Today marks day six since the election. I'm assuming that all of us have gone through the five or seven stages of grief and shock. I found the seven stages of shock and disbelief more relevant.
Wednesday - Shock and denial: This is a state of disbelief and numbed feelings.
Thursday - Pain and guilt: You may feel that the loss is unbearable and that you're making other people's lives harder because of your feelings and needs.
Friday - Anger and bargaining: You may lash out, telling God or a higher power that you'll do anything they ask if they only grant you relief from these feelings or this situation.
Saturday - Depression: This may be a period of isolation and loneliness during which you process and reflect on the loss.
Sunday - The upward turn: At this point, the stages of grief, like anger and pain, have died down, and you're left in a more calm and relaxed state.
Monday - Reconstruction and working through: You can begin to put pieces of your life back together and move forward.
Tuesday - Acceptance and hope: This is a very gradual acceptance of the new way of life and a feeling of possibility for the future.
It took me a bit longer back in 2016.
Honestly, the day after the election, I felt a sense of resignation and told everyone, including myself, that I was done. Done with everything. The country spoke loud and clear, and who am I to stand in their way? I also took stock of how any of MAGA's policies might affect me because I was in a mindset where I couldn't fight for "everyone" anymore; I just needed to focus on taking care of myself. Yes, I realize I was being selfish.
So here I am, putting one foot ahead of the other and reaching out to activist friends, letting them know I want to get involved. When I retire at the end of the year, I will have a lot of time on my hands. It has always been said that all politics are local, starting with the school board and your community's elected positions. Therefore, I will put my energy into local and state government.
I've been listening to various political pundits discuss recent events and assign blame. Their dramatic shifts in opinion have made me turn to HGTV more often to avoid throwing things at the television. Their lists of accusations are extensive, and the finger-pointing seems never-ending. My perspective is that, regardless of who is at fault or the flaws in Harris's campaign, it should have taken precedence over Trump's immoral, criminal, and narcissistic behavior. Many politicians have seen their careers ruined for far less.
Restructuring our Fulton County Democratic group is going to take a great deal of thought and research. This is my opinion, but participating in parades and having a fair booth in a highly red county that is now emboldened to attack and ridicule us is going to be brutal. We have already encountered their hostility, and now they will step it up a notch or two.
Some people have reached out to me about the Women's March on January 18 and are asking for details. I believe participating in the march may not be the solution this time. In 2016, Trump did not win the popular vote, and a significant factor in his victory was Comey's actions. Trump's misogyny outraged many, especially women, which drove many to the polls. However, this time, voter support for Trump has statistically increased across all demographics. Large swaths of women came out and voted for Trump AND voted for reproductive rights that were on the ballot in their state. Therefore, I can't see myself jumping into a cause that half of the women abandon.
One important issue we must confront is our relationships with family, friends, and neighbors supporting Trump. I don't apologize for my perspective; I do view them differently. While this doesn't mean I'll be rude or disrespectful, it doesn't change the undeniable reality that their values and morals align with Trump's. Every true conservative Republican was screaming their warning about how dangerous Trump is, and it didn't matter. So, Trump supporters don't align with a political party with solid principles and values because they are in a cult. All they cared about was getting an extra dime in their pocket. I guess we'll see how that all turns out.
Which brings me to vengeance. Is anyone else hoping that Trump's policies will backfire on his voters? I will be honest, raise my hand, and say I do! Isn't that what Tucker Carlson was saying when he spoke of Daddy coming home and there's going to be a spanking? "'You've been a bad girl. You've been a bad little girl and you're getting a vigorous spanking,'" Carlson said, as the crowd cheered. "'I'm not going to lie. It's going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me", as per Guardian. If you missed the speech, you should look it up. It made my skin crawl.
In 2016, Trump rode on Obama's economy until the COVID crisis, and because Trump mishandled the crisis, it tanked our economy. Biden restored it and was not credited, but Trump will again enter office riding on Biden's strong economy. So all these voters who feel that the Democrats abandoned them and the Republicans are going to be the ones to fix their hardships have a rude awakening.
So what's in the Democrats' future? So many things working against us could make it almost impossible for us to win future elections, such as gerrymandering, political donations, and social media with its misinformation and disinformation. Obama ran on hope. Harris ran on joy. Our next Democratic candidate had better find a "feel good about our future" slogan to convince voters that we are the party with their best interests at heart. Until then... Life goes on.
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