trying to make Hillary win and the people would not care. Interesting side effect.

[Eric Siepmann]

I knew the Cubs WS win was a bad omen.

Let's hope for the best and expect the worst.

[HorsCat]

What incentive is there for Trump to change his tune? He won by pretty much being himself, and he'll probably 'govern' that way, too. Inasmuch as HRC could go on to win the popular vote (which she currently leads), the people spoke and the electoral college said "FU."

[efuentes]

Damn, now I got a wall to pay for :( , hopefully I´ll have Baja all to myself :)

[christian]

I think anyone who says they know what is going to happen next doesn't know what is going to happen next. Part of me doubts even Trump knows this.

Alas, I think we know pretty well. Pence is a bridge to conservative Republicans, who now control both houses of congress. Prepare for a flurry of executive actions in 1Q, four years of ALEC-written bills, and three arch-conservative supreme court justices. Given that Trump lacks any coherent policy framework, Republicans will instantly get in line to kiss the ring, and subsequently continue to promote their current priorities, save free trade, and Trump, having no other constituency or counterweight, will sign on and sign off.

[monadnocky]

Simpsons called it. In 1999.
The most absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous thing in 1999 was the concept of Donald Trump as president.

596960.jpg

[HorsCat]

Alas, I think we know pretty well. Pence is a bridge to conservative Republicans, who now control both houses of congress. Prepare for a flurry of executive actions in 1Q, four years of ALEC-written bills, and three arch-conservative supreme court justices. Given that Trump lacks any coherent policy framework, Republicans will instantly get in line to kiss the ring, and subsequently continue to promote their current priorities, save free trade, and Trump, having no other constituency or counterweight, will sign on and sign off.

If the story about Trump's offer to Kasich is to be believed, Pence will be the de facto executive.

[Vancouverdave]

I don't know that anyone in American public life has had as long and persistent a campaign of character assassination aimed at them as has Hillary. I too hope that Trump shocks the shit out of all of us by being a good president rather than the corporate-Christofascist robot that his party probably wants him to be!

[Brian E Hammer]

"Be good humans" was never more applicable than right now...,

we still can be good people and kind to one another and animals, he doesn't change that. Ill continue my mode of operation just the same.

I can't ride yet, still post vasectomy, but i can go fishing, so fuck it dude, lets go fishing.

[j44ke]

Alas, I think we know pretty well. Pence is a bridge to conservative Republicans, who now control both houses of congress. Prepare for a flurry of executive actions in 1Q, four years of ALEC-written bills, and three arch-conservative supreme court justices. Given that Trump lacks any coherent policy framework, Republicans will instantly get in line to kiss the ring, and subsequently continue to promote their current priorities, save free trade, and Trump, having no other constituency or counterweight, will sign on and sign off.

Well that's the expected narrative. And a horrifying one for people who voted against Trump. But I think the Trump consistuency doesn't see any of those things as primary issues. They may in fact be pissed off if the administration starts going after pet conservative issues right from the get go. Immigration, security and job programs. The data suggests that they really don't want business as usual, and their desire for disruption was aimed at both parties. For example, Trump's numbers jumped when just before the election, he started saying at his stump speeches that he would replace health care reform with a system that worked. There was traction there. And when I recall conversations I've had over the last six months, there was a lot of anger over all the government programs for immigrants, migrants and minorities that were not extended to white working class people who felt they deserved (and needed) the same level of support. Ironically the ultimate coalition might have been Trump supporters and Sanders supporters - not Trump and Sanders, but the people whose complaints each of those candidates leveraged for their political successes. But this is all hypothetical meanderings. The reality will be revealed.

I do hope the outcome is not horrific. Is it possible to be totally pessimistic about the future and interested in its results at the same time?

[Bewheels]

The ability to stir-up emotions and whip a crowd into a frenzy is very different then actually doing the job. As has been mentioned, why would he change now?

For those that live in Maine, or follow follow their politics, they have been living with a mini-Trump as governor (the guy actually said something like "I was Trump before Trump was Trump"). He has been consistent in his behavior from the time he ran for office until now.

Personally, I think it is more important then ever for all of us (citizens of the US) to be vigilant in our responsibility as citizens of both the US and as global citizens. Not to get completely paranoid but history is full of instances where things have gone bad because of lack of attention from the general population. This is not a direct rant on Trump but more a comment on how cultures shift in unfortunate directions when circumstances allow and the general population can not image things going too far...until it does. If nothing else, this election showed people's level discontent and how that can be exploited and escalated but without any real direction.

[defspace]

Is it possible to be totally pessimistic about the future and interested in its results at the same time?

May you live in interesting times.
Edit: SteveP beat me to it in the 3rd party thread.

[edoz]

I doubt Trump will be as bad as he's made out to be, I think a lot of his bluster and rhetoric was designed to mobilize people who'd given up on voting.
What bothers me is how his speech has emboldened racists and sexists all over the country. The white power movement is actively and publicly celebrating his victory.
I think women and people of color will suffer more harrassment from those who were afraid to make their feelings public before Trump's campaign told them it was cool again.
Just my .02 Republic credits.

[sonicw]

Trump voters already disrupted the GOP, now rightfully so the Democratic Party. Generally speaking for the demographic here (white middle aged males with disposable income for bikes, or some equivalent of a generally privileged group) we'll probably be insulated (as a New Englander deep in my bubble I will be...) but I really thought this country wouldn't be susceptible to the same fervor in the rest of the west. Guess we're no different. The race-baiting, bigotry, Russia even, were all a distraction-- it was the economy, and Bill Clinton of all people should have known that ("it's the economy, stupid"). Hell, even Marcus Aurelius was followed by Commodus.

good thing a lot more states now have legalized marijuana to just mellow out

[nahtnoj]

I fear his supporters. Like the ones who tagged the neighborhood south of mine with Nazi/Trump graffiti this morning.

[NYCfixie]

Please lock this thread.

There are many other outlets to discuss what happened last night (early this morning) but I have enjoyed the fact that VSalon abstains from Political discussions. This place is my respite from the real world and I would like to keep it that way.

Thanks....