tragabigzanda wrote:I'n having some sort of late-onset depression over this election. When it first happened, I was somehow able to gather enough information that I could understand the causes, where to allocate various feelings, etc. I was even happy and upbeat all day yesterday. But today... I'm just feeling pretty hopeless. All the liberal voices getting the headlines with their opinions -- Lena Dunham, Ethan Coen, etc -- are just killing me with their privileged opinions. And all my loved ones (family and friends) are back on Instagram sharing pictures of their food, going to watch movies, etc. It's like I'm watching the liberals react, and though I know there are some protests and calls to action beginning to take shape, there are way to many people wringing their hands or just tuning out.
It's been less than a week since it happened; it doesn't surprise me that people don't know how to react yet. I think people are extremely angry that the country elected a sexist bigot with authoritarian impulses, which is a better place to be then despondency.
It basically comes down to how he governs. If he ends up being a sober, center-right kind of guy, I don't think people will be happy, but yes, the rancor will die down (an unfortunate side result of this would be the absolute normalization of the kind of campaign he ran). But I consider this an almost impossibility; it just goes against everything Trump has illustrated in the campaign and in his public life. More likely, he will continue to be impulsive, with an instinct to get ugly and lash out at whoever is criticizing him. If he continues to be the person he was in the campaign (and considering who he's been all his life, I doubt that will change), I don't think you're going to see the energy devoted to ensuring he's a one-term candidate dissipate in the way it has in the past.
