For the Republic, All Entailed.

[Chase]

Many of you know that I am a conservative American.

While there are things such as Republicans holding the pen and paper that give me piece of mind than the alternative, the prospect of this particular Republican president scares me. Ultimately, I didn't cast my vote for Number 45.

The reason isn't because I'm a dirty traitor to my conservative roots and friends, but because it is absolutely appropriate to worry about my liberal friends - many of whom has been put under unfair crosshairs by 45's retinue. Being a friend should always supercede being affiliated with a part of the political spectrum after the votes are tallied. Partisanship with your circle does nobody any good.

I have a desperate plea to Americans who are both cheering the results of tonight's election and those who are going to lengths of great despair regarding it. Go to bed, get the well deserved rest you earned by watching the results and especially if you took part in the process, and remember that when you wake up we aren't Conservatives and Liberals, nor are we Democrats, Independents and Republicans, but we are Americans - and because of the people before us we were able to make significant strides. Not every hero is a President, and not every President is a net-positive, but with the valiant opponent's concession phone call we know have no other choice but to self-implode or thrive on our own power. 45 may not agree with you. 45's running mate may support methods that you are genuinely non-agreeable with or share your hopes and dreams for America, but 45 isn't going to be the dictator of your life. Not here. Not ever. If he tries, then his stay at 1600 Pennsylvania will be short and unceremonious - because we the people have the power to make it so.

To the victorious - Enjoy your victory and take heart in your representation that you and others like you have rightfully earned, but do so in grace. If you're in this group I very likely have a similar outlook on life as you do - and to be personally represented through the Senate majority despite a terribly divisive campaign on both sides is indeed something to take joy in. I may not share that same sentiment with the new Executive, but your time to make the statement of YOUR relevance has come, and now it's time to stretch out to our friends who are now frightened of the prospect of under-representation. Their concerns are real, and they as people matter just as much as you do. Part of the healing process is on the part of the victorious candidate and his supporters. You as voters make up the climate that they live as just as they made up the climate we lived in for eight years prior.

To the heartbroken and weary - I am offering myself as a ally, and I wish you all ample time to grieve. Your candidates, both the loser of the Democratic Primary, and the loser of tonight's national race, fought with incredible resiliency. Ladies, one day you WILL break that glass ceiling - because your candidate proved it was within reason and history favors the progressive. I hope you come to understand, as an opponent, that we too didn't want to be ignored and steamrolled. The visceral anger you may have seen from most of us isn't reflective of our souls but of our desire to be heard along with you. Conservative lives matter. Jobs matter. Feeling safe about our freedom to put our beliefs into practice and speak without consequence matters. As do all of you. In the coming days, I hope you, my friends from the left, tell me what I can do to help you.

I'm not asking anyone to be happy or upset with the results. I'm asking that we do as our forefathers, mothers, and distinguished others have done. Take a breath, and move forward.

Thank you, Reborn, for being a community that has been accepting of me despite my tendency to disagree and disagree often. Thank you for your willingness to participate in discourse with me.

Thank you for giving me refuge. Give me the ways I can do the same for you.

- A conservative.

[Yours Truly]

Well I guess all I can say is... gg Trump; maybe this won't be as bad as some of us thought it would be? I mean the world hasn't ended yet, and it's not like he's going to start making changes anytime soon; better luck next time I guess?

[Greed_Demon]

HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! I KNEW it! I knew he would win! Greed Demon predicts it right again! All I wanted was to see Hillary get smacked down again. If only I had a reaction shot of her face when it showed she got beat. you know she reminded me of a starving dog this election and the presidency was the meat dangling in front of her face. For years she wanted that meat and when she was almost there it got yanked away from her. All she wanted was to be the first women president and the glory that goes along with it. I wonder how it feels to lose against a clown with hardly any political experience.

Edited November 9, 2016 by Greed_Demon

[Strider]

Well, I'm no Trump fan, so all I can really say is that we should hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and live our lives in the meantime.

By the way Chase/Hunter, that was very eloquent. You have my admiration.

[Greed_Demon]

Well, I'm no Trump fan, so all I can really say is that we should hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and live our lives in the meantime.

By the way Chase/Hunter, that was very eloquent. You have my admiration.

HEY mine was to you know! My post told it like it is and kept it short and sweet.

[Strider]

Um...Okay Mr. Demon. Your post was very eloquent, and you also have my admiration and respect. Now please don't steal my soul...

[Greed_Demon]

Um...Okay Mr. Demon. Your post was very eloquent, and you also have my admiration and respect. Now please don't steal my soul...

Damn straight! and after that post I think I wont steal it.

[Cobalt996]

Just because we don't agree on everything doesn't mean we don't appreciate your opinion; another viewpoint is a valuable gift that should never be squandered, and helps one to understand why they have their own beliefs.

[AuthorReborn]

I've always appreciated your calm and rational take on politics, Hunter. Quite often, our views conflict due to differing political beliefs and ideology, but I still respect your efforts to create rational and civil discourse. And after last night, this is exact sort of reception that campaign weary liberals and conservatives alike need experience. Before any parties or ideology or truly anything else, we are first and foremost citizens of the United States of America working to realize our dreams and desires through civil actions and working with our fellow Americans to accomplish some of the greatest feats in human history. We may not always agree, but it is important to graciously accept the truth of life and work towards a more perfect Union.

Thank you for your lovely and empathetic post, Hunter.

[HughJ]

Russia is prepared to restore full diplomatic relations

Seems we're off to a good start if you ask me

[The Swordsman]

Thank your for your excellent and beautiful post Chase and I agree. Fellow members who voted Trump let us extend a hand of understanding and goodwill towards our fellow members on this board. No matter who you supported in this race we are Americans.

[mde2001]

Russia is prepared to restore full diplomatic relations

Seems we're off to a good start if you ask me

When the two world leaders who are first trying to restore diplomatic relations with the US are Putin and Duterte, I'm really not quite so sure whether that's a good thing. Neither of them are exactly the kind of people you want endorsing your leader.

HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! I KNEW it! I knew he would win! Greed Demon predicts it right again! All I wanted was to see Hillary get smacked down again. If only I had a reaction shot of her face when it showed she got beat. you know she reminded me of a starving dog this election and the presidency was the meat dangling in front of her face. For years she wanted that meat and when she was almost there it got yanked away from her. All she wanted was to be the first women president and the glory that goes along with it. I wonder how it feels to lose against a clown with hardly any political experience.

Okay, I wasn't going to include this but I feel like I have to. It probably felt like the thing that so many women have experienced where they are remarkably qualified for the job and some man gets the gig despite being completely unprepared for it. That wouldn't be a new experience for her, nor would it be for most women (especially those around her age). When she lost to Obama in the democratic primary in 2008, she lost to a really qualified, capable man, so she was okay with it and worked hard for his administration, but this time she's lost to one of the least suitable men ever to live. Yes, Hillary is ambitious, but why shouldn't she be? Why shouldn't one of the most experienced and capable people involved in government want to be President? Really wanting the Presidency doesn't really seem like it should be a flaw when running for President. Also, she doesn't just want the glory of being the first female President. I assure you she'd still be running if there had been a woman before her. She may well think its time for a woman to be President, because frankly it is, but saying that doesn't invalidate the slew of other reasons why she wants to run.

Anyway, rant over. This probably isn't fitting into the theme of reconciliation and uniting but anyway. Thanks for that post Hunter. It was very well written. I'm obviously less effected by this result than a lot of you Americans but it is still rather chilling to me. Hopefully your checks and balances will keep him from doing anything too irrational (of course the republicans had to win most of said checks and balances).

[HughJ]

Okay, I wasn't going to include this but I feel like I have to. It probably felt like the thing that so many women have experienced where they are remarkably qualified for the job and some man gets the gig despite being completely unprepared for it. That wouldn't be a new experience for her, nor would it be for most women (especially those around her age). When she lost to Obama in the democratic primary in 2008, she lost to a really qualified, capable man, so she was okay with it and worked hard for his administration, but this time she's lost to one of the least suitable men ever to live.

When will Clinton supporters finally move on from their obsession with gender? When will they finally get over their buzzword "historic" that they throw out literally once an interview on her campaign?

She identifies as a woman, and in that respect she represented something different. But she was nothing new. She's a product of the establishment, someone married to a past president who served as Secretary of State and First Lady. She utilized Super PACs for a quarter of her campaign funding. She's a career politician who has racked up millions per speech at private events.

Just because she had a vagina and identified as a woman didn't mean she was anything new. You think Tim Kaine or Joe Biden really could have done any better? If the voter base that legitimately failed to turn up for Clinton - 7 million less than voted for Obama - really didn't show up because she was female, that says more about the liberals' two-facedness than it does about the conservatives' misogyny.

Edited November 9, 2016 by HughJ

[mde2001]

When will Clinton supporters finally move on from their obsession with gender? When will they finally get over their buzzword "historic" that they throw out literally once an interview on her campaign?

She identifies as a woman, and in that respect she represented something different. But she was nothing new. She's a product of the establishment, someone married to a past president who served as Secretary of State and First Lady. She utilized Super PACs for a quarter of her campaign funding. She's a career politician who has racked up millions per speech at private events.

Just because she had a vagina and identified as a woman didn't mean she was anything new. You think Tim Kaine or Joe Biden really could have done any better? If the voter base that legitimately failed to turn up for Clinton - 7 million less than voted for Obama - really didn't show up because she was female, that says more about the liberals' two-facedness than it does about the conservatives' misogyny.

I don't see how its a strange obsession to think that it is possible that by 2016 we should have had a President with two X chromosomes. I don't think anyone was trying to claim that Clinton was the outsiders' pick. I don't think Clinton should have won the presidency because she's a woman. I think she should have won the presidency because she was remarkably qualified and capable to do the job and was running against someone who campaigned on a ground of marginalisation and bigotry. Then once she got that presidency, it would have come with the added side effect of having a woman as President and breaking the concerning trend that only men seem to be capable of getting that office.

Yes, I do think Joe Biden or Tim Kaine could have done better. I think both of them, particularly the former, would have won. This isn't necessarily because of her gender (I do think it would have played a part in some people's decision making but I'm prepared to label that a significant minority), its because she was so disliked. Trump would not have won against anyone who a large percentage of the American population didn't hate. Clinton lost because she failed to get enough liberals excited about her and because they were too caught up in their "political revolution" to realise that Clinton represented their ideals way more than Trump.

The point I was making in that paragraph is that Hillary has spent a career being held back by what people expected of her gender. When Bill was running for Governor of Arkansas and lost, everyone in the media said it was because she wasn't feminine enough and she hadn't changed her surname. While she was first lady everyone forced her to limit her policy ideas and just appear as a happy face at parties and ribbon cuttings. She, and many other women, have been constantly told that they aren't as capable as the men around them based solely on the gender of their birth. It is remarkable that she achieved everything that she achieved despite the set backs. She may not be an outsider candidate now, but she certainly was for a while. She was not accepted with open arms into the political world, and persevered to have an incredibly successful career. Now suddenly having experience isn't considered cool anymore and the public decides to elect someone who has none.

I should clear up something. I'm not trying to label everyone who didn't vote for her as sexist. That would be a ridiculous generalisation. There are plenty of conservatives who don't have a sexist bone in their bodies and Clinton didn't lose the election solely or even mostly due to sexism. But she has fought against it for so long, and that's why us Clinton supporters have such a "obsession with gender." We want to see a woman who has worked so hard to get where she is finally be appointed to the highest office in the land, because that would be (you guessed it), a historic moment.

[Chase]

If we -want- to talk about results, here goes.

• Latinos broke for Trump more than they did for Romney, netting Donald about a forth of all Hispanic voters this cycle, for whatever reason. African Americans that were enthusiastic about Obama did not appear to be enthusiastic about Clinton and didn't come to vote in nearly the same numbers. Millennials - another critical Obama coalition group - didn't come out for Clinton and in many areas were actually more enthusiastic for Trump. Essentially, the voters that Clinton was banking on winning this election on greatly underwhelmed in turnout.
• White, working class and rural, voters turned out for Trump in droves. This includes Democrats that are typically blue voters due to being a union worker. This is the major reason Trump won Wisconsin, Michigan, and normally-very-evasive-for-GOP Pennsylvania. The reason? The very Bernie Sanders-esque protectionist trade stance that they didn't really lose when Clinton beat him in the primary. Trump Democrats, if you will.
• The "silent majority" really did belong to Trump at the ballot box. (If you're going to argue about the popular vote, you're unfairly giving states like California and Washington state too much credit for populace and devaluing lesser populated states, which is why the Electoral College exists.) When he claimed there were "hidden Trump voters", he was right.

We aren't pollsters. (As far as I know) we are not Democratic strategists and news analysts. We're not pundits. It's not our job to dwell on what happened - but those are the straight facts.

---

While I believe the argument that will be posited by feminists well beyond this election (America is too sexist to elect Hillary.) is untrue, it's not to the point where I think it's okay to turn a blind ear to women. At the end of the day, America was too against Hillary to elect Hillary - regardless of how you personally feel about her record and how deserving she was of the presidency. However, this doesn't mean it's okay to re-enforce divide over sexism or any other -ism. This is the time to prove those feminists wrong by being compassionate, open-minded, and uplifting to other women where they truly are deserving of being given pedestals.

Even though Hillary lost, she is a champion for women anyway. She was the first female Democratic nominee for president. That should give other women out there hope.

I'm all for discourse - but please recognize complaints that need to be put in the air is a form of healing. It's still very much up to President-elect Trump and us to provide our friends reasoning to come around.

[Eloquent Liar]

When will Clinton supporters finally move on from their obsession with gender? When will they finally get over their buzzword "historic" that they throw out literally once an interview on her campaign?

She identifies as a woman, and in that respect she represented something different. But she was nothing new. She's a product of the establishment, someone married to a past president who served as Secretary of State and First Lady. She utilized Super PACs for a quarter of her campaign funding. She's a career politician who has racked up millions per speech at private events.

Just because she had a vagina and identified as a woman didn't mean she was anything new. You think Tim Kaine or Joe Biden really could have done any better? If the voter base that legitimately failed to turn up for Clinton - 7 million less than voted for Obama - really didn't show up because she was female, that says more about the liberals' two-facedness than it does about the conservatives' misogyny.

^

While I am somewhere on the boat of "Clinton would be qualified to be POTUS", give or take a couple of scandals, the thing that ticked me off the most was how more than half of her platform was self-victimization or self-righteousness. Anywhere from "I will cause a revolution as the first female president!" to "Trump's only winning because #misogyny" (which, granted, was less from her and more from most liberals voting for her). If she had tried less pandering and more resolving her past mistakes and showing that she's grown from them, I'd be more upset that Trump won. But, of course, everybody panders, don't they. Clinton pandered to women and former Sanders supporters, Trump pandered to people scared of losing their national identity (some of whom have an innocent fear and are still called bigots, some of whom are actual bigots).

To avoid this going into a rant - and to avoid sounding like most of my die-hard "if you voted for Trump, unfriend me on Facebook" far leftist friends - I'm just going to say that it's not the end of the world. Trump was voted into the White House, end of story, but not end of country. No matter what people say, how many people tell you that "America is racist/sexist/what have you" for having voted in a stale cheeto, or whatever insult they're using at any given moment, it is not the end. You're not dead. America hasn't suddenly imploded. Nobody's getting thrown into concentration camps. As long as we, as American citizens and as people, have the right to speak our minds and voice our discontent, then by damn, we're going to do it. If you're against Trump, then rest assured that he can't, and won't, get away with half the things he's claimed that he'd do. If you supported Trump, then rest assured that he can do good for our country while in office.

Either way, don't act like it's the apocalypse, and don't act like voters are the harbingers of death because you did or didn't get what you want.

(And before anybody asks, I didn't vote.)

[5hift]

Social media is drama-queen central.

EDIT: Should probably elaborate for some clarity.

People need to calm the fuck down. Seriously.

If you actually think you're in some sort of actual danger because an orange-faced gremlin is in office then you need to go to the back and get your shit together.

There are people in this world who have it infinitely worse than you so know your fuckin place.

Edited November 9, 2016 by 5hift

[Chase]

Yeah, you know, dropping the "F" bombs - despite possibly reaching some people where they need it - aren't going to get people who are genuinely concerned about Trump's behavior and rhetoric to get off of the ground.

What will, is that the victorious side opens their ears and accepts the task of working together to make America work out in the end. It's a demonstration of unity to take the other side's worries and grievances into account. We need to be uplifting - even if being real is the best way for some of them to come around - first and foremost.

[5hift]

Be uplifting all you want but just know that there are people out there who are more than willing to throw you off a building and cut your head off for choosing to love somebody.

People are more scared than ever of each other yet there are very real threats that could harm us all.

Get your priorities in check is all I'm saying.

[Kurotsune]

"People have it worse so you're not entitled to feel bad!"

Hi, I'm one of those people who have it worse. And I'm just here to let y'all know, feel free to feel bad. We all live in different circumstances and are affected differently by different things and it's no one's right to tell you what you can and can't be passionately appalled about.

Thanks bye.

[5hift]

"People have it worse so you're not entitled to feel bad!"

Hi, I'm one of those people who have it worse. And I'm just here to let y'all know, feel free to feel bad. We all live in different circumstances and are affected differently by different things and it's no one's right to tell you what you can and can't be passionately appalled about.

Thanks bye.

People have a right to be unhappy.

But being completely unreasonable like saying your life is at risk is totally unnecessary.

Makes actual issues look like a complete joke.

Edited November 9, 2016 by 5hift

[Tacos]

People have a right to be unhappy.

But being completely unreasonable like saying your life is at risk is totally unnecessary.

Makes actual issues look like a complete joke.

Is it though? So you think a vice president who supports frying my brain with shocks of electricity to make me straight isn't an issue? I shouldn't fear for my safety? That's not even close to what I'm sure other minorities might go through. All our worries could mean absolutely nothing. Or they could be spot on. I will be happy to move forward with everyone else in the country so long as they respect the concerns that I and many others have.

[5hift]

Is it though? So you think a vice president who supports frying my brain with shocks of electricity to make me straight isn't an issue? I shouldn't fear for my safety? That's not even close to what I'm sure other minorities might go through. All our worries could mean absolutely nothing. Or they could be spot on. I will be happy to move forward with everyone else in the country so long as they respect the concerns that I and many others have.

Do you honestly think that's going to happen?

There's a difference between thinking something and actually making it a reality. In this case, I can very well guarantee you that this will never happen. Unless Pence wants to have his balls removed from his body from an angry mob, this will never happen.

[Tempest]

Is it though? So you think a vice president who supports frying my brain with shocks of electricity to make me straight isn't an issue? I shouldn't fear for my safety? That's not even close to what I'm sure other minorities might go through. All our worries could mean absolutely nothing. Or they could be spot on. I will be happy to move forward with everyone else in the country so long as they respect the concerns that I and many others have.

I should just mention: he never once condoned electroshock therapy, and he never outright said he condoned conversion therapy. Last time he really said anything about it was over 15 years ago.

[HughJ]

Pence was nothing more than a figurehead added to Trump's campaign for GOP approval

He'll be more ineffectual than Biden