The Morning After.
Elect him once: Shame on you. Elect him Twice: Shame ...on you, again?
I awoke at 6am, blearily checked my phone, and found that the worst fears my gut had been warning me about had been realized. The man who blocked me on Twitter is going to be President. Again.
I’m walking around Central Park this morning with Morris amid the dazed faces of sullen New Yorkers slumped over their phones. I had anticipated this day, but hoped it never materialized. I’ve overheard several loud, exasperated conversations —in person and on phones— as locals pass by. I’m sitting to eavesdraw a couple of them now 👆 while Morris munches on a stick. (I envy his oblivious indifference.)
A week prior, while watching the Yankees lose the World Series (another stomach-sinking loss), my friend asked me if I had to put money on the election, who would I back? I said, “Honestly? My gut is telling me…” I winced, “…Trump.” He laughed, “You sure? I don’t think he’s got it. I think Kamala will win.” I’d hoped like hell he was right, but my gut never changed in the ensuing days. I knew he was going to win.
It’s a bit depressing to vote in my first election as a naturalized US citizen and for the result to be so resounding. So very definitive. Everyone said it would be a squeaker, dragging on for days instead of mere hours.
The thing that worries me most —as I alluded to in the title above— is the fact that women’s bodily autonomy is now something almost certain to be increasingly controlled dictated by the state. And it will be. Of all the repugnant things promised in the coming years by the incoming administration (even as an immigrant), this is the one is the one that makes me feel physically sick. I genuinely worry for what this country has, and will become.
It’s time to admit that America has changed.
For better or worse, it is a far different country than the one many of us had imagined it to be. “We, the people” have spoken— and the words that have floated to the surface turn out to be pretty uncomfortable.
You never feel more like you live in a Blue Bubble than the morning after an election loss like this. The shock from being fooled by the polls (again) puts us squarely in “shame on me” territory.
Footnote:
I should add that the Dems are not totally blameless here. I think the election was ours to lose, and we never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Obviously, Kamala was being graded on a radically different curve than Trump (the slightest infraction was magnified to cataclysmic levels when his most galling of gaffes were glazed over within the hour), but overall, the campaign totally misread the room. Again.
I have more thoughts, but I’m not going to add to the chorus of blame-levellers online today. There are brutal truths to reckon with, but I’m going to take a beat and walk the dog. He’s just finished chomping his stick.
_
Knowing you were shocked Jason, makes me feel better. I stayed up until 4am and have been a zombie ever since walking around in disbelief. Knowing that you and Morris feel the same helps.
You are very funny and a great cartoonist so keep your head up.
You know he's already designed uniforms for his revenge squads who'll shortly be rounding up late night talk show hosts and cartoonists and I wish I was joking.