I Thought... (Election topic)

I was wrong.

I thought America would laugh at the idea of a reality TV show host becoming the president.

I thought that Bernie was the outsider we could believe in.

I thought that Hillary was clever enough not to blow it.

I thought (some) Republicans would have the balls not to support a monster.

I thought telling blatant lies was a black mark on your character.

I thought presidential candidates were supposed to have a plan.

I thought the fact that he was a bad businessman would put off conservatives.

I thought multiple marriages and affairs would offend religious people.

I thought the KKK’s seal of approval was a death sentence.

I thought “grab em by the pussy” was the last straw.

I thought going on trial for child rape would be a bigger deal.

I thought white America didn’t hate us this much.

I thought we were better than this.

I was wrong.

You'd think the one endorsed by the KKK, who wants to use conversion therapy on LGBT, hates minorities enough to build a wall, and who's going on trial for child rape wouldn't be winning right now but I guess America really is that fucking stupid.

You Trump voters say goodbye to your minority friends. You don't got em anymore. Or in a way you never did.

Hillary Clinton was a terrible candidate, ran a terrible campaign, and blew it. Tired of people glossing over that. They are both terrible but she, and her corrupt party, entirely blew this. They had a better candidate with support and colluded to bury him. She didn't talk plans that made any sense, didn't listen to voters, has a horrible track record in politics, and stuck with the same arrogant game plan and it all backfired.

Republicans won the senate and the house. Does it really matter who takes us to the dance at this point?

I'll be an optimist and say "let's see where this one goes."

I'm so sad. I feel so overwhelmed. I am sick to my stomach.

People hate Hillary. I don't know why she was a candidate.

It turns out calling anyone entertaining the idea of supporting Trump white supremacists and undesirables doesn't get you more votes.

@sam_lfcfan: Get ready to be surprised:

It goes nowhere.

I want to see Democrats spend 8 years blocking everything in Congress.

Just for the amusement I'll get.

The only thing this election decided for me (as a non-American) was the global environment and with a Trump win that's down the shitter a little bit more than it was before.

I'm really wondering right now how Bernie would've fared. I wasn't paying too close attention when Hilary won out that competition, so I'm not sure about the specifics of why he lost.

@aegon: If you delved into all the information, and know how this stuff works on a party level, delegates decide how these things go and the votes actually don't matter. They were all for Clinton from the get go and he never had a chance. Plenty of leaked e-mails show Democratic officials working against him throughout and for Clinton.

I really absolutely think he would have won. If you're interested, go back and look at him speaking out against Trump and I think it's very straightforward, logical responses. They would have shut down the circus things became instead of feeding into it like she did. And also: he has policies that make sense and isn't just a neo-conservative war hawk claiming to be a liberal like Hillary Clinton.

Brit here, even I feel bad for you America. That said, its not like you had any good choices in the first place.

Republicans with full control will definitely undo Obama's legacy and sadly non whites, LGBT and many other disenfranchised groups will live in fear for about 4 years.

I had hoped America cared for their fellow man by not electing a demagogue... clearly I was wrong.

I know at least one life-long republican who told me that she would have rather voted for Bernie than either Trump or Hillary. I guess we'll never know.

@artisanbreads: Yeah, the delegate system seems fucked to me.

I never had a horse in the race. I just hope trump takes climate change more seriously.

You were wrong and so was everyone else if it makes you feel any better.

In hindsight, it really makes sense. Trump tapped into a feeling of white nationalism and fear that's been festering in this country forever, which was amplified by the last eight years of the first black president. A lot of people wanted to sell it as a rebellion against the elite but in actuality, it was a rebellion against a changing world. The Democrats held up their end of their bargain as well. When presented with a candidate who was able to galvanize and motivate a brand new younger generation of voter to ideas that were once radical and were now being normalized, they decided to bury him out of their own fear and unwillingness to let go of their establishment rhetoric. Instead, they elected a milquetoast boilerplate politician who, to many, embodied everything that they hate about politics and expected to skate through like they always do giving absolute minimum effort. Add them to the long list of people who were very wrong.

I know this is scary and sad right now but my number one piece of advice to anyone who is upset right now is to be sad now but wake up tomorrow angry. Stay angry and do something about it. Whether that means organizing in your community, getting involved in your local politics or just taking to the streets. Let your anger be a fuel, not what debilitates you. Hope that doesn't sound too preachy.

As a Canadian, the wall will really make it difficult to visit our friends down south.

For real though, I'm sorry, guys. You had to choose between two bowls of shit, but unfortunately the majority chose the one that was spray painted gold and orange...

The worst part about this is not whether Trump will be president or not; if he wins he will be an awful president, but that's only a short term problem. The worst part is that America (not just the fringe) has officially endorsed all the awful disgusting things on his way to election and proven that is both a legitimate and acceptable way to pursue the people's vote. There's no way there will not be more and more candidates attempting what he has done to achieve victory, and that's just the most depressing thing in the world.

It would almost (almost) be better if Trump did win, and failed so spectactularly as Commander in Chief that everyone could see first hand just how much of a mistake they made by electing him, rather than Hilary winning and everyone just assuming everything is rigged and others trying this all over in future elections.

Trump has poisoned the well and I have no idea what it will take to clean it up now.

I would be seriously interested in knowing how some impartial academics will break down the order of events that led to this happening a year or two from now.

The situation has been shrowded in so much hyperbole from both sides that it's really difficult to actually tell right now what it is that happened. It seems like almost every outlet has a stake in the race.

This election feels like some weird episode of The Twilight Zone....it's just so...surreal. Never in a million years did I think that some rich celebrity that I watched on The Apprentice (and Celebrity Apprentice) over the years would become the Commander-in-Chief of the United States.

Cue the theme?

If that's an issue you care about, at least that's something broader than the president. Where we really have to worry about the president is foreign policy, where both were extremely poor choices. Again that's how they set it up and no one should be let off the hook.

Trump has already said climate change is a "hoax perpetrated by the Chinese" (literal quote) He also said he would throw out and undo every step the Obama administration has made towards climate change. So we will go backwards and most of the states on the coast will be underwater in a few years time.

It's 100% guaranteed that he won't. The Republican party generally doesn't support any action related to climate change, and Trump himself has stated that he thinks it's a lie perpetuated by the Chinese.

We appreciate that a lot of people are going to be upset (And a lot of people are also going to be very happy!) and we have both groups of people descending onto the internet to talk about it. However, regardless of which side you're on, please remember to be civil.

Thanks.

@chaser324: ...

words fail me.

The stance is obviously crazy, but climate change isn't something the president alone will push through or deal with as an issue anyways. It'll take a bigger effort across the government.

I think people need to learn more about how that kind of thing works, given the responses I'm seeing. Again, not to excuse it or say it isn't crazy. But you need to take a bigger view of the government and realize it will take a large effort to bring about meaningful change there.

Unfortunately, on aspects like foreign policy, the president can just do whatever they please basically at this point. That has already been a shit show for the last 16 years and will be even more worrying now. Would have been either way though.

Republicans have the president, both houses of congress and they'll get to pick new supreme court judge. I guess say goodbye to same sex marriage and Planned Parenthood. This is very scary. Glad I'm not american.

Man, I find watching election coverage to be really captivating stuff.

I am not really into politics and really did not have a horse in this race, but god this is incredible. I will probably stay up until they can call Pennsylvania at least, although there is some talk that it may not be fully counted for a while.

@artisanbreads: And the republicans have complete control. Nothing good is going to happen on that front.

Speaking of that, funny how these people who hated politicians SO much and were so desperate for any outsider happened to vote back in all their same congressmen.

Crap, the wall building pussy grabber wins? Putin will sleep easy tonight.

Out of curiosity. Does anyone know the turnout?

@beachgaara: Around 110 million counted so far.

@warlordpayne:

Yeah I wouldn't be surprised. Which is why people need to look beyond the president to realize how this kind of thing happens going forward.

USA Today had an early estimate of voter turnout up about 5 percent, and I have been hearing that record numbers were broken for votes sent in by mail and in early polling situations.

@weegieanawrench: If only it was a literal bowl of shit spray painted gold and orange everyone might've fared better.

I think the worst you'll see is Planned Parenthood being defunded at the government level, and nothing happening to same sex marriage. Trump has come out as saying that gay marriage is a dead issue for the GOP, because the supreme court already ruled on it.

@artisanbreads:

I know how it works, but if the Dems could have got a hold of Congress and got the Presidency it might have allowed something to change, or at least the status quo to be maintained. Instead we have someone who said climate change is a Chinese conspiracy to sell solar panels.

For as much as I despise Trump Hillary wouldn't have changed anything.

@artisanbreads: The uneducated vote overwhelmingly republican and Putin clearly has a preference. They're not wrong.

I look forward to the Russian government taking this lesson to heart and interfering with the elections of other western democracies in the future. Don't forget that part too. EDIT: Obviously we don't know how much the DNC and Clinton Campaign hacks actually hurt her support, but they obviously didn't help.

I think we should probably learn something from this, something to do with political polarization and only interacting with people who share our bubble, but I'm feeling too upset to formulate anything coherent.

I wonder how long before we are allied with russia, iran, and north korea? Hillary was terrible but folks just handed the keys to a madman...

why wouldn't Putin have a preference? Hillary proposed tons of sanctions against Russia that would hurt their economy, of course they're going to prefer the alternative. Doesn't mean they had anything to do with him winning.

Holy shit, the Justin Trudeau / Donald J. Trump interactions are gonna be incredible

Like matter and anti-matter. Or maybe the inverse of the hilariously awkward Harper / Obama moments

Fox finally just called the presidency for Trump. Clinton has called Trump to concede. Wow!