Post-Election Fears & Anxieties

[Shannon L.]

12 minutes ago, HumblePi said:

All of the models he's displaying clearly point to an overwhelming Clinton victory, so I hope his information is accurate.

http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/

The only reason I'm nervous is because it's dropped from 86% to 71% since Friday.  What if it continues at that pace?  I mean, FL and NC went from obviously blue to almost white.  ::shudder::

What if the pharmaceutical companies were secretly helping Trump since his winning would surely cause an increase the purchases of sedatives  :)

[ChiCricket]

Aaaah.....I feel a little better. Sorry/ Not Sorry ;-)

[HumblePi]

1 minute ago, Shannon L. said:

The only reason I'm nervous is because it's dropped from 86% to 71% since Friday.  What if it continues at that pace?  I mean, FL and NC went from obviously blue to almost white.  ::shudder::

What if the pharmaceutical companies were secretly helping Trump since his winning would surely cause an increase the purchases of sedatives  :)

If pharmaceutical sales increase it might be for Viagra. Donald's 'gun-toting he-man redneck brothers' might admire his machismo enough to want to emulate his sexually aggressive style.

[Constantinople]

Sometimes reading about politics in the UK or Australia helps.  In Australia it may turn out that one of the Senators from South Australia was inelegible for office when he was reelected earlier this year.  In the UK, at any given time there's usually a Brexiter making an ass of himself.

Sometimes it doesn't, such as when the Foreign Minister of Australia -- also the Deputy Leader of the Liberal party which, despite the name, is the major conservative party -- implies that it would suck if Trump won.

[Wings]

I am in AZ.  Just heard on the news that the Clinton campaign might send Bill here. LOL! 

[sleekandchic]

@HumblePi, I think that photo might be bad luck, since it's a play on Truman's holding up the actual, erroneous "Dewey Defeats Truman" headline of old.  So , showing him now holding a "Clinton Defeats Trump" headline might mean that he's showing another wrong  headline, maybe?  Maybe I am being hypersensitive.  I'm on the brink, I tell you.  The brink.

And now, I'm leaning toward the opinion that the  FBI Director,  a supposed Boy Scout/patriot, is perhaps a grudge-holding mole, willing to subvert an American presidential election?  Willing to install a truly unqualified candidate -- one preferred by the Kremlin -- in the Oval Office?  Can that be?

My husband and I planned to start our family in 2017.  If Trumps wins, our plans will change. I can't bear the thought of that man, his cronies, advisers and family, and foreign interlopers sitting in the White House. 

[Kitty Redstone]

1 hour ago, wings707 said:

I am in AZ.  Just heard on the news that the Clinton campaign might send Bill here. LOL! 

He's an incredible public speaker.  If you get the chance, you should definitely try to go.  I went to one of his rallies in 1992 and there were so many people we couldn't get in.  We went to the cafe next to where he was speaking and you could still her him ... but it was disappointing not to be part of it.  However, when he exited the rally he came out through the cafe.  We were among the small throng that got up close while he shook hands and said thanks for coming.  It was pretty exciting!

Edited November 2, 2016 by Kitty Redstone
1991 and 1992 are different years

[theredhead77]

FiveThirtyEight has accurately predicted the two or three POTUS elections. That's what's helping me sleep at night. So far.

[Wings]

I worked for Obama in FL and met Bill.  I just moved here last year. There is an exchange earlier in this thread wih some of us talking about meeting him. To sum it up, he is dynamic and we all would do him!  That is what my LOL was about. 

[Pixel]

Here's my irrational fear: If Trump wins, I'm afraid he will create a task force to find those who have spoken out against him on social media and sue us, or somehow unleash harassment upon us. I feel about 80% like that's crazy, and 20% like it's realistic. 

[PatsyandEddie]

Mr. Patsy and I heard Bill Clinton speak up here in Canada several years ago. It was all about the recession that started in '08. I usual tune out during financial discussions as I have a mental block about it all. However, Bill was so interesting and so clearly explained everything that even I understood. Plus,that drawl of his and gentle demeanour was extremely sexy. Dayum!!!

[BW Manilowe]

If anybody needs a break on Tuesday night, & you (still) like/watch The View, they've been saying they're doing a special show, on Lifetime, that night (their home network, ABC, will be occupied with telling us who's winning & who's losing). It's at 9PM Eastern, on Lifetime.

And if you need a break but The View doesn't float your boat, The Hill reports The Weather Channel will be airing a 9-hour "chill marathon" on Tuesday night.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/303805-weather-channel-offers-escape-from-election-coverage

Edited November 2, 2016 by BW Manilowe
To add some info.

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, Pixel said:

Here's my irrational fear: If Trump wins, I'm afraid he will create a task force to find those who have spoken out against him on social media and sue us, or somehow unleash harassment upon us. I feel about 80% like that's crazy, and 20% like it's realistic. 

The thing with Trump is he blusters alot about suing people, but doesn't often follow through.  One of the lawyers who offered to defend Trump's harassment accusers pro bono if Trump should sue them said he would look forward to the opportunity to depose Trump under oath, and subpoena all of his business records.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Moose135

[HumblePi]

I think that the news channels get a lot more viewers by making it look like this is a close race. I don't think it is at all but it does get viewers.

Edited November 2, 2016 by HumblePi

[Padma]

2 hours ago, Pixel said:

Here's my irrational fear: If Trump wins, I'm afraid he will create a task force to find those who have spoken out against him on social media and sue us, or somehow unleash harassment upon us. I feel about 80% like that's crazy, and 20% like it's realistic. 

I've had similar concerns but took GREAT comfort from seeing super-lawyer Lawrence Tribe on MSNBC last week. He and a group of top lawyers wanted any women coming out against Trump to not worry about legal representation if they have their freedom of speech threatened by his lawyers and lawsuits. He spoke about the women (I think he was really hoping more would come forward), but I'm convinced that he was really talking about his and other lawyers commitment to defending first amendment rights of anyone Trump sues who is not similarly wealthy. 

You could tell that Tribe and other lawyers are already thinking ahead in the worst case scenario that Trump wins and how the law could be used to stop him from abusing power.  There are many liberal lawyers and I think there will be strong protection from Trump on first amendment grounds.  (Also, he has so many enemies that social media ones whom he doesn't even know will be low on his "enemies list").

Edited November 2, 2016 by Padma

[33kaitykaity]

This oddly made me feel much better.  Go figure.  ;)

Quote

 

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512567929

Lets Be Honest, Hillary Is Going to Lose

Look at the evidence: 

- Polls have been taken on this election for 1.5 years and Hillary has only been ahead for seriously 3 or 4 days in the averages that whole time. And even then, she was at a tie. Most of the time she has been down by 5-8 points. 

-Currently we are down by about 6 points in the national average with 1 week to go 

-Trump has a firewall of electoral votes that sits at over 270 that clinton hasnt been able to put a dent in 

-Our best projection for us is at 538, which shows Clinton at around a 25% chance of winning but most other trusted experts have her odds way lower. Most show Hillary at 10% to even 1% or 2% chance of winning. The only reason we are that high at 538 is because of an almost false hope that all of the polls are way off. Seriously, when was the last time that happened? 1948? 

-Trump is raising way more money than Clinton, has been running ads nonstop in swing states and has the largest ground game in U.S. history to target and turn out voters. Clintons organization is virtually nonexistent on the ground. 

-Turn out in early voting in our must win states is anemic in democraric strong holds but surging in Republican areas. We are doing maybe slightly better than trump in 1 or 2 small swing states but the big prizes...its not even close. 

Guys look, we put up a good fight but this election has never been close. We had a few brief glimpses of hope here and there but hillary couldnt even pull into a tie with trump at our best. He has consistently been beating us in the polls, beating us on the ground, and beating us in the airwaves.1 out of every 10 polls may show us down by 1 or even tied but the rest are telling us the same story that that we have heard all year. We are behind and often by a lot. Im sorry to say that whatever minimal hope we have of winning this thing is mostly imaginary. 

***This message brought to you by The Parallel Universe DU and The Be Greatful For What You Have Foundation*** 

Suddenly things dont seem so doom and gloom, do they? 

 

[Coffeecup]

9 hours ago, sleekandchic said:

 

And now, I'm leaning toward the opinion that the  FBI Director,  a supposed Boy Scout/patriot, is perhaps a grudge-holding mole, willing to subvert an American presidential election?  Willing to install a truly unqualified candidate -- one preferred by the Kremlin -- in the Oval Office?  Can that be?

 

Yes.

[millennium]

7 hours ago, HumblePi said:

I think that the news channels get a lot more viewers by making it look like this is a close race. I don't think it is at all but it does get viewers.

The news outlets have a financial stake in portraying this as a horse race, CNN especially, so it's worth considering.

I see the whole race as a criminal trial flipped on its head.   In this version, the criminal and his lawyers get to prosecute the forces of law and order and are given wide latitude by the court to use lies, innuendoes and hateful personal attacks to convince the jury that wrong is right, up is down, etc.

And worse, it's the OJ jury.

I don't know how to continue if things go badly on November 8.   How do you get up in the morning and go about your day knowing a card-carrying madman controls the destiny of you and your loved ones?   How do you see him on TV every day, gloating, preening, thumb-upping as piece by piece he dismantles everything you ever believed about America?   How do you quell the hatred and despair in your heart?    Growing up we learned about mad despots in history, we have seen them in our lifetimes in other nations, behind the iron curtain and in banana republics, but never have we had a pathological, lying sociopath in control here.   This is the United States of America.   There are supposed to be safeguards in place to prevent anything like this from ever happening.   And yet ...

 

[Grommet]

My one hope, should that asshole win, is  that our system of checks and balances still functions and that there are enough people committed to staying true to this country's guiding principles. Someone way up thread pointed out that, regardless of the outcome, the lights will stay on and we'll go to work and stores will be open. The thought of having to keep fighting battles that we have already won (the right to choose, marriage equality, access to health care) is infuriating but needs must, so on we will go.

[Advance35]

Quote

How do you quell the hatred and despair in your heart?

(I hope religion isn't banned in terms of posting) I pray on it.   I have to EVERY day because I do hate him, I hate the Republicans and scary to me, the people who vote for him.   I question in my heart whether I will ever TRULY forgive anyone involved in this debacle.   And believe me this very much includes the Media, who glorified this monster from inception.   I hate them almost as much as I hate the Tyrant himself.  Please dear god let him lose.   All those stupid conspiracy theories about how the world is really run by a "Shadowy Cabal" and how the corporations are in charge, The Stock Market TANKED when it looked like Trump was a sure thing, TANKED.   If these "powers" really existed, now would be the time wouldn't you think?

Quote

My one hope, should that asshole win, is  that our system of checks and balances still functions and that there are enough people committed to staying true to this country's guiding principles. Someone way up thread pointed out that, regardless of the outcome, the lights will stay on and we'll go to work and stores will be open. The thought of having to keep fighting battles that we have already won (the right to choose, marriage equality, access to health care) is infuriating but needs must, so on we will go.

This made me feel a little better.  Very little but some all the same.  Thank You.  I just keep telling people I meet about his pending rape trial and that the Stock Market is doomed (and the money of many with it.)

[NewDigs]

10 hours ago, PatsyandEddie said:

Mr. Patsy and I heard Bill Clinton speak up here in Canada several years ago. It was all about the recession that started in '08. I usual tune out during financial discussions as I have a mental block about it all. However, Bill was so interesting and so clearly explained everything that even I understood. Plus,that drawl of his and gentle demeanour was extremely sexy. Dayum!!!

I saw him in 2012 speak at a smallish event center. Probably just a few hundred people. I was right up front and concur with all of the observations of him as a charismatic speaker. And he looks people right. in. the. eye. and holds your attention and doesn't look away for what seems like a long time. Almost kind of eerie but I heard many making same or similar comments.

It was thrilling. I had heard on the news the night before that he would be speaking and I was practically a lemming. Must see Bubba, must see Bubba. Waited in line for about 3 hours, waited inside for about an hour and half and it was worth it. Left exhilarated.

[DeLurker]

@millennium - thanks for the Stephen King tweet!  I've never read him or watched movies based on his books because I am a chicken, but I am guessing this is the scariest thing he ever wrote.

 

I think the election should be cancelled because of ED - Election Dysfunctional.  Sorry Obama, you've got to stick around until we figure this out.

Edited November 2, 2016 by DeLurker

[MulletorHater]

1 hour ago, DeLurker said:

@millennium - thanks for the Stephen King tweet!  I've never read him or watched movies based on his books because I am a chicken, but I am guessing this is the scariest thing he ever wrote.

 

I think the election should be cancelled because of ED - Election Dysfunctional.  Sorry Obama, you've got to stick around until we figure this out.

LOL!  There is a meme with Will Smith going around that says President Obama should stick around on a month-to-month basis until we get shit figured out.  When I first saw it, my response was, "ha ha!"

Now, I have to wonder...

And, yes--Steven King is on point!  I think it was Millennium who mentioned the protagonist, Randall Flagg, in King's novel, The Stand.  Chilling!  King's books have always been psychologically suggestive.  The storyline started out with a super flu bug, which had me looking sideways at anybody around me who started coughing and sniffling.  Who knew that the book would evolve into a battle between good and evil?  Sometimes I feel that that is where we are.  We have a law enforcement agency with a director who has revealed himself to be not only partisan but evil.  We have a political party who has vowed to carry on its evildoing of the last 8 years to the detriment of us all.  I thought the elections of 2008 and 2012 were exhausting, but I wasn't physically affected as I am now.

[Constantinople]

Palmerston the cat is the British Foreign Office's chief mouser.  Sometimes I read his official Twitter account at https://twitter.com/diplomog 

Not to be outdone, Gladstone, the Treasury Department's chief mouser, has an official Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/treasury_cat/

There are also unofficial Twitter accounts for Palmerston, Gladstone and Larry, the 10 Downing Street cat.

[starri]

I honestly wonder if I'm going to survive this with my sanity intact, regardless of the outcome.  I'm not being hyperbolic, I really feel like I'm cracking up.

I'm not much of a drinker, but I have a feeling next Tuesday is going to require at least a bottle of wine.

[Wings]

3 hours ago, Grommet said:

My one hope, should that asshole win, is  that our system of checks and balances still functions and that there are enough people committed to staying true to this country's guiding principles. Someone way up thread pointed out that, regardless of the outcome, the lights will stay on and we'll go to work and stores will be open. 

Yes.  This is the thought I hold.  And at times when we want a president to do something, they cannot.  Works both ways but certainly comforting now.  

This is a nail biter.  

1 hour ago, starri said:

I honestly wonder if I'm going to survive this with my sanity intact, regardless of the outcome.  I'm not being hyperbolic, I really feel like I'm cracking up.

I'm not much of a drinker, but I have a feeling next Tuesday is going to require at least a bottle of wine.

It is out of your control.  Breathe.  There is nothing that worrying will accomplish.  I tell this to myself daily, as well. 

Edited November 2, 2016 by wings707

[stormy]

For any of you suffering from anxiety and need a laugh (and like me,  miss Jon Stewart so much) go to Huffington Post and watch Jon Stewart at last night's Stand Up for Heroes "How to win a Twitter War with Donald Trump".

[fastiller]

I agree with @Grommet's hopes - things will continue as they have for the past 240 years.

@Advance35 - I also pray: for the ability to listen to someone with an opposing viewpoint and not want to haul off and thump the person; for those with an opposing viewpoint to have their eyes open; for those who've espoused such hate-filled nonsense to be filled with love.

Re WJ Clinton: I never did have the opportunity to meet him, but in the late 90s/early 00s I did work for a company that was headquartered in Little Rock. My great-great-grand-boss (my boss's boss's boss's boss) was the son-in-law of one of his early contributors to Clinton's gubernatorial campaign.  The contributions continued into the '92 & '96 races.  My g-g-g-boss was unexpectedly at a '96 fundraiser in LR.  He was approached by WJC in the outer lobby; Clinton knew all about the guy's kids (schools they went to, ages, names).  Remember: the guy wasn't meant to be at the event, so WJC or his handlers wouldn't have thought to study up.  I've heard he has a photographic (eidetic?) memory; this story has me believing it.

One of the periods of history that I'm enamored of is Elizabethan England.  I really enjoy reading about QE1.  Many of the characteristics I have read that QE1 had are those that I've heard in reference to WJC: memory, charisma (I've read that she could make each person she spoke to feel as if s/he was the only person in the world; I've heard that about WJC); equivocation to suit political ends; etc... There are so many of them that I've wondered if QE1 has been reincarnated as WJC.

[callmebetty]

8 minutes ago, stormy said:

For any of you suffering from anxiety and need a laugh (and like me,  miss Jon Stewart so much) go to Huffington Post and watch Jon Stewart at last night's Stand Up for Heroes "How to win a Twitter War with Donald Trump".

I just watched it, hilarious ! But it dawned on me when the  Republican candidate uses little as a put  down like with Jon Stewart or Marco Rubio .  How is it really a put down, what does the little mean, like a kid? Short? It's just so laughable. 

Edited November 2, 2016 by callmebetty

[maraleia]

I'm still terrified today. That is all.

[Wings]

48 minutes ago, maraleia said:

I'm still terrified today. That is all.

What are you afraid of if Trump wins?  There are many fears about this situation, I am curious to hear specific reasons from everyone.  

Edited November 2, 2016 by wings707

[starri]

14 minutes ago, wings707 said:

There are many fears about this situation, I am curious to hear specific reasons.  

Personally, having been a full and equal citizen of this country for only approximately 18 months, I fear a candidate whose platform includes revoking same.

[maraleia]

17 minutes ago, wings707 said:

What are you afraid of if Drumpf wins?  There are many fears about this situation, I am curious to hear specific reasons.  

I'm a lesbian so what starri said.

[Janet Snakehole]

What scares me in addition to the above? Terrified of Trump managing foreign relations and being overly sensitive and getting us into a worse situation than Bush 2 did.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Janet Snakehole

[Wings]

Thank you for responding.  My question may backfire on me if I hear new reasons to freak out about!  The minority and immigrant issue is a huge concern, along with foreign policy.   And there are others, of  course.  

Edited November 2, 2016 by wings707

[Advance35]

This is One of the Things

I am posting it on my facebook and I'd encourage anyone who has a Facebook to do the same.   And tweet about it as well.   Praying and again speaking to anyone I might even THINK of sitting this election out.  By the by, Susan Surrandon can go to hell too.

[Wings]

3 minutes ago, Advance35 said:

This is One of the Things

I am posting it on my facebook and I'd encourage anyone who has a Facebook to do the same.   And tweet about it as well.   Praying and again speaking to anyone I might even THINK of sitting this election out.  By the by, Susan Surrandon can go to hell too.

 Will things like this continue no matter who wins?  Frightening thought.  

[Janet Snakehole]

24 minutes ago, wings707 said:

Thank you for responding.  My question may backfire on me if I hear new reasons to freak out about!  The minority and immigrant issue is a huge concern, along with foreign policy.   And there are others, of  course.  

 

Oh, I could keep going. 

[Wings]

Just now, Janet Snakehole said:

 

Oh, I could keep going. 

Yes, so can I.  I stopped myself.  

[starri]

Me three.

[fastiller]

I like this: it sort of upends the whole false equivalency thing:

 

[ChromaKelly]

50 minutes ago, wings707 said:

What are you afraid of if Trump wins?  There are many fears about this situation, I am curious to hear specific reasons from everyone.  

I am a white adoptive parent of a black son. He's 8 years old right now, just shy of becoming "scary". I am afraid because the Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Trump, which shows me which direction law enforcement would go. Trump has advocated for stop and frisk. If policing moves towards stop and frisk, shoot first ask questions later, I may not let my son out of my sight. What if he's walking down the street with a group of black kids? What if he "fits the description"?
I am also afraid for my daughters if Trump is in charge of selecting future Supreme Court justices. Will Roe v Wade be overturned? I am afraid for my gay and lesbian friends who have recently gotten married, and those who wish to in the future.
I never am serious about the leave the country thing, but I don't want to live here if Trump is president.

[backformore]

17 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

The only reason I'm nervous is because it's dropped from 86% to 71% since Friday.  What if it continues at that pace?  I mean, FL and NC went from obviously blue to almost white.  ::shudder::

 

Yes, I've been watching Hillary's number go down - it was 80 not long ago, now it's 69.9

I am concerned.   And I don't know what Trump is up to with telling people who early-voted to go and cast another ballot to change their vote.

[ABitOFluff]

Obama is speaking at UNC Chapel Hill today, so that will hopefully get some Millenials excited. Hillary and Bernie will be here tomorrow.

[b2H]

Dear hubby and I talked about this last night.  Were I traveling, as I often am, I would probably watch the returns from my hotel room.  Since I will be home, that can not be possible.  So we will be watching DVR stuff or Wild Hockey, should there be a game.  I will power down my iPad and my laptops and possibly even my phone.

My point is this: after about 7p, central time, there is nothing more I can do about this.  Neither can any of you.  If you have voted, and, if possible, helped others to get to the polls to do the same, that is all you can do.  Nothing more.  This whole thing, if it goes the way it is predicted, will be over by midnight.  If we have failed to get people to understand the difference between a psychopath and someone who messed up some email, then there is nothing more to be done.

I expect the American people will bring us to the abyss, but we will be pulled back before making the big jump.

[Darian]

Sometimes it's the little things. My friends and I have been planning to early vote together (the ones who live near enough to me to go to the same polling place). We had to put it off from the first day of early voting last Monday to tomorrow. We're dressing in suffragists colors (some combination of green, purple, gold, white) and were going to have having brunch first. One of the women contacted the rest of us and said she couldn't wait. Could we vote first, to get it over with as she was anxious, and then eat/celebrate? We all happily changed plans. I feel so much better knowing that I'm voting two hours earlier. It's nutty, but true. 

And I no longer worry about being a nag; I keep reminding friends they can make calls for the campaign from home (so easy), can drive people to the polls on Election Day, can just talk to friends, and more. Every time I go somewhere, I check to see if there's a local office and see if they need snacks (and do a little work if I can). Tomorrow, after voting, I am bringing snacks and phone-banking. And my nails are sparkly blue! 

[NextIteration]

51 minutes ago, b2H said:

Dear hubby and I talked about this last night.  Were I traveling, as I often am, I would probably watch the returns from my hotel room.

I remember election night 2004, I was in a bar in the Quad Cities (Moline to be specific), alone, on a business trip.  It's started out hopeful and then went to hell - except for this interesting fella named Barack Hussein Obama that had just won a senate seat in Illinois - and everyone around me was so joyful and excited about that, and he and his beautiful wife and adorable kids were there on stage...

Hi, my name is NextIteration, I am terrified and even more... I'm scared I'll run out of booze before next Tuesday night.  I made it to page three before I had to skip to the end and post.  Forgive me for all the insightful posts I missed, I'll endeavor to go back and read them.  I'm traveling to see my daughter in Massachusetts a week from Thursday - so I have to save my Ativan for that!

2000 was a terrible experience it had the very same zombie hamster wheel features that are present this cycle.

Watching Hillary going from over 90% on 538's Now-Cast to under 70% is setting my hair on fire.  Because you see, 70% is just not enough.  It's not enough to make me feel that we'll be okay even if Hillary wins.  What is wrong with all these Americans?  Where did my country go?  Who are these people?  How is it that a presidential candidate managed to trigger women all over the country a debate performance?  What in the hell is Comey thinking?

[backformore]

8 minutes ago, NextIteration said:

Watching Hillary going from over 90% on 538's Now-Cast to under 70% is setting my hair on fire.  Because you see, 70% is just not enough.  It's not enough to make me feel that we'll be okay even if Hillary wins.  What is wrong with all these Americans?  Where did my country go?  Who are these people?  How is it that a presidential candidate managed to trigger women all over the country a debate performance?  What in the hell is Comey thinking?

I was going to post the same thing - but you said it better than I could.   I'm sad for a country that was moving in the direction of positive change - the pendulum has swung too far. 

[Constantinople]

3 hours ago, wings707 said:

What are you afraid of if Trump wins?  There are many fears about this situation, I am curious to hear specific reasons from everyone.  

I don't think previously.tv has that kind of bandwidth.

[Shannon L.]

29 minutes ago, Constantinople said:

What are you afraid of if Trump wins?  There are many fears about this situation, I am curious to hear specific reasons from everyone.  

What Constantinople said, but if I had to narrow it down to one thing:  Supreme Court nominees.  Given the way the Republican Party has acted over the last 8 years, since the madness of the 2008 election, I don't trust anyone that they'd put up for confirmation.

We need another anti-anxiety video.  This made me laugh:  A cat who was raised in a show-horse barn