Election Results, What Now?

Updated on November 15, 2016
T.D. asks from New York, NY
26 answers

i live with a diehard democrat. and he is very opinionated. he is saying things that are scaring me and frightening me. i am starting to have some anxiety issues over how this election will dictate the outcome of my childs future. will someone please tell me the other side? please tell me that our newly elected guy will not start world war 3, that he will not tank the economy, that he will make america great again... that he will do us some good... all i get is the democratic side.. if you voted for him please tell me why so i can see the positive. (when all around me are being negative)

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Z.B.

answers from Toledo on

I voted for Hillary, so ...

We do have 3 branches of government. He is going to have military advisors. Many of the things he promised are simply not possible or realistic.

These are the things I keep telling myself this morning.

19 moms found this helpful
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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Go hide in the closet with some donuts and coffee and watch a little Fox News. :) You will catch a glimpse of the other points of view.

3 moms found this helpful

E.A.

answers from Erie on

What I told my kids was this: The Republicans got what they wanted, control of both the presidency and Congress. I'll be watching very closely to see if they can follow through with their promises.

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D.B.

answers from Boston on

I think anxiety is normal, especially after such a contentious campaign based on negatives and insults and playing on fears. I'm sorry that there are some responses below that tried to "help" you by listing everything that was wrong with Hillary. (Really, Wild Woman? Benghazi and emails? Didn't you just post about wanting the nastiness to go away???? None of this helps Tadpole or anyone else.)

I know a lot of people are afraid. Yes, your husband is one of them. So are many women, people of color, gay married couples, Muslims and the religious minorities like me, immigrants, and people with children adopted from other countries. Children were afraid to get on the buses today and go to school, because they are "other" and because the nastiness and bullying and insulting have filtered down from the adults to the kids.

Here's where I go for comfort (and it's a struggle): although Trump was supported by the KKK and white supremacists, many people who voted for him are struggling financially and decided to take a flyer and pick the "different" guy. Many of them will hold Trump to his promises, even though Trump's policies changed a lot during the campaign and are not well fleshed out in his speeches or his website. So he's an unknown. What I think is that the election put the Democratic AND the Republican elites on notice, that people are sick of the policies of obstruction, and sick of the big money lobbyists paying off members of Congress. Yes, some are mad at Obama and the progressives, but others are mad at Republican government shutdowns, filibusters, and the do-nothing attitude of the past 8 years. So it was a "throw the bums out" sort of knee-jerk response.

Trump has changed his position many times over the past 15 years and also over the past 15 months. There's no reason to think his most recently stated position is the one he will stick with. He backed off the Muslim ban and switched to "extreme vetting from certain areas of the world." I think he'll back off the "lock her up/special prosecutor" thing, and I think he'll find out that much of what he wants is unconstitutional and won't go through Congress or be implemented (waterboarding, for example, is against the Geneva conventions). He won't be able to "bomb the S&*% out of ISIS" when he finds that Turkey and other NATA allies won't let him use those air bases because he has trashed NATO and refused to recognize the treaties. I think his refusal to listen to military and intelligence experts so far will hold him back - I don't believe the military would actually follow any order he would give about nuclear weapons. I think he's going to find the whole experience very sobering. His campaign staff finally took away access to his Twitter account, and I suspect that will continue. I think he will have less support in Congress than he thinks, having insulted the people he needs to work with (Ryan, Cruz, Paul, Graham, Rubio, and more), and he's not going to have a blank check. He's going to look at how much it would truly cost to round up 11 million people and break up families to send them all back to their country of origin, and I hope it will find it's much cheaper and less divisive to help them become citizens and productive tax-paying Americans.

It's a shame more people don't have the benefit of real civics education and therefore don't understand how things get done (or not done). I think everyone could use some education there, and I think he's going to be one of the first to require it. And I think there are still some smart and impassioned people in the Senate and House, along with some newly-elected minority women, who will help keep the pressure on to achieve some compromises.

And I hope he will stop screaming and insulting people now that he has the Presidency, and try to disavow the true haters among his supporters while delivering on the promises he made to his more reasoned supporters.

I think he will be in deep trouble if he touches one more woman or swears at one more minority, and I think having cameras on him all the time may not be the thrill he has thought it to be up to now. I think people who voted for him will expect to see his tax returns, and will be upset if he continues to engage in his juvenile moments; they will expect him to not be an embarrassment. If we are disdained on the international stage and if the financial markets continue their tumble that began as he approached the 270 electoral vote mark, he's going to have some explaining to do and I imagine he will have no choice but to do some course correction.

At least that's how I'm going to sleep at night. It may all change depending on what happens with his upcoming trials.

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D..

answers from Miami on

I can't tell you that a hothead who can't stay off his Twitter screaming half-truths and lies and doesn't know why we can't use our nukes won't start WWIII. Your husband may be opinionated, but he's also scared. You're his wife and he wants to talk about it with you.

I don't see how good can be done with a racist, misogynistic hatemonger with a God complex. I can give you no good hope. He has legitimized all this and his followers love it because they are the same. The rest of the world, except for the despot dictators, are reeling from this election.

What's pretty ironic to me is that when it's all said and done, what he does won't help the majority of the people who voted for him. He doesn't care about them. He only cares about the very wealthy. I wonder if they will EVER figure out what they signed up for.

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S.B.

answers from Houston on

Oh good grief. Please everyone stop with the drama. No, he is not going to start WWIII. NO, he is not going to tank the economy. Good lord people.

I voted for Trump. Yes, I did. No I'm not a racist, misogynistic hatemonger with a God complex. I'm an American citizen exercising her right to vote. Why? I want a better economy. I want someone to re-evaluate our trade deals. I work in the steel industry. Dumping of steel has been a BIG problem. It needs to be addressed NOW. Too many companies are going out of business. Regulations are stifling this country. That needs to be addressed looked at. We need to get better paying jobs and education for our citizenry.
Illegal immigration needs to be addressed. Notice I said ILLEGAL. I am all for immigration just not the illegal kind.

Is Trump the perfect candidate? NO! But neither was Hillary Clinton. So, now we see what type of leader he will be. But please people, enough with the name calling and drama. Its over and done.

15 moms found this helpful

L.U.

answers from Seattle on

I can't tell you what you want to hear because a man that starts twitter wars in the early AM with people, who gets butt hurt if people criticize him is probably going to start a war.
A man who has claimed bankruptcy multiple times, refuses to pay his workers, is planning on cutting taxes to the richest in our country, and hasn't PAID any taxes in god knows how long will probably tank our economy.
A man who did not get the majority of black votes, Hispanic votes, or women's votes BUT spent a whole lot of his campaign being vulgar when speaking about women, racist when talking about Mexican's, and dismissive when talking about black Americans will not be able to make this country great again.
When this man flip flopped about EVERYTHING (one example...he was VERY Pro-Choice until he figured out that Republicans would not support him unless he was pro-life) you have no idea what to believe. What's real and what's a lie.
Well done America. I am ashamed.

14 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

i was so shocked to wake up this morning and see how it went. went through a period of nausea and genuine terror.
i'm starting to pick myself up now. we've got him, for better or for worse, and i'm not going to be one of the citizens of this country who hope and work for the downfall of a president or a party to validate my own views.
i think we're in for some hard times. i guess a huge shake-up is necessary.
ultimately we always get the president we deserve.
i'm going to hope, pray and work him to be a great one. or at least a not-awful one. i was wrong about the outcome of this election, and i want very much for him to prove me wrong about him.
khairete
S.

13 moms found this helpful

O.H.

answers from Phoenix on

Simply, I didn't want Hillary as President. Am I thrilled with Trump? No. Do I like some things he's said about people and how he's said them? No. If we had to throw out all the things we said and shouldn't for everyone to see, we all would have something to be embarrassed about. But it's time for change and he was the only option besides Hillary. This election spoke VOLUMES of the changes that we want and need and hope and pray someone will DO.

I live in AZ and our insurance for my husband and I will be over $1500 per month. I REFUSE to pay more monthly for my health insurance than I do for my SIX bedroom house. So even with a heart condition, I will go without insurance. This goes against EVERYTHING in me as I have been an insurance agent for over 20 years. I am PRAYING that insurance is the first thing on his list to "fix". It is simply unacceptable how it has turned out.

I also do NOT want illegals in the US. Again, I live in AZ where it is rampant. I also want ISIS to get under control if not gone completely. I want jobs back in America.

I don't know how he will do as POTUS. He doesn't have any experience. But I know he will have advisors and people to help and I will trust in that. Because frankly, the last 8 years have been awful and with Hillary continuing, I don't believe it would have gotten better.

I wish all the drama and crying would stop. I get that people are disappointed. But we all need to come together and pray for America and Trump and quick changes for the better. Lord knows we all need it and it's time. JMO. Good luck.

12 moms found this helpful

J.P.

answers from Orlando on

First, just because this is a moms site (or for parents) does not mean that politics doesn't play a part in everyday life.

I will tell you why I voted for Trump. The first and foremost reason is because he is NOT a politician. He was already famous, already wealthy, and was already a celebrity. He has NOTHING to gain from taking office, it is a step down for him.
He is a business man and has better ideas for how to make things better, like bringing back jobs, getting rid of the debt, dealing with international people, etc... Hillary has been in politics and has not done any of that in her 30-year career.
I like his tax plan and that he wants to put a tariff into effect so that companies cannot leave the US or they get taxed more.
I like that he is for ALL Americans and wants to do his best to help those in the inner cities, they need it.
I like that he can call our enemies by name “Islamic Terrorists”.
I like that he will support our military and law enforcement.
I like that he believes NO ONE is above the law.

Also, Trump has been in the lime light for 30 plus years and never had we heard that he was a racist, a rapist, etc... That all started when he went up against Hillary and the establishment.

I have lived through a Clinton presidency as an adult and did not want to go through it again. I also don't like the direction Obama has sent our country in and I will not support someone that will continue with his policies. I would also NEVER vote for someone based on their skin color, genitalia, religion, sexual preference, etc...

Hillary is not strong enough to lead our country, she is dishonest, deceitful and has shown us that she cannot handle bad situations (Benghazi). Trump tells it like it is and a lot of Americans don't want to hear it, so they lash out.

There will NEVER be a perfect candidate or President, so don’t expect one. Let’s just pray that Americans can work together to fix the problems that affect us all, since there are so many of them.

10 moms found this helpful
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J.F.

answers from Las Vegas on

While Trump is not my choice, I still feel so much gratitude for living in this country, for having the right to vote, and for having a voice. I may not get the outcome I want, but I have a say, and that is something I will never take for granted.

You cannot give in to the dramatics and despair of the day.

While I am not diminishing the real concerns that people have, I am trying to keep things in perspective. This period of time is a blip in the big picture of the universe. Our lives and time here are limited. We can use that time to do all the good that we can, to stand up to injustice, to be models of goodness, to make our world better in whatever ways we can instead of getting frozen in the fear of "what ifs." We can love our families and teach our children how to persevere in times of adversity.

Throughout history, our country has survived through many challenges and crises. We will go on.

Instead of allowing yourself to become immobilized with fear, find ways that you can make a positive impact in your part of the world. If you feel strongly about certain issues, make sure you stay in contact with your elected officials on the local, state and national levels. Be an active participant, rather than a frightened wallflower.

I am hoping to see a time when our elected officials actually work with their political opponents to make life better for all of our people. It's up to us to hold them accountable.

Whatever side we are on, it's important to remember that our country IS bigger than one party or one person.

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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

Two years. That is how you comfort yourself, they only get two years and then we get a chance to reclaim congress at the very least. For the past 8 years they have been blocking progress and saying "if only we were in charge", well now is their time to prove what they really stand for and who they are, the world is watching.

Also take comfort in the fact that he did not win the popular vote, that the majority of Americans did not vote for him and he does not represent our true values.

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M.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

No comment on who I voted for but, this is what I said when mediating a dispute at the elementary bus stop this morning (no lie, there were elementary-age kids yelling at each other, this is what we've come to):

Remember the lessons you learned in social studies about how our government runs. The president doesn't make laws and the president doesn't control the budget. Commercials can say what they want, but no person single-handedly runs our country. We have three branches of government for a reason.

9 moms found this helpful
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H.W.

answers from Portland on

First, while I'm not a fan of the guy, I think that people need some perspective and distance on this.

The world didn't end and the sky will not fall. Sorry if that sounds blunt, but I personally can't panic about the gloom and doom when we don't really know what's going to happen.

We had an obstructionist Congress for the last eight years; if Hillary had been elected, it would have been four more years of spinning their wheels. While I find the president-elect a rather repugnant individual, we do have the power to now say to the Republicans "you said you all wanted to fix x,y,z, so now, put your money where your mouths are". You have the power to write to your senators and representatives...

People are angry, people are ranting (as some have been for the past 8 years, it's just a different set of voices now) and some people are scared.

I do not let that fear into my home. I control that. I would urge you to understand that how we adults respond to this shift and change will determine how our children feel. I sort of feel that I have four more years to feel pissed off-- why do it all at once? It's also worth noting that, historically, we haven't had one single party hold office for 12 years in a row. It usually ends with 8, and then the other party gets their nominee elected because everyone is sick of the first party. We don't really know the details of anything Trump wants to do-- and I don't mean generally, I mean specifically. Candidates regularly promise a hundred things and do only one.

My friend and I are hoping that since likes to build, maybe not a wall, but high-speed cross-country rail? Infrastructure improvements? I can't get sucked into any of it, any more. It's been a long two years of campaigning. Enough.

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K.S.

answers from Denver on

I'm sure your husband is very angry. My husband gets like this when he's upset about a big issue, sort of lashes out and wants others as angry as him. Hopefully that will fade in the coming months, but if he's a diehard, I'm sure he needs to process and vent.

I remember when Obama was elected both times, I was really anxious and worried. And as with most anxieties, most of what you worry about doesn't happen. Of course I didn't like Obama, but we worked out what we needed to for our family (making necessary changes in finances to ensure the best outcome in our situation, etc). In other words, I focused on the things that I could actually manage, otherwise I avoided political sites and saturation as best as I could. I aimed to succeed despite him, not because of him. That made me feel better

I voted for Trump so I'm really relieved. I echo what Jackie said, in the reasons I voted for him and also the fact that there will never be a perfect president. If Hillary had won, I would have been feeling hopeless and anxious today. But I also imagine that would fade and I'd get on with the business of taking care of my family.

But to your point, your husband is upsetting you. You may just tell him that you want to empathize with him because he's your husband, but your anxiety can't handle a lot of this. Tell him when you've reached your limit. Sounds like he's not ready to march forward yet, so be patient with him, but tell him what you need. I hope you feel better soon!

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C.S.

answers from Miami on

This isn't what you asked but - the way to reduce your anxiety is to watch less TV and less FB, Twitter, etc. Focus on what matters to you and your family. Do the best you can to be a good mother and wife/partner.

6 moms found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Atlanta on

My husband was a career officer, served over 20 years in the Air Force.

Your husband needs to get educated. He really needs to stop buying the media hype and do some research.

Take him back down memory lane and how people were gloating and cheering when Obama won. Then remind him that people were scared they were going to lose their guns. Did they? No. Tell him to sit down and shut up. Just like we were over the last 8 years.

The dow jones has closed at record highs. This is a bad thing how?
Canada and Mexico want to revisit NAFTA. This is bad how?

Remind him that Hillary voted for the wars. So if he's concerned about WWIII? He can breathe a sigh of relief.

5 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

See what happens and if it turns out badly then maybe it'll be over in 4 years.
If Affordable Health Care is over turned, besides 20 million people not having health insurance again, will insurance companies be able to deny coverage to people due to pre-existing conditions again?
Will he stop the whole H1B visa program?
I can't tell you what he's going to do and I'm looking for some reassurance myself - but we're stuck with him now.
We'll see if he turns out to be 'the peoples' president instead of 'the corporations' president.

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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Although all three branches of government will be Republican, there is a fairly good chance that the court will limit the expansion of the powers of the executive branch as this is a right wing stance and only one justice will be beholden to Trump (at least initially). There is a reasonable chance that because he knows nothing about governing that he will be pretty incompetent in leading with any policies and so will not get much done. Although he will likely rubber stamp anything Congress puts on his desk. There is some chance that Congress (at least the senate) will become Democratic after the midterm elections. There is a fair chance that in four years he will follow the rules about a peaceful transition of power. There is a good chance that if you are a white and male and keep your head down that nothing much (other than the economy and climate which affect us all) will change for you.

The sky will not fall Nervy Girl, but sea level is rising and the planet is warming and we do not have 4 years to make things worse. We will leave this planet to our children and the earth doesn't care whether we are Democrats or Republicans. The prospect is indeed horrifying.

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J.☯.

answers from Springfield on

I don't understand why some people are telling you to tell your husband to grow up or to do more research or anything. Do they not realize that you are talking about Trump and not your husband?

4 moms found this helpful

R.A.

answers from Boston on

I'm libertarian. So I can see this without being on one side or the other. We all voted and have a right to vote for the person we see as fit to run our country.

Ultimately you have to tell him to grow up. The country spoke. People are hurting, and they are very angry. Some have lost jobs under Obama, some have lost quality healthcare and can't afford plan costs because of Obamacare. Some feel their struggles are overlooked , and they wanted a person who they feel can see them. Trump is a business man. Business men do not care about feelings or popularity. They just want to get the job done and make money. People are sick of the same old politicians and Trump definetly was a different choice.

Is he the right choice? Who knows. Only time. He has four years to prove it.

Enough with the hate though. What's that gonna do. It won't redo what has been done. It's time to accept. And do something positive for this country.

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M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

I echo Southern Yankee exactly.

3 moms found this helpful
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K.F.

answers from New York on

I can't tell you anything that will assure you about the newly elected president of the United States but I can share this with you, Psalm 118:8. This is where I now live, move and have my being.

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N.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

America is in deep trouble. So many mom's on here have very privileged lives. They've probably never gone hungry so their child could eat. They've never stood at Walmart and tried to figure out a way to buy just a few more boxes of $.50 mac and cheese so they'd have something for dinner every night that week. Never had to decide if they could fill their life saving prescriptions or buy toilet paper and food.

People in America are suffering and starving and living on their last penny. They look for better jobs but they're uneducated, not healthy enough, and don't have transportation to get back and forth to jobs.

The ones that are able to work are angry because they want to work at McDonald's and say "Would you like fries with that" and make $15 per hour so they can live like a rich person. Ummm, no.

People need education, better health care, the ability to buy food and pay for utilities and live like human beings.

So Americans are angry and they're not going to take it much longer. They are going to stand up and take a stand. If you look around you will see signs of it everywhere.

I am grateful I live where I do because I can grow food and my house is paid for. I have a pretty reliable form of transportation. I have friends who will stand by me in times of trials.

I think that America needs change and we need to focus on ourselves and work our butts off fixing the problems we have.

Welfare isn't the problem. It's a symptom of how badly things are going. Fix the problems, bring back jobs, send illegal people away so that we can recover from our mistakes, and help each other.

2 moms found this helpful

B.P.

answers from Chicago on

Coming in late:

Our son said to me: Mom, if Trump builds a wall, we're going to have to build some ramps. So, I think a benefit of this: Let's not take tolerance for granted, let's build "ramps".

Judy Collins: Action is the antidote to despair. A lot of my friends are talking, commiserating, etc. I think that is all well and good, but my life is going to be just fine. In fact, financially probably better because Trump will cut taxes for me in my income group (not to mention repeal the estate tax.)

Those who will actually, tangibly suffer are members of our immigrant community (I'm in Chicago, which has a big Hispanic community.) Unless Chicagoans are clamoring to do landscaping, I don't think American jobs are being taken by HIspanic immigrants..legal or illegal. So, I'm looking for was to help that community. For example, there is a homeless shelter serving Hispanic families and I will be holding a clothing/supply drive for them.

Our son also said: Mom, I can't believe people elected this sexist. An organization which works for women's equality in the workplace and in government is the American Association of University Women, which has chapters nationwide. I'm getting involved.

The good for me/mine: We took tolerance for granted, we took equality for granted. We don't anymore.

I don't think Trump is a Republican. I think he is a Trumpian. What will actually be enacted is tax cuts for the rich and for corporations. Those taxes won't flow into our federal revenues, those tax cuts will create an enormous budget deficit. He said what he had to say to get the attention...future generations will most strongly feel the impact of his election in the loss of federal programs and supports.

I think the outcome of this election challenged me: You believe is something, do something...do something real and inconvenient, cause anything I do (talking, kvetching) in the comfort of my own home with people just like me...isn't making an impact.

1 mom found this helpful

м.♛.

answers from San Antonio on

I didn't vote at all to be honest, elections are rigged; and historically voting never mattered in the U.S. this is my opinion. I'm not trying be negative I'm just being honest and thinking of the reality,we must continue to stay strong for the sake of our families and children.

1 mom found this helpful
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