My anti-Trump rantings, concerns, conjectures, and complaints are well chronicled in the LI annals. Those have not changed. But looking ahead to the next administration, I’m hopeful.I’ve been critical of Trump from day one. That won’t change. He’s a politician (now) and they’re never to be trusted. But it’s refreshing that the tone of the incoming administration is one that loves our country and sees her for the good she is rather than shaming her for her shortcomings. That much is a welcome change. I’m encouraged by his cabinet picks and the experience they bring to the table. Some are Beltway standard fare. Many are not.Watching our federal bureaucracy freak out over looming agency cuts is delicious. I imagine it exactly as portrayed in The Weed Agency — everyone scrambling to justify their all important, “America-saving”, taxpayer-funded federal desk jobs.Among his many legacies, President Obama leaves a demolished Democratic party that is hell-bent on fording the river. Calls for unity have been met with petulant temper tantrums and delusions of illegitimate elections. Miscalculations were made by both sides during the campaign process. I too looked at campaign norms and not at what the tea leaves were saying. There’s only one party that’s been introspective and willing to understand where they went wrong, and it’s not the Democrats. When it was apparent Trump has destroyed Hillary, I blogged:
The only expectation I have of elected officials is that they fail to live up to expectations. I remain skeptical of Trump and his despotic tendencies. But skepticism of elected officials is healthy. Trump won, Republicans maintain control of The Hill — they better not eff it up this time. Individual liberty must be guarded vigilantly, even, and especially after electoral victory when the temptation to hang out and ride the waves is strongest. We’ll finally be able to gauge Republican seriousness on legislative issues like the repeal of Obamacare.Little has changed from my initial reaction to Trump’s ascension to party nominee. I have always and still believe that our best hope of change is not in our elected officials. Months ago I wrote:
Am I rudderless, distraught, or incensed because Trump is the Republican presumptive nominee? Never. I still believe America is the best damn country God ever gave to mankind. We were birthed out of loathe for traditional rule and for many of us, that hasn’t changed. We survived a turbulent infancy, realigned out of necessity, withstood a Civil War and dire economic conditions and we’re still standing. I’ve worked on campaigns, organized grassroots coalitions, exposed corruption, and have had the privilege of telling people’s stories. I still believe our best hope of changing course is not in the ballot box, but in our communities, families, and culture. From the day I accidentally ended up in the conservative movement, working to restore dignity to our way of life has been my focus. That has not changed because of our nominee. Politicians are not our leaders, nor are they our rulers. They are employed for one reason — to represent us.I will not espouse hatred of those who hold opinions contrary to my own, but will always fight with love. My vote is no more important than yours or his or hers. “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly,” wrote Martin Luther King, Jr. from a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama. “Let us fight passionately and unrelentingly to the goals of justice. Let’s be sure that our hands are clean. Let us never fight with falsehood an violence and hate and malice, but always fight with love,” he said. The road ahead is rough and rocky, but I remain hopeful that America’s best days lie ahead. There is always hope, even when we struggle to see it. Elections are important and have consequences for supporters and dissenters alike, but our best hope of righting the ship is in how we live.
This is the core of what I believe and what I attempt to accomplish daily, both here on the blog and in real life. Regardless of how this election pans out, life and its most important bits — family, love, friendship, and kindness, remain unchanged. The sun will still rise tomorrow and we all have a destiny to fulfill.
I remember what 2008 felt like and how scary it was to imagine what an Obama presidency might be like. Half the country is experiencing that same unsettled fear. We’d all be better offer extending a hand, offering encouragement, and finding common ground than yielding to the “I told you so, we won! nah nah nah!” temptation. The last eight years have been horribly divisive. It’s up to us to mend the divide. For better or worse, we’re all in this together.
I’ve never known blogging without President Obama as a foil. But a new president won’t change what we do here. Professor Jacobson blogged about this last month. With an emboldened, hair on fire progressive foe and an openly hostile establishment media, our raison d’etre is more apparent than ever.
There’s no way of knowing what lies ahead, but I’m confident the Trump crew will be vastly unlike any other administration we’ve seen.
Maybe we’re only delaying the inevitable — that’s certainly possible. But the perpetually hopeful optimistic, idealistic bit of me is hopeful. And at the very least, willing to give President Trump the same “wait and see” courtesy I gave President Obama.
By some miracle we survived the Obama years mostly intact. I’m sure we’ll survive Trump too.
We remain vigilant in the insurrection. Vigilant, happy warriors.
Follow Kemberlee on Twitter @kemberleekaye
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