I woke on Wednesday into a surreal world. America has elected a bigot, a climate denier, a misogynist and an authoritarian as our president. I pray that Donald Trump will show us qualities we did not see on the campaign trail.
But his presidency will be damaging to our country, especially to the poor and the weak, and to the earth.
The results will not be contested. However, this election was rigged:
By systematic attempts to suppress the vote of minority people across the country; in North Carolina 17 Republican-controlled county election boards slashed the number of early voting sites they set up, which decimated the turnout in those heavily African-American areas.
By the FBI director, who dropped a bomb 11 days before the election. We learned the day before we voted that it wasn’t a bomb at all, but the damage was done.
By hackers (apparently from Russia) and Wikileaks, who judged correctly that our media would seize on and magnify their leaks.
By the Republican attack machine and partisan media, who know how to spin innuendo into fact: John Kerry’s service in Vietnam became the Swift Boat scandal, Hillary Clinton the public servant became Hillary the killer (Benghazi) and criminal (emails). These claims have been extensively investigated by the Republican Congress and the FBI and no evidence of criminal or unethical behavior has been found.
By the mainstream media, which focused on these “stories” rather than the real issues. The nightly news broadcasts gave zero – yes, zero – coverage to the issue of climate change.
Finally, by the flood of corporate and dark money, eagerly accepted by both parties, that has corrupted our entire political process.
It would be a huge mistake to blame Clinton’s loss on these factors alone.
Donald Trump spoke to the fears and anger of millions of Americans who voted for him, not just against Clinton. Their trust in him as the person to restore the America they yearn for is misplaced.
However, their anger at Washington for its gridlock and their anxiety about their economic future are justified. These are issues our country must deal with.
I intend to continue to work for the issues that I care deeply about.
Part of that work is to try to hear the concerns of people who vote differently from me but with whom I share common ground. May we find our way toward healing.
David Blair lives in Harrisville.