A Winter of Discontent

I cannot recall ever feeling so depressed and dispirited by the results of an election. A venomous campaign that saw a narcissistic candidate defeat, in the electoral college scheme of things anyway, perhaps the most qualified major party nominee in the history of the republic. Donald Trump, backed by a majority of self-described evangelical Christians, naturally, seems the embodiment of the seven deadly sins, most especially pride, envy and gluttony. Hillary Clinton, for all her faults, spent a lifetime preparing to serve in the nation's highest office and brought a sense of dignity and purpose to her campaign. Trump spent his time lampooning and threatening his critics, and behaving like a schoolyard bully. Really, America? This is the person you want representing our great country on the world stage for the next four years? As David Remnick wrote in the New Yorker, Trump's central message centered around vanity, hate, arrogance, untruths and recklessness. And his "fact free" campaign promises bode ill for his presidency.

On the bright side, and I've had real trouble finding a silver lining in this year's election, is the horror of a Trump presidency may inspire progressive activism. We've seen hints of this already, from the enthusiastic backing Bernie Sanders received in the Democratic primaries to the influence of protest movements like Black Lives Matter and the Standing Rock activism. My only fear is that when civil disobedience drifts toward civil unrest, it can backfire and help the standing of conservatives. Another bright spot? Millennials voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton. According to one website I saw (which, admittedly, I can't remember now) she would have scored a 500 plus electoral landslide had the election been decided exclusively by voters under the age of 30. Hopefully their progressivism can be nurtured and sustained. 

While we're on the topic of vane, arrogant leaders and sometimes reckless leaders, I continue to admire Hillary Mantel's Wolf Hall. Just who might emerge as Trump's Thomas Cromwell, a skilled, self-interested and adroit advisor who helps steer Trump away from danger, especially in international entanglements? I'm not impressed by the list of foreign policy advisors being touted as Trump allies so far.