Time zones are weird. Like, when you read this, it's probably the next day in Asia. And then in the US, it's 100 years in the past. But hey, we've been here before! Let's take a trip down memory lane and see what I said in 2016 when Trump won the first time:

This was Hillary's election to lose, and she did... For as crazy as his [Trump's] campaign was, the Republican base did more or less get behind him.

Actually I don't think this was Kamala's election to lose. She did a great job with what she had. She was well liked, didn't have any scandals, didn't say anything that got people angry, and wasn't a part of a political dynasty. And as always, the Republicans rallied, hard, around their pick. Isn't the phrase "Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line?" As much as I think feverish support for any candidate is cultish, it does drive turnout.

I voted against Trump, because he has done many things I find deplorable.

Whew, I could add so many things to this list now! So many, that is impossible to begin. I will link to a "short" list here, which, despite being several years old with hundreds of entries, is already inadequate.

And without rhetoric or sarcasm, I'm scared.

Maybe some good news for me, but I'm somewhat less scared now, for two reasons. I know what we're getting into, and as time goes on, I feel less attachment to the US. Without sarcasm, I feel scared for the people who are still living there. It's going to be a wild ride.

But government reflects what you put into it. If you don't like the results, remember to vote again in 2 years.

I'm writing this before the final count, but there does seem to be a lot of turnout this year. When the dust settles and they find out how many young people voted, who knows? Maybe it will be higher than last time. If so, then I think young people have to at least be proud of themselves for trying. And if it's less, well, let that be a motivation to try harder. It's not entirely on young peoples' shoulders of course, but statistically they have the lowest turnout.

In the meantime, we're on this crazy ride so let's focus on the positives. There has never been anyone remotely like Trump before as President. Maybe he is the exact thing we need to cut through all the partisanship, corruption, and obstruction that has come to be the US government.

Oh sweet, innocent Weg of 8 years ago! I think by all measures those have gotten worse. All I can do is hope that this time is different. I can't see why it would be, but hey, you never know!

The left did a great job of dismissing Trump supporters as ignorant/racist/sexist/violent etc... And instead of reaching out to them, the left lumped everyone together and called them names.

Like I said in the previous blog entry, I am really concerned how nasty politics have become in the US (I spent a lot of time writing that, so while I've got you, I'd appreciate it if you had a look). And if it makes you feel better, you can point fingers. But that doesn't change the fact that blaming people is only going to make them support their candidate harder. I think if you really want to bridge the gap, and convince people to vote for your "side", you should be an example of a "side" worthy to emulate. Show empathy, understanding, and work together for common solutions. Not to repeat what I said a few days ago, but everyone, trying their own little way, has got to push to be better. Otherwise it's just going to be a continuous spiral where each person justifies their hate with more hate.

So sure, it's okay to be sad for a few days. I am too. But I refuse to believe that empathy, kindness, and understanding will ever be the wrong answer. As I've continued to push myself to do, I will try to exhibit those virtues online, even if others are not, because I want to people to be more civil and respectful. That kind of change doesn't come from demonizing people, they have to want it themselves. And I think being a caring person, and holding up a mirror to their own nastiness is the best way to do that.