One can just imagine the outcry if tens of thousands of Americans took to the streets after Obama was elected and they chanted "not my president".

The fact is, like it or not, Donald Trump will be the President of the United States.

This Chicken Little hysteria is unwarranted. I think it is just a tantrum over the fact that the Hillary coronation was derailed.

There will be immediate good to come from Trumps victory, if we can hold him to the fire. Rather than building a wall to keep out illegals, the use of a comprehensive and mandatory e-Verify program, combined with draconian penalties on employers who hire illegals in the construction and manufacturing trades, to start, would be of great benefit to the American worker and taxpayer.

Also, revamping the ACA to make it economically sustainable and less burdensome on middle class taxpayers would also be of great benefit to the mainstream.

Third, reversing the efforts to establish the economic ties with Cuba that would enable the murderous Castro regime to stay in power, and keeping the effective embargo in place, would hasten Castro's demise and protect American workers from having a cheap labor "China" 90 miles off shore.

If nothing else, this election should clearly show that mainstream, middle class Americans have grown tired of the Democrats ignoring their needs in favor of smaller, but louder special interest groups that have become the favorites of Democratic Elites more interesting in social engineering than beneficial change for the mainstream.

If the above changes can take place in terms of illegal immigration, the ACA, and Cuba, and the Democrats learn who actually butters their bread, than the country will benefit greatly.

Also, I believe strongly that the demise of Hillary Clinton and the end of her lifelong quest for self-aggrandizement, is one that should be applauded, not mourned.

Buckle up, we're in for an exciting, unpredictable ride. But one that should not frighten or "terrify" the majority of Americans.

My wonder is why only half of us voted...almost guarantees another half-assed four years. I pray for peace for us all.

After Donald Trump became the Republican candidate I took it upon myself to learn about this person, his business history, his personality, his character. I found that he was not the business empire builder that he promoted himself to be, but a duplicitous con artist whose real talent was in baffling others with BS, as he walked away from the wreckage of his business ventures with a large chunk of change while leaving investors out of their money, pleading bankruptcy and gaming the tax system . Most of his businesses have been abject failures, a result of his hubris and incompetence. This is a man who stiffed his contractors, working people who trusted him to live up to his end of a bargain, then pitched himself to the working class as a savior who will bring back jobs to America. The clothing that he sold was made in China. His university was an outright fraud, scamming people out of their savings. Not only is their no bottom to his dishonesty and unethical business dealings, I simply can't find any evidence that he has any redeeming qualities. What has he ever done that contributes to a better world? What little charitable giving Trump has done has always had strings attached. There is absolutely nothing in this man's past that gives any indication that he will serve the public as president.

Trump has said a number of things that I agree with - bad trade policies, Wall Street greed, the carried interest loophole. There is absolutely nothing in his past that would lead me to believe that Mr. Trump will do anything to fix the problems he brought up. He does not have the interest, the focus, the will, the competence, or the empathy to fix any of this. He is a total fraud with a talent for pressing people's buttons. He will not accomplish any of the things he said he would do. He won the election by lying constantly, degrading others, ginning up hate, all with a pass from the media. Expect buyer's remorse within a short time. He may be the president, but he's not my president.

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Helvetica}

Merely Wistful?

{a rhyme}

May Bernie-ite thinking be more than just wistful

that we might succeed in our efforts resistful, -

- that Trumpism’s thrusts can be constrained

before these errors become engrained.

May resistance be Real, and not merely wishful.

=====================================

ikebertlersen: Thousands did not come out right after Obama's election. They did not claim he was not "their" president. Thousands did not take to the streets after he was inaugurated. ( Where did you get that information?).

Political factions that oppose presidents are not thousands of people screaming "he's not our president".

Sorry, but I feel this contrived hysteria is more about those throwing fits that they did not get the coronation of Hillary and the far left, than any legitimate fear or concern about the future of this country.

It seems that the strange fringe elements of this country are simply upset that the mainstream backbone finally got their say.

Wait a minute, Thom. There may be a reason why this is such a shock. We saw how the Repbulicans stole the election for W. - both against Al Gore and John Kerry. This time they have control of the Presidency, the House, AND the Senate. Funny, just what they always wanted. And voter suppression and countless other GOP tricks were rampant. They're getting much better at ways to subvert democracy and we can't ignore the real possibility that this time is another one of their coups. As much as they disliked Trump, they would do anything to avoid Hillary.

Amen on that last suggestion

Janet Cruz - I've been doing such things for years. As a single person, I have even moved to apartments near where I work so I can commute by foot.

Another couple of things: Look into meet-ups (usually in more urban areas) and find groups that are into earthen buildings - cob, strawbale, adobe, earth-bermed, earth-ship etc. The use of thermal mass makes these buildings hold a very stable temperature of about 55 to 60 degrees. When thermal mass is warmed, it holds that heat for a long time, and often these buildings can be warmed by a south-facing window. The incoming sunlight warms the interior which is then radiated back during the night. Such buildings often need no air-conditioning. They are made of earth and need little wood in their construction, and there is no off-gassing.

There are often local clubs or meet-ups around permaculture, which should be the way we raise all our food - getting rid of the factory farming that uses so much petroleum. For inspiration, I recommend finding the YouTube documentary "How Cuba Survived Peak Oil", which is how the Cuban people completely revolutionized their agriculture into a permaculture system after the Soviet Union fell and US embargos closed in. I don't know how much the Communist government in Cuba helped with this, but it looks like it was primarily a people-instigated change.

I think it's WRONG to take Cuba out of the mix. I've always wanted to visit Cuba, and many people are now getting to go. WHY stop this transition now? The Castro Brothers aren't going to live forever, and the people there can benefit from our Americans visiting Cuba before the culture changes forever. If I EVER fly again, it would be to see Cuba before our American dollars change it forever. I may not get to go now, but I'm hoping in the Spring, now that I finally have access to portable oxygen and a wheel chair, I really CAN go there for a few days. My mother was there before we placed the embargo, and she absolutely loved it! I've only got her memories now to remind me of how it used to be; I'd love to be well enough to make my own trip before Americans ruin it. Please don't stop all the good progress we've been able to make in just a few months. After all, we welcome them here without the same discrimination we give to people who are a lot closer to our culture than Cuba is. Can't we extend common courtesy to them after all these years? Harboring grudges that hurt so many people are ridiculous, and Vietnam is now our friend; why not Cuba? Think about that, please, before you ruin what has already begun to be a better world of relations.

Hey Thom, did you buy Louise 11 roses for your anniversary?

A sobering thought. What if Trump does "make America great again". If he does bring back mfg. jobs, improves. health care, stops the out of control spending spree and government corruption. Etc. It could be the end of the lefts socialists movement. I think the world is extremely worried that America is going to look after it self for a change As a Canadian I am. 75% of our exports go to the US and it looks like an additional 800,000 barrels a day of oil once keystone is approved. Interesting times to come

Reference exiting polling results:

http://tdmsresearch.com/2016/11/10/2016-presidential-election-table/#comment-1070

The science of statistical analysis led the revolution into modern agriculture in the study of seed test plots and the revolution into modern manufacturing in the development of machine capability. If the statistical results were ignored then as they are in today’s polling results, modern agriculture and manufacturing would not exist. To ignore the science of these results is equivalent to ignoring climate change and its science. As we honor the Veterans who gave their lives for our democracy, we dishonor them with our apathy. Our nation has suffered a coup d’état of third world proportions. Yet we as a nation cower to those who too readily speak of the Constitution and the right to vote while actualizing fraud and contempt for these instruments of democracy. Has our nation become so blind, deaf, and dumb that it will just acquiesce to today’s demigods of power and corruption? Have we become a nation so ignorant of truth and reason that we placidly subjugate ourselves and our nation to people who have no interest in democracy but for how it can be manipulated to serve as a means to their own ends? The science and truth of these exit polls have brought no uproar, no outrage, no calling for a re-election with paper only ballets. The science and truth of these exit polls shout of fraud, insurgency and treason. Our nation now stands on the gallows and the perpetrators of our demise are pulling the lever. Millions of people have suffered horrible deaths over the centuries to bring the ideals of democracy and freedom to birth within our mass consciousnesses and actualized in the formation of The United States of America. We have put great energies and effort to develop a vast military to protect our very existence. But we are now being devoured from within by parasites who perceive our great nation as nothing but fodder for their own feast. We do nothing about the enemy within; within our borders and within ourselves. We have been very cleverly wooed to sleep by people who speak of service and concern yet act to dominate and control. Will we wake up? Will we come to our senses? Will we perceive the deceptions woven around us? I fear I may have only lived to see us die.

Not much left to say. Masses of the poor, and those who get why it matters, voted for President Obama on the chance that he could launch a legitimate discussion about our poverty crisis, and begin reversing the anti-poor agenda implemented by the Clinton administration. It was worth a try. Many are keenly aware of the role Hillary Clinton played in formulating that agenda. Others were aware of Clinton's long record of support for military aggression, and for corporate empowerment. In 2016, the only choice for these people was to vote third party or withhold their votes.

I have to scream, WHY IN HELL ARE WE IGNORING THE FACT THAT KARL ROVE IS STILL THE ARCHETECT AND HE'S BEEN PERFORMING ELECTION FRAUD EVERY 2 YEARS? WHEN DO WE DEMAND THEY ALL BE SCRAPPED?

THOM,WHEN ARE WE GOING TO MAKE IT THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION? HRC won!

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/can-we-count-election-results-exit...

I don't understand why Thom and a few others want Keith Ellison to be the new DNC chair. While Mr. Ellison may be a great Guy and a fine legislator, is it really a good stategic idea to have a muslim represent the party? I can see that as a protest against Islamophobia, but it really paints a target on the DNC's back as the true secret Muslim party. Howard Dean has proven he can get the job done. Protesting is fine but is it really working?

The hypocracy of the Republicofascists knows no bounds. Instead of protesting he is not my president, they should be protesting a stolen election. All of the the States that engaged in blatant voter suppression should be shutdown by protest until either people's votes are counted or the electors annull this farcal election.

Ajackson23 -- Thanks for the reference. What makes it even worse is that the exit polls cannot include the voters who gave up trying because of the long lines in North Carolina at the polls, the long lines at the DMV in WI, etc.

Chuck thanks for the read. I think the left is way off on Trump. Trump is not coming out of a recession like "Raygun". He is not going to spend he is going to cut and cut big. The economy is going to explode because poeple with money will feel comfortable investing with a business man in power. Old rich white guys are opening their wallets right now. Look at the stock market right now. The best thing I heard Trump say is "I am running for President of the United States not President of the world" great news for America not so good for the rest of the world. Trump is a long way from Reagan

TomDorr's analysis is no doubt correct that this election was largely a referendum on the fact that the Democratic establishment elite abandoned the middle class for the donor class. However,his -- and certain others' -- hope that somehow any good will come out of it, in regards to the really important issues like anthropogenic climate disruption, war, healthcare, and the myriad of issues important to workers and their families, seems a little too Pollyannaish considering the track records of the reprobates just handed all the key levers of power.

Reading through the rest of the thread, the points expressed by ikeberltersen, ajackson23, 2950-10k, Janet Cruz, Suze O, Legend, and so many others, implying that we must resist, each in our own way, should better light the way forward out of this dark place. Being half Irish (the angry half), and knowing their long, sad history resisting the English occupiers, my first thought was, godamnit, armed rebellion! But the peacenik side of my schizophrenia realizes peaceful resistance is far more powerful and lasting.

I can't bear all the hand wringing on the inter-tubes by Democratic bloggers, pundits, and failed strategists, so the following is my own postmortem liberal lament. Anyway, the energy of anger and disgust is better directed into words than sticks and stones, or punching out the windows of my petrol-mobile with arthritic knuckles.

As a likely tail-end-charlie on a long thread, I don't really expect to get any eyeballs -- and this post will probably end up being impossibly long. But for the sake of whatever (or for the typing practice), here goes anyway:

I'm getting too old and lazy to hassle with all the paperwork of seeking asylum in an actual democracy -- one envisioned by the Founders; not the bastardized hellscape cobbled together by the Constitutional untruths and misquotes of goofball "intellectuals" to the right of Jefferson Davis. So I've decided to stay put and hurl politically incorrect insults at the brain-dead zombie hordes of "conservative" (What a misnomer!), grab-em-by-the-p---y, mostly white, religious hypocrites.

Or, as I prefer, "radical Christianist terrorists." A label so well deserved shouldn't offend sham followers of the "Prince of Peace," considering that their last great savior instigated an unlawful, immoral religious war of choice in the wrong countries. FYI for dummies: The bulk of 9/11 conspirators came from and were funded largely, albeit indirectly, by our staunch (ha ha) ally, Saudi Arabia, harboring Wahhabi "princes of war" squandering their oil wealth derived from American rednecks driving gas hogs. Radical Salafist killers are still supporting asymmetric terrorism (as opposed to our variety of state-sponsored terrorism), and clueless American taxpayers are still funding the more mainstream Sunni wars engulfing the Middle East, ensuring an ever increasing supply of new terrorists.

Why? Because of oil -- the same oil destroying Earth's climate. Why? Because of the for-profit, mega-corps defense industry -- a "defense" destroying Earth's civilization. Why? So that billionaires can suck up all the good times for themselves. As Smedley Butler said, "War is a racket."

Neither do I cut any slack for Obama's and Hillary's culpability for following suit; still, George Choke-on-a-pretzel Bush's signature achievement and lasting ... and lasting ... legacy is a senseless, futile conflagration that has slaughtered far more Muslims than Christians -- a Nuremburg-worthy war crime of the highest order. That's the chickens--t (not sure if I can cuss on this blog) reason the village idiot pulled America out of the World Court. Does anyone seriously think the latest, greatest Republican messiah, sporting his phony head of hair and 330-word vocabulary, can bluster his way out of this neocon, self-induced quagmire? No, I didn't think so!

Trump. My God! Duh, let's toss the nuclear football to a total narcissistic, reality-show media creation/sensation -- a small-minded, loudmouthed, schoolyard bully who made his political bones disseminating a rightwing, fever-swamp lie about Obama's damn birth certificate and then fanned the flames of Hillary's damn emails. The compliant corporate media gifted this fool two-plus billion dollars of free exposure (Bernie almost none), never mentioning the fact that the "Dubya" Bush Administration deleted over twenty-two million emails -- and, yes, from a private server! The double standard and selective outrage is breathtaking! Sure, Trump had a lot of bad press; but then, remember what P.T. Barnum said about publicity, "I don't care what they say about me, just make sure they spell my name right!"

He also famously said, "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people." Stupid people vote for, well, stupid people. Ignorance is not necessarily stupidity, but willful ignorance certainly is. Being the shameless, self-centered showman he is, Trump correctly identified the mood of the populace, filched Bernie's truth, and out-maneuvered Hillary's poorly run campaign. If you think this greedy huckster will go to bat for us, watch the Scottish documentary by Anthony Baxter, "You've Been Trumped Too."

"Dumbocrats" used to be the party of the average working stiff, but over decades of compromising with the "Republi-cons" and lusting after wealthy donors, they abandoned their base for corporate-minded ideology and so-called "free" market principles. Nothing is free! The horrible cost of this titanic shift was a rapid transplantation of America's manufacturing base -- the true wealth of a nation -- to low-wage countries mostly free of laws regulating pollution, and an irresponsible down-scaling of our lunch-bucket citizens without college degrees and without any realistic fix. It's no wonder they hate the party that sold them out. (TomDorr is absolutely right about this!)

However, going for Trump was just plain stupid. He and his minions of orcs are a basket of unwitting fascist chumps. The historically accurate definition of fascism is the melding of corporate interests with the militaristic and police state powers of government, a concept first introduced by Mussolini and later adopted by Hitler (as Thom so often reminds us). The road to ruin is a distinct sequence of events, and America is nearing the end of Naomi Wolf's ten steps to fascism. (Think Standing Rock, Dakota Access Pipeline, and broken treaties.)

Instead of holding hands and singing Kum bay ya with Herr Drumpf to "Make America Great Again," as Hillary and Obama suggested in their spineless, defeatist concession speeches, I'm rooting for this sick version of "Ameerkkka" to fail utterly. The world needs it to fail! Otherwise, we'll be the generation that allowed rapacious scavengers to feed on the rotting corpse of our once great Republic. I hope they choke!

A paraphrased quote, oft misattributed to Sinclair Lewis but nevertheless reflecting one of his salient points, shouts out to us, "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross." Indeed.

Okay...that's enough; back to running guns south and drugs north. Hey, Homeland Security snoops, I'm kidding!

"Is that all there is?" Peegy Lee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCRZZC-DH7M

Is there, in truth, an election when the election is fraudulent? Do we have, in truth, a democracy if there is no election? Is there a democracy if it exists only as a mass delusion in the minds of our citizenship? Every 4yrs we have a string of 'chat' and accept for a few tweets now and then the board goes silent. I have been listening to this thread for 16yrs. Is that all there is? Is that all there will be; a sound of discontentment followed by silence?

Disturbed - The Sound Of Silence [Official Music Video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4

(Apologies to my Simon and Garfunkel generation, but I find that there are less of us every year)

I think there is enough opposition to the Trump presidency from all sides to make him a flashpoint for discontent. We will have to see what he does in fact since he has talked from both sides of the table in his stump speeches such that no one is exactly sure what his policies are, and since becoming the president-elect, he has begun walking back from some of his campaign promises. But I will say this: I think this country has been so polarized and so radicalized that I believe DJT will be assassinated within the first six months after his inauguration, especially if he proceeds to a Clinton incarceration. The Clintons belong to a Beltway Insider elite club that has staffed the judiciary and the government with crony pals. If DJT doesn't fall in line with their corruption, then they will kill him just as easily as they killed JFK. Jesus was a sacrificial lamb for our sins as was JFK, RFK, MLK, M-X, and now comes DJT who has said that he wants to do good things for We, the People. But there exists too many people who oppose this who have been in the government for decades. These people are not just going to give up their power and walk away because some temporarily elected president says so. Murder is just part of their landscape of "doing business" and "the ends justifies the means." I believe DJT will die for our sins which will launch a total civil war. Hopefully, after the dust settles, we will have our democratic constitutional republic back again. But no matter what, the next several years promise to be bumpy ones full of chaos, lies, disinformation, and the unexpected.

Thank you Thom for all you do. You were a voice of reason last week and helped me gain some perspecctive on last weeks events. I have resolved to focus on those issues I am passionate about including affordable health care, the environment and global warming, women's rights, voting rights and legislation, civil rights, equal opportunity, ending Citizens United.

I have added a new passion to end the electoral college. On you program this past week, you discussed an organization that is working towards this end. Will you please post that group?

I have been a loyal following for years and a recent subscriber to you pod-cast.

Thank you again.

Marilyn Adair

We have embarked upon a dystopian and corrupt future for the United States. This reversal of tide from Obama's hope and change that was happening, but was consistently sabatogued by the people now taking office, will shift the benefits of our economy to the bathist/republican party members, and rape our economy, the poor, the environment and the middle to upper middle classes, not to mention the world.

If Trump wants an infrastructure bill here are things Democrats must insist on:

---U.S. manufactured materials used in the construction

---union labor used in all infrastructure projects

---sustainable construction plans and practices

Clinton lost because she, unlike Trump, was the establishment candidate of her party.
If the Democrats are ever to be a worthy party again they must not be rewarded for the bad behavior of corruption and corporatism and must lose lections when they deserve to.
Any "resistance" to Trump had better not be like recent lefty resistances. They'd better try to build a movement of workers and not appoint themselves a wine and cheese vanguard presuming to speak for workers while having too much contempt for them to even ask them what they think.
They need to LISTEN, not just talk all the time.