Post Election Reactions and Reflections, Part II

As readers know, I like to look at the letters to the editor in whatever paper I may be reading.  One letter said it particularly well.  "I am stunned by the Democratic Party's reaction, from its leadership and pundits, to the recent election.  Their cries that racism, fascism and misogyny are the cause of their rejection by the voters reflects blindness to reality and serious self-delusion."

The writer continued:  "They ran an unpopular, ill-prepared candidate who offered no changes from the past four years, which produced a high level of inflation, wide-open borders and attendant crime, a weakened international posture, tepid support for Israel and a military increasingly encumbered by wokeness.  It's no wonder voters rejected the Democratic offering."  Ironically, when Harris was given an opportunity in an interview to say what she would change from the way Biden did things, she said she would not change anything.  That is what may be referred to as an inability to read the room.

Just how did people vote.  The BBC gave a breakdown based on exit polls.  They had men breaking for Trump 55% to 42% for Harris.  But women went 53% for Harris and 45% for Trump.  It turns out that abortion was not the main issue in this election, as some expected.  Whites voted 57% for Trump and 41% for Harris.  Blacks went 85% for Harris and 13% for Trump.  Blacks had previously gone as high as 95% Democratic.  Latinos went 52% for Harris, with Trump coming in strong at 46%,

Trump got 55% of the Latino vote in Texas.  He even captured 14 of the 18 counties within 20 miles of the border, with several having 90% plus Latino population.  Trump was also the first Republican in over 30 years to win Miami-Dade County in Florida.  What about the Jewish vote?  One research poll claimed that 79% of the Jewish vote went for the Democrats, with only 21% going for the Republicans.  But it made no sense.  The poll only covered 10 states, and left California, New York and New Jersey - three states with large Jewish populations.

Apparently, Fox reported that Jews broke 66% for Harris and 32% for Trump.  But in New York, they reported 54% for Harris and 46% for Trump.  The NY Post concurred, saying that Trump got 45% of the Jewish vote in NY State, compared to the 30% he got in 2020.  And in Rockland County, New York, with the highest concentration of Jews, and where Biden won by 2 points in 2020, Trump won by 12 points.  

College graduates did break 55% for Harris and 42% for Trump.  Those without a college degree voted 56% for Trump and 42% for Harris.  Trump also did surprisingly well with young voters.  In the 18 to 29 year old range, he captured 43% of the vote.  In the 30 to 44 year old range, Trump got 48% of the vote.  And in the 45 to 64 year old range, Trump got 54% of the vote.  65 and above were split 49-49. 

Thankfully, with Republican control of the House, we won't have to deal with non-stop impeachment proceedings.  But things could change in 2 years when the entire House is up for reelection.  So, Trump has a two year window to get done what he wants to see accomplished.  Of course, the Democrats can be expected to challenge everything he does with non-stop litigation.  And several governors, in California, Illinois and New Jersey, have already announced their intentions to fight Trump.  Think about that.  What if these Democrat governors had instead said:  "While Donald Trump was not our choice, he did win this election.  Therefore, we will do our best to work with him in order to benefit the people of our state and the American people."

It does remind me of how the Democrats, and their allies in the media, created so much dissension and chaos during Trump's first term, and then turned around and said:  "look at all the chaos and dissension with Trump in the White House."  

So, getting back to what I said in the second paragraph of Part I...one family member compared Trump to Hitler.  It is a ridiculous comparison, and serves only to minimize the horrors of the Holocaust.  That same family member said anyone who voted for Trump will have to beg for his forgiveness.  Not only will I obviously not be doing that, but why alienate friends and family like that?  Why not wait to see what Trump actually does, and then criticize as necessary.  I have never been a believer in letting politics divide families, or friends from one another.  Closer to home, one family member has not spoken with me for the 12 days since the election; although we have had some rather heated text exchanges.  

As I mentioned in Part I, I do not intend to suffer abuse from others quietly, and I let that be known.  Quite aggressively.  This same person even inquired of their siblings why they were still talking to me.  That is beyond infuriating.  So, as we approach Thanksgiving, and the rest of the holiday season, I am disappointed by those who have chosen to sew discord within the family.  I am reminded of the Biblical verse:  "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind."     

Post Election Reactions And Reflections, Part I

For Republicans and conservatives it was a very good night.  Trump ended up with 312 electoral college votes (58%) compared to Harris' 226 (42%).  Some call that a landslide.  In terms of the popular vote, the latest numbers I saw had Trump with 76,429,164 votes, with Harris getting 73,736,923 votes.  Republicans also captured the Senate, 53 seats to 47.  As for the House, Fox says it's 218 seats (enough for control) for the Republicans, and 212 for the Democrats.  But Real Clear Politics says it's 220 for the Republicans to 213 for the Democrats.  The governors' mansions?  27 for the Republicans vs 23 for the Democrats.  A clean sweep.   

Before I get to the current reactions, let's recall for a minute the hand-wringing of the Left back in 2016, after Trump won.  The "resistance" began before Trump was even sworn in, because the world was going to end.  Of course, it didn't.  On a personal level, one colleague got in my face in court and was yelling at me.  A friend of 25 years also thought it was appropriate to yell in my face; and as he stormed off, yelled "I'm done with you."  Another friend of 40 years was not able to speak with me anymore.  And, one of my first bosses, for whom I had a great deal of affection, was done with me after 45 years.  This time around, I resolved not to put up with any of that abuse.  (More on that later.)   

Sonny Hostin, of The View, might be typical of the Left in her reaction.  She blamed Harris' defeat on "uneducated white women" and Latino men.  (She later apologized and said she meant "non-college educated white women."  These after the fact apologies are meaningless.  And less than sincere, in my opinion.)  But the significance of her comment, and why I'm discussing it, is the Leftist/elitist belief that college education makes you "smarter."  Book smarts, perhaps.  And that college gives you "wisdom."  It decidedly does not.  And. college definitely does not give anyone "common sense."  Not these days, anyway.  

Nobody needs a college education to figure out whether or not the household budget can pay for all the necessities.  Nobody needs a college education to realize that open borders, along with the attendant criminal aliens and gang members, are a danger to their communities and their families.  And, it is only a college education that will teach you that men can give birth. 

Laura Helmuth is resigning as the editor-in-chief of Scientific American.  She thought it was appropriate to refer to Trump voters as the "meanest, dumbest, most bigoted" group, and also "fascists."  (Another phony apology followed.)  But I am curious about one thing.  I wonder how  many of these "bigots" had previously voted for Obama and/or Biden.  Were they bigots when they voted Democrat, as some likely did?  Trump very wisely campaigned in areas of the country where he had no reasonable expectation of winning.  But by doing so, he won the popular vote.  On one site, it was reported that Trump won 40% of the popular vote in California, although Fox had Trump getting 38%.  Either way, it was an increase from the 31% he received in 2016, and the 34% he received in 2020.  

Trump won all the swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada  and North Carolina.  Rachel Zegler is a 23 year old actress, who will be playing the role of Snow White in a Disney remake of the classic.  Here is what she posted on Instagram:  "I find myself speechless in the midst of this.  Another four years of hatred, leaning us towards a world that will will be hard to raise my daughter in.  Leaning us towards a world that will force her to have a baby she doesn't want.  Leaning us towards a world that is fearful."  She described the country has having a "deep sickness."  Then her hope:  "may Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace."  And:  "Fuck Donald Trump."  I would ask Ms. Zegler to take a look in the mirror and tell me exactly who it is that is filled with hate.   

But notice how Ms. Zegler makes things up.  Things she likely hears from MSNBC or CNN.  Why won't she be able to raise her daughter?  Maybe in a few states she might not be able to get an abortion on demand.  But why is it always the worst case scenario for the Left?  Why do they live in permanent fear?  How does she know her daughter will someday want an abortion?  Or that she will live in a state where it is difficult to get one?  And why is she worried about that now, at age 23?  Laws change all the time.  

At the mere mention of Trump's name, I have seen a look on the faces of colleagues and family members that I would not describe as mere anger.  Rather, it is best described as a look of rage.  And it can be quite frightening.  I have described it to a friend as going from zero (a normal facial expression) to sixty (outright rage) in about a half of a second.  I would seriously be worried about being around a group of such individuals if they knew I voted for Trump.  A mob is always a greater danger than a single individual.  Along the same lines, family members are unable to understand how I could possibly vote for Trump.  It never, and I mean never, occurs to them that I might wonder how they could possibly have voted for Obama, Biden and Harris.  After all, isn't that how all the smart, decent people vote?