The problem with Trump is that his election goes beyond politics. I was very much looking forward to a Harris presidency, but I could have lived with most other Republican candidates. Chris Christie was my favorite Republican, in spite of Bridgegate. Nikki Haley would have been okay. I could even feel reasonably good about Ron DeSantis, in spite of his extremism in Florida. I would not have voted for any of them, but at least if they were elected I would feel they had the best interests of the country at heart.

But Trump is a different breed altogether. Trump cares only for Trump. He's a convicted felon, a sexual molester, a man who on more than one occasion has insulted our military, etc., etc. He had one turn in the White House which was in many ways was a disaster. He is also most likely a traitor to this country, and in his second term he will have the potential to do a lot of damage to our nation. His election goes beyond politics because it says a lot about what this country is about and what we want it to be, and what it says is definitely not good.

Apparently the millions who voted for Trump do not take his comments, his behavior, his convictions, or his mental deterioration seriously. Maybe it's all just a TV game show to them. Trump will solve none of the problems which concern them, no more than he solved those problems during his first term, after which he was kicked out of the White House. Yes, you can say they voted for Trump because they feel the Democrats have failed them, but people needed to take a deep breath, step back, think, and consider who really has their interests at heart. It ain't Trump. But sober consideration of the issues is not the strong suit of many Americans; it's easier to just listen to Fox News propaganda. Americans need to be less myopic, realizing that inflation is a worldwide problem which the United States is addressing much better than some other nations. It's important to view such issues beyond the end of one's nose.

And in spite of all the gripes about the economy, I believe that misogyny and racism did play a role in Harris' defeat. If Trump did such a great job in his first term, why did Biden defeat him in 2020? Besides the economy, what changed? What changed was a Black woman running for president. Sad to say, for all too many Americans that is a bridge too far. People vote their pocketbooks, but bigotry can get mixed in there too, although it varies from voter to voter and is impossible to accurately measure.

But it doesn't matter now. We will have Trump 2.0, and we'll see how things are four years from now.