Post-Election Fears & Anxieties

[formerlyfreedom]

Railing on posters/people who voted in a way you do not agree with is exactly the same as attacking them. Stop. We know a lot of you are upset and others are thrilled. We all have to live in this world together and while being on this site is optional, if you all want to continue to be here you need to figure out a way to get along. The world is not ending.

See this announcement.

[anyanka323]

Congressional Republicans have been a pain in the butt to Obama and other Democrats during the past 8 years.  It may seem petty, but it's the Congressional Democrats turn to be a thorn in the side of Trump, Ryan, McConnell and other Republicans.  If Ted Cruz can get away with reading Green Eggs and Ham during a fillibuster, there's nothing stopping Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Baldwin, Claire McCaskill, and other female Senators from reading from important books like The Handmaid's Tale or The Bell Jar during a fillibuster over access to women's health care.  I wouldn't mind if they and their male colleagues decided to do a mass reading of the full 5 books of A Song of Fire and Ice during a debate over use of force internationally.  It would be rather appropriate considering that we just elected Joffrey Baratheon without a Tywin or Tyrion Lannister to slap him or send him to bed in the form of Trump. 

[Mumbles]

Quote

For me, it's the EPA.  I know "government regulations" are bad words, but without clean water and breathable air, we're all dead.  I live in rural Iowa, and I worry about decreased oversight of large livestock confinements. 

For my friends, I worry about loss of health care, defunding of Planned Parenthood, and backward steps with regard to personal liberty, like gender equality and gay marriage.

What worries you?

The status of the entire regulatory state worries me.   A lot of people focus on what bills a president signs,  but a president has a LOT of power through agencies and rules to affect our lives.  The EPA, OSHA, the SEC, the FEC, the FCC....not for nothing did that weasel Ryan go out and rail against that oppressive regulatory state that, you know, keeps our air and water clean, our workplaces safe,  our food and drugs unpoisoned, or investments protected, our radio stations independent - you know, stupid oppressive stuff like that.  Up to now, Trump has been refreshingly dismissive of the Koch brothers and their ilk - who want to pursue their economic interests unfettered - but I would not count on that lasting long.

[Revlonred]

1 hour ago, ennui said:

And what's the alternative? Civil war?

Like all elections, people will be upset for a week or so, and then life will get back to normal and everything will go on the same as before. It always does.

No, life will not go back to normal for many, many Americans.  The alternative is to keep our voices loud and clear that his racism and misogyny are not okay.

Edited November 10, 2016 by Revlonred

[magdalene]

5 minutes ago, anyanka323 said:

Congressional Republicans have been a pain in the butt to Obama and other Democrats during the past 8 years.  It may seem petty, but it's the Congressional Democrats turn to be a thorn in the side of Trump, Ryan, McConnell and other Republicans.  If Ted Cruz can get away with reading Green Eggs and Ham during a fillibuster, there's nothing stopping Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Baldwin, Claire McCaskill, and other female Senators from reading from important books like The Handmaid's Tale or The Bell Jar during a fillibuster over access to women's health care.  I wouldn't mind if they and their male colleagues decided to do a mass reading of the full 5 books of A Song of Fire and Ice during a debate over use of force internationally.  It would be rather appropriate considering that we just elected Joffrey Baratheon without a Tywin or Tyrion Lannister to slap him or send him to bed in the form of Trump. 

It's not petty at all - I will call it poetic justice.

I have been getting a lot of "I voted for Trump because I found the ACA unfair and flawed but I am not a racist or a fascist", blah, blah. 

But for me it is as simple as that, if it walks like a duck and it looks like a duck - most likely it is a duck. So when one votes for a racist and a fascist one is a racist and a fascist - no matter how one rationalizes it.

Edited November 10, 2016 by magdalene

[yourstruly]

4 minutes ago, anyanka323 said:

If Ted Cruz can get away with reading Green Eggs and Ham during a fillibuster, there's nothing stopping Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Baldwin, Claire McCaskill, and other female Senators from reading from important books like The Handmaid's Tale or The Bell Jar during a fillibuster over access to women's health care. 

I think it's clear that the GOP Senate is going to do away with the filibuster to prevent Democrats from being able to obstruct the GOP agenda.

[Grommet]

I too worry about the continued evisceration of government agencies. I prepare taxes for a living, so I know how much the IRS has suffered over Congress's hissy fit about never-proved charges of heavy-handed tactics with right-leaning not for profits. If you're a W-2 worker whose identity gets stolen by the Russians, good luck ever getting a quick refund again!

[Hanahope]

My husband says nothing will change for us. I do hope he's right, but I am not optimistic.  I told him that we will see what's different a year from now.  I expect higher taxes, higher health care, food, gas and clothing costs.  I don't think his parents will get their green cards.  Travel to see them might be too expensive.  I'm planning a smaller Christmas this year. 

[Janet Snakehole]

4 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

This Cracked article made me feel somewhat better. Highly recommended.

It made me feel worse. Particularly #2. And #3. It is just rationalizing this.

god, particularly the part about trump states legalizing marijuana. Hey,  the KKK endorsed candidate won, but maybe at least those racists are ok with me getting high!

Edited November 10, 2016 by Janet Snakehole

[Spartan Girl]

1 hour ago, NinjaPenguins said:

Thank you all so much for being here. I feel like there's a deep dark hole waiting to open up and swallow me. 

My co-worker today admitted he enjoyed the suffering of liberals. I replied that he just told me a lot about himself and refused to engage any further. To anyone out there gloating and lapping up those sweet lefty tears, well, you're showing the world who you are. 

I feel your pain. My coworkers were saying the same thing except they used the term "elitist" not liberal. Like who the hell is more elitist than a man with a golden toilet?! Then there was this little gem: "Now we know who the *real* racists are."

I...I can't even...just...ugh.

Edited November 10, 2016 by Spartan Girl

[HumblePi]

Newt Gingrich, Secretary of State,  Rudy Giuliani, Attorney General,  Reince Preibus, Chief of Staff

[aradia22]

[FuriousStyles]

Im watching all the protests going on and im just thinking you guys are wasting your time. Go home.  The time to be passionate and make your voiced heard was YESTERDAY (Im sure these are the same people who actually did vote yesterday).  I know its such a cynical thing to say, because normally I LOVE seeing people protest. But Im just so freaking depressed about what happened.  It really feels like someone died. 

[Hanahope]

I'm not terribly excited by the protests. The Occupy movement was a major bust.  They may go for a bit, but if they keep on, the police or military will stop it.

[mustbekarma]

The protesters are making me feel glad to be an American.  The First Amendment guarantees the freedom of assembly.  As long as the protestors peacefully assemble and harm no one, then I'm happy for them.  If it takes protesting to express their grief and pain, more power to them.  Healing can't begin until the anger and grieving are done.  Healed people will have a better chance of standing up for people's rights than injured ones.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I woke up a couple hours ago after falling asleep thanks to my cough medicine.

My entire complex and neighborhood is like a ghost town.  My neighbors comprise of Asians, East Indians, Ukrainians, African Americans and Whites.  Couples, singles, families. 

What I'm  most worried about right now? Losing my health insurance. I have a few preexisting conditions. I'm a breast cancer survivor-but am scheduled for final reconstruction in...January. While also removing the other breast because I don't want to give cancer to come back.

What will happen? Will I lose coverage immmediately IF Cecil ? manages to repeal Obamacare? Will the insurance company review my history and cancel my coverage? If I could, I'd have the surgery right now-but I live alone and don't have anyone to help me during recovery. My pod!parents don't believe that my insurance will be taken away. The woman who looks and sounds like my mom actually believes that Orange Menace will provide me with insurance. Even though none of the Republicans don't have anything to replace it.  And with a Republican Congress, what are the chances the Democrats can stop them?

So yeah, I'm terrified. My faith has really been shaken.

Edited November 10, 2016 by GHScorpiosRule

[aradia22]

[Pixel]

Nothing will change for me or my husband, or my white, privileged son. I do worry a bit for my gay daughter, but she's 17 and the Trump presidency will be over about the same time she's old enough to drink. While I will continue to fervently support LGBTQ rights, women's rights and health, and saving the planet, I am only allowing myself a couple of days to wallow and feel sorry for myself and the world. After that I will carry on with my life and just make it my business to be an active participant in moving forward those values that I hold important. i will rail against bigotry, sexism, and hate where I see it happen. I will not forget or become complacent in the fact that I, a white woman outside of childbearing age, have it easier than those who do not share my Anglo heritage.  I will move on, because it's not in me to be a victim, and because I recognize that this too shall pass. 

But dammit, give me 48 hours to wallow in misery before you tell me to suck it up. 

[AuntiePam]

17 minutes ago, HumblePi said:

Newt Gingrich, Secretary of State,  Rudy Giuliani, Attorney General,  Reince Preibus, Chief of Staff

I'm hearing Sarah Palin for Secretary of the Interior and Sam Brownback for Secretary of Agriculture.

[Pixel]

10 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I woke up a couple hours ago after falling asleep thanks to my cough medicine.

My entire complex and neighborhood is like a ghost town.  My neighbors comprise of Asians, East Indians, Ukrainians, African Americans and Whites.  Couples, singles, families. 

What im most worried about right now? Losing my health insurance. I have a few preexisting conditions. I'm a breast cancer survivor-but an scheduled for final reconstruction in...January. While also removing the other breast because I don't want to give cancer to come back.

What will happen? Will I lose coverage immmediately IF Cecil ? manages to repeal Obamacare? Will the insurance company review my history and cancel my coverage? If I could, I'd have the surgery right now-but I live alone and don't have anyone to help me during recovery. My pod!parents don't believe that my insurance will be taken away. The woman who looks and sounds like my mom actually believes that Orange Menace will provide me with insurance. Even though none of the Republicans don't have anything to replace it.  And with a Republican Congress, what are the chances the Democrats can stop them?

So yeah, I'm terrified. My faith has really been shaken.

As far as surgery goes -there are home helper agencies that you can get helpers from for low rates. They aren't nurses, so it's affordable temp help for exactly this sort of thing. They usually do stuff like make meals and clean and shop for elderly shut-ins, but they also do this. Maybe you could get it done quickly before your insurance is in true danger. 

Edited November 10, 2016 by Pixel

[EyewatchTV211]

There isn't polling/statistical information on this, as far as I know, but I'm taking solace in being part of likely the only white group to favor Hillary, the Jews. When I told my mother I was curious about what the stats might be, she joked that it is better that it isn't available because it would make it easier for them to round us up. If the white supremacist groups (refuse to call them the innocent-sounding "alt-right") had their way, that would actually happen. :-(

I feel slightly better about the country hearing that Hillary had the popular vote. 

However, a sad sign on the state of things is the presence of articles about how to talk to children in schools about the results of this election. They exist. I work in schools and received a copy. Why should there be a reason for us to have talking points related to our future president (not mine - I'm going to be one of those and refuse to call him my president)? One of my schools has a very high latino population, and those families are extremely concerned. While I'm not in the classroom myself to hear a lot, a Kindergarten instructional assistant told me that a student told her the following today - her parents told her that it is good she saw her grandparent in Bolivia over the summer because she may never see him/her again. And under Obama, I know of parents who were deported. With Trump, I fear for how much worse it will be for these kids who are already struggling through so much. 

I appreciate everyone here and having this thread. It has been the only thing I have felt up to reading today. I am avoiding any news, twitter, etc. Reading here and seeing like-minded people has helped somewhat, even if we are all sharing in misery. It has also kept me busy when some of my other usual distractions have not been an option.

[WendyCR72]

25 minutes ago, HumblePi said:

Newt Gingrich, Secretary of State,  Rudy Giuliani, Attorney General,  Reince Preibus, Chief of Staff

Fuuuuuuuuuuuck. Where is that runaway asteroid?

[Mumbles]

Quote

The Occupy movement was a major bust. 

I respectfully disagree. The Occupy movement got people talking about economic inequality in a loud, attention-seeking way.  Even when people were mocking it - and I count among them not only the Fox News bunch but also the smug Daily Show crowd - it was exposing the topic to folks who might not have thought about it before. It was an inspiration for the Sanders movement (good), and sadly, perhaps even some of the Trump movement.  But it's an issue that will not be going away, and that's a good thing.

[aradia22]

[callmebetty]

26 minutes ago, FuriousStyles said:

Im watching all the protests going on and im just thinking you guys are wasting your time. Go home.  The time to be passionate and make your voiced heard was YESTERDAY (Im sure these are the same people who actually did vote yesterday).  I know its such a cynical thing to say, because normally I LOVE seeing people protest. But Im just so freaking depressed about what happened.  It really feels like someone died. 

RIP: Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam 

[Peace 47]

9 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

 

I'm glad this thread is still helping people through this.  But I'm having a real hard time.

I decided to go to work today, regardless of how numb and angry I felt, and for my maturity, I was rewarded by a bunch of my coworkers gloating over Trump winning.

I'm having an extremely hard time, too.  I give you credit for being able to go into work today because after working from home this morning but then deciding that I really should go into the office, I physically couldn't make myself do it.  I kept welling up with tears every time I tried to get ready to go and then said working from home for the rest of the day was better than sitting there with red, puffy eyes at work.

I am at a loss as to how any of the horrible things Trump has uttered during the campaign pass as acceptable public discourse from the leader of the free world.  This is so far beyond a conservative/ liberal divide to me.  I suppose that I can't underestimate the disrespect and low opinion that many in this country have for women specifically, including within my own family.

Tonight when I despaired to my father (who voted for Johnson but called Trump the "lesser of two evils" as compared to Hillary) that it is devastating to know that the future president calls women fat pigs, brags about being able to sexually assault them and who has suggested that if a woman is sexually harassed at her job, she should find another, my father said Trump was just being colorful, I was being "hysterical" and, "You just tell me if you're ever sexually harassed at your job and I'll go down there and take care of things myself."  I don't know how we as a nation instill empathy in people like that who cannot relate at all to the fear and concern of anyone not in their privileged position.  It fills me with a profound despair that there can be such an acceptance of lowering the bar on basic human decency.  This goes beyond ill-conceived policy decisions and strikes at the value and regard in which we hold all fellow citizens.  I am ashamed as an American that we collectively have accepted this discourse from our leader.  And while I'm tempted to say, "He's not my president," the sad fact is that he is.  He represents us to our fellow citizens and the world, and it is an ugly image we have selected to project. 

[random chance]

35 minutes ago, HumblePi said:

Newt Gingrich, Secretary of State,  Rudy Giuliani, Attorney General,  Reince Preibus, Chief of Staff

 

17 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

I'm hearing Sarah Palin for Secretary of the Interior and Sam Brownback for Secretary of Agriculture.

Wow that swamp is emptying out fast.

10 minutes ago, WendyCR72 said:

Fuuuuuuuuuuuck. Where is that runaway asteroid?

The way 2016 has gone I'm surprised it didn't take out the Cubs.

[Hanahope]

15 minutes ago, Mumbles said:

I respectfully disagree. The Occupy movement got people talking about economic inequality in a loud, attention-seeking way.  Even when people were mocking it - and I count among them not only the Fox News bunch but also the smug Daily Show crowd - it was exposing the topic to folks who might not have thought about it before. It was an inspiration for the Sanders movement (good), and sadly, perhaps even some of the Trump movement.  But it's an issue that will not be going away, and that's a good thing.

I hope you are right, but all I see now are consumer protections bring dismantled and banks getting more money from Mr 'hey it's not really illegal.'

[callmebetty]

I send out virtual hugs to all of you.

I'm finally at the anger stage of grief acceptance .  I went through the denial and bargaining during the results and ending the night with depression which lasted up until now. I don't know how long anger will last. but if it causes me to be booted off the site, I wish you all well.

I know acceptance will come, but never with that thing as president . 

[Lantern7]

I still feel cold, and it's not the weather. There is no amount of polish that can make the turd look better.

[Bronzedog]

Wow.  The Access Hollywood video got Billy Bush fired and yet the Donald is elected President.  Sad.  I can't even get into the not paying taxes thing.

[molshoop]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Not state senator, US senator.  And I am so happy she won! 

Thanks for the correcting my error.  I only had 3 hours of sleep.

[Syd]

Serious question. Is there anybody here that is happy with the Trump victory? I thought the liberalism was only in a few forum threads. But if I'm wrong, I'll gladly vamos. 

[aradia22]

[callmebetty]

2 minutes ago, Bronzedog said:

Wow.  The Access Hollywood video got Billy Bush fired and yet the Donald is elected President.  Sad.  I can't even get into the not paying taxes thing.

I'm sure Billy will be made Surgeon general so he can steer all the good pussy That Things way.

[anyanka323]

35 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

I'm hearing Sarah Palin for Secretary of the Interior and Sam Brownback for Secretary of Agriculture.

I'm sure there's some in Kansas who are ready to see Brownback leave.  Right now, I'm in a state of dumb resignation when rumors of his potential cabinet come out.   Speaking of governors who need to be gone, could he do Wisconsin a favor and give Scott Walker a position?  It can be anything, just something to get him out of Wisconsin.

[aradia22]

[Watermelon]

25 minutes ago, Syd said:

Serious question. Is there anybody here that is happy with the Trump victory? I thought the liberalism was only in a few forum threads. But if I'm wrong, I'll gladly vamos. 

I don't know what you're asking.

If you're happy he won, say so. I'm sure there's somebody likeminded in the thread.

[aradia22]

[CherryMalotte]

As I sit here in a daze, after a night in which I never slept for more than an hour at a time, I've finally realized what today's feeling reminds me of: How I've felt the day after a loved one died.

I saw this posted a bit back and had to quote this - my mother died earlier this year and while it was not a huge surprise when she did pass (cancer) there were days when I felt just like this.  Numbed to the core, and a little bewildered.  

It's been a difficult day and out of the two Pence is the one that freaks me out.  The only good I can coming from this is that the younger voters band together and make sure this doesn't happen again.  For right now we have to accept that there is grieving of a sort and we'll need to let that sink in and process through.    

 

[aradia22]

[Jaded]

Just now, CherryMalotte said:

 

I saw this posted a bit back and had to quote this - my mother died earlier this year and while it was not a huge surprise when she did pass (cancer) there were days when I felt just like this.  Numbed to the core, and a little bewildered.  
 

I'm so sorry about your Mom.

Later this month will make it a year since my Mom died of the same thing. I'm still feeling numbed to the core and bewildered. I especially felt that way last night because I had no one in person to talk about all of this with. I hadn't cried in a few months and lost it for about 45 minutes last night because I was scared and felt so lost and alone. Family I begrudgingly invited back into my life after she died are all church people and voted for Trump. That's part of the reason I'm so scared about SS because if that gets screwed up I might have to live with them which terrifies me to the core. 

[BookWoman56]

I got only a couple of hours sleep last night, but during that time my initial grief has turned to rage.   I will not be able to watch the news or go on FB for a few days for fear of going off on a rant.  In terms of why this happened, I don't think it would have mattered who the Dems had run, Bernie, Biden, or anyone else. Trump managed to resonate with some segments of the population who got motivated enough to vote for him, for whatever reasons. In addition to that, some Dems got too complacent when poll after poll showed Hillary ahead. I am somewhat relieved that Hillary did win the popular vote, but again that also induces rage at how the electoral college works. After Gore in 2000, I had hoped the electoral college system would be revoked, but no. And so I can't help feeling that the majority of voters cast their ballot for Hillary, but somehow some ballots were worth more than others, and that's why we now have Trump. Talking to my daughter today, she commented that many of the college students she knows didn't vote because we live in TX, which would go red anyway, so their vote would be meaningless. I'm hoping that TX will shift in a few years, but for right now, as much as I'd like to lecture those students about their obligation to vote, they've got a point: Given the electoral college system, their votes would not have accomplished a damn thing. Although my daughter did in fact vote, she feels betrayed by the whole voting process in which one candidate can win the popular vote but somehow another candidate actually gets put into office.

Maybe I will feel differently in a few days, but at this point I wish that the Northeast and the West coast could pull off their own Brexit and just form a new country with a sane president and sensible legislature. This election result means that there is the very real possibility that every bit of social progress made during the last 50 years has been destroyed.  From my perspective, the movie Idiocracy has just been reclassified from spoof to documentary.

ETA: One of the most disturbing things about this election, for me, has been that I used to believe it was within reach for liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, atheists and ultra-religious, etc., to at least occasionally find some common ground and work for the better good, and maybe one day for that cooperation to be the norm.  I no longer believe that. That chasm seems much wider and deeper than it did a few days ago.

Edited November 10, 2016 by BookWoman56
Clarification

[Bronzedog]

So I guess Ted Nugent, Mike Tyson and Scott Baio will be the entertainment  at the inauguration.

[WendyCR72]

2 minutes ago, Bronzedog said:

So I guess Ted Nugent, Mike Tyson and Scott Baio will be the entertainment  at the inauguration.

Hope there's a blizzard and it's 50 below.

[Aquarius]

53 minutes ago, Syd said:

Serious question. Is there anybody here that is happy with the Trump victory? I thought the liberalism was only in a few forum threads. But if I'm wrong, I'll gladly vamos. 

I dunno.  The thread is called the Election Anxiety Support Thread.  We're still here posting after results.  Ya think this might be people not happy with the Trump victory?  Or did ya think you might find people celebrating?

Serious answer.

p.s. You might also consider leaving the "liberalism" label at the door.  There's discussion going on here that goes far beyond labels.

Edited November 10, 2016 by Aquarius

[SmithW6079]

The only social media platform I'm on is Facebook, which I keep mostly apolitical, but most of my friends don't. I avoided it like the plague today. I didn't want to see the gloating, I didn't want to read the misery from people I know in real life.

But I needed some place to commiserate, so I appreciate this thread, which has let me express my grief and mortification that Americans elected an amoral sociopath who will destroy the country and our ideals. 

[WendyCR72]

We're raw, I get it. BELIEVE ME. But let's not start getting short with supporters of the other party. PLEASE keep it friendly here. There are plenty of other sites for being short (unfortunately). Thanks!

[ChristmasJones]

I'm glad to find this thread.

On Election day, I didn't read any news, listen to any news, or watch TV. I was so worried that Drumpf would win, I just couldn't bear to cope with the anxiety of watching the predictions.  So I went to bed, not knowing who our next president would be.

During the night, I had a dream that I was consoling Hillary because he won. I explained that he wasn't going to have fun being the president, and it was going to be way more work that he bargained for, and that he would get sick of having to be held accountable every day for the next four years.

I woke up this morning and waited a while to turn on NPR. I thought, if I have to hear the bad news, I want it from NPR. So I clicked on the radio, while still in bed, and I heard the words "that was Hillary giving her concession speech." I shut the radio off and cried.

I cannot believe that a man with a personality disorder is now our president. I just feel utterly sick.

He will NEVER be "president" to me. He will always be a reality-show fool that I used to enjoy making fun of when he was on The Apprentice.  I can literally never see him as a real professional politician, let alone POTUS. I just can't. He is a fake, a huckster, a con, a sociopath, I could go on. I can't even stand to hear the sound of his voice. Anytime it would come on over the past year, I would turn the radio off.

None of this has anything to do with policies or political views.

This man is a disgusting human being and it is truly terrifying that he is now the leader of the United States.

[Bronzedog]

Is Omarosa going to be Secretary of Assholery or is that going to be a rotating position?  So many questions...