With the surprise election of Donald Trump as president-elect of the United States, it appears that this nation has become “Trump Country.” Having won an adequate number of votes in the Electoral College, Trump will actually be the new president.
No surprise Trump won the election, even though the win was not a blowout. The values and political leanings of voters on in much of the certainly were more consistent with the views of Trump than those of Secretary Clinton.
It is indeed rather amazing that Donald Trump essentially ended the political involvement of two American iconic families: the Bushes and the Clintons. He disrupted the expected coronation of Hillary Clinton as the first female president of the United States. It appears that Trump may be a better politician than initially reported. This fact, combined with the unrest and angst in the nation, were two significant factors in creating Trump Country. He attracted many previously perceived disenfranchised citizens and those whose economic wellbeing has, for too long, been dependent on second and third jobs and other remedies for low wages. While immigration and fear of terrorism were prominent issues, in the end, the issue of economics was the deciding factor in this presidential election.
In view of the gridlock and inactivity of Congress in recent years, there must be real change in Washington. This was expressed by millions of voters in November.
As president, Trump needs to exhibit good judgement, communication and vision to make Washington actually work. He must demonstrate strong leadership and endure the slings and arrows of the media and the Democrats. This is most important in view of the very vitriolic and divisive nature of the recent national election. Washington, D.C. is in many ways not a part of Trump Country. Part of this situation will change when the Trump administration fills nearly four thousand presidentially appointed vacancies in the upper levels of the federal government. Once those positions are filled, officials at lower levels will be appointed. With his pledge to “drain the swamp” in Washington, Trump needs to remain cognizant of that promise and the nature of the bureaucracy which exists in the nation’s capital.
One of the initial matters the leader of Trump Country will face is the need to fill a Supreme Court vacancy. Not only will Trump fill one existing Supreme Court vacancy, he may have the opportunity to fill several other potential vacancies during his term of office. In Trump Country, it is anticipated that any newly constituted Supreme Court will be expected to reverse previous decisions and substantially change the course of future rulings. This is yet another way the nation may change in its attitudes and viewpoints. Remember, while it may be Trump Country, this event may generate more division and rancor in the national scene. Or, these changes may indicate the evolution of new mores among the citizenry.
Trump Country, as evidenced by Trump in the promises promulgated in the presidential election, may affect many components of our national law and culture.
With the election of Donald Trump, it will truly be a new day in the United States. His background, vastly different from that of his 44 predecessors, will captivate the public and the media. His honeymoon in Washington may be brief, his decisions and recommendations quite different. And, his worldview is still emerging.
For many Americans, they are ready to roll out the carpet for Trump Country. Now, let’s find out what constitutes this new landscape and where its new roads will lead us.
To Mr. Trump, I say, “Carpe diem.”
Bill Anderson says
From Mr. Hall, “While immigration and fear of terrorism were prominent issues, in the end, the issue of economics was the deciding factor in this presidential election.”
I respectfully disagree. I believe that many American voters who would otherwise have supported Ms. Clinton were unable to enter the voting booth, holding their breath long enough to vote for such a corrupt person and campaign. Hillary Clinton is the second place finisher because of her own egregious misconduct over time, and a correct observation that an election victory handed to her would no doubt promulgate more of the same while extending the embarrassment of president obama’s programs and failures for at least another four years. That chain of events simply had to be broken, notwithstanding the Clinton crime family’s incredible amount of influence over American politics for the last two decades or more. Thankfully, Mr. Trump will interrupt that — hopefully in a more positive manner.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Donald Trump winning the Electorial College, at this point anyway, is a result of a lack of critical thinking on the part of many Americans, the insideous involvement of a foreign
Power who wanted to disrupt Democracy with hacking and fake news (really!!) and the most important: racism on the part of Americans looking for a scapegoat after 8 years of an
African American President. Period. This is an unstable man who is unfit to be our President. His fascist rallies continue.. Poor simpletons, rich and poor , who support him should be a ashamed. They aren’t but I bet their grand children will be.
Den Leventhal says
Good luck!
Edward Plaisance says
With Hillary Clinton’s popular vote lead having surpassed the 2 million mark, representing a greater percentage lead than John F Kennedy’s win or Richard Nixon’s win, it is quite an overstatement to claim that the nation has become “Trump country”.
While it is not likely to happen, it certainly highlights the need to abolish the Electoral College. It was amusing to read Trump’s own comment to the New York Times that he had not been a fan of the Electoral College until now.
Trump’s win also highlights the deeply divided nation we have become at this point in out history. History will describe a terrible irony in the coming years where a significant number of Americans will realize that they voted against their self-interest. The recent win by an anti-Medicaid candidate Matt Bevin, for the gubernatorial race in Kentucky, where the state had grandly and successfully joined the Affordable Care Act program with their wildly popular Kynect program has the very people who voted for Bevin now scratching their heads and worrying they will lose their benefits.
Nothing so far in his tweets, comments, appointments and the circus surrounding his appointments should lead the nation to conclude that Trump is a better politician than initially reported.
joe diamond says
I see it differently,
As happens in every presidential election a large percentage of those registered to vote….don’t. Forty-six percent is the number who sat out this one. Many who voted for the current president did not vote for Hillary Clinton.
Many voted for The Donald because he was the candidate of their party. Happens all the time.
The group I watch are the ones The Donald reached and converted to his cause. Part of this group are those hurt by recent trends in the economy. Some always were and always will be bigoted, poorly educated and easily led simple folk. Others have a world view they formed over many years and The Donald told them what they were waiting to hear.
To these The Donald promised relief……help by opposing those forces that have been holding them down.
So far he has not begun to clear out the bad guys…he has begun filling his cabinet with men like The Donald; self interested camp followers who’s only skill is loyalty to The Donald. Persons with large contribution histories are being admitted to the new government.
So it will be a wild ride as the military refuses to follow his illegal orders. The light of learning in America will blink out as “official government science” ignores research about global climate. The Prison-for Profit industry will again boom as foreign governments being to ignore America and make their own arrangements. Coal and manufacturing jobs will not return and those waiting for them will eventually discover this.
But it is early yet. I am saddened by the results our system has produced.
Joe