Right Time, Wrong Woman

I have been at a loss for words for this whole campaign.   I started out by saying that I hoped Hillary wouldn't run because I knew what she (and we) would have to go through throughout the campaign, and beyond, if she won.  I didn't want to go through it, even though I have waited a long, long time to be able to vote for a woman for President.  So, when she won the Primaries, I decided to vote for her, and grin and bear it throughout a difficult campaign. 

However, I had no way of knowing how mean spirited and disappointing the campaign would be. I have never, ever heard such vitriol spewed from any candidate as I heard from Donald Trump.  I hoped that Hillary would be able to rise above it and ignore the nastiness and just stick to her positions.  Alas, she couldn't help but sink to his level at times.  

I was appalled when Donald Trump actually won.  And, I was mad at Hillary. 

Now that the dust has cleared, everyone is analyzing what went wrong.  So, I think I'll do my own analyzing, if you can stand it. 

For over a year, the media aired every single word Trump uttered.  They took his phone calls, covered his rallies, repeated his tweets, and appeared to thoroughly enjoy the show.  During that time, they rarely even said Hillary's name, let alone reported on her speeches. It was only when they realized that the race could be close that they went into panic mode and turned against Trump. 

Then, the FBI got into the act, showing a partisanship that no one realized existed. The head of the FBI pleased the Democrats when he made a highly unusual speech clearing Hillary of any criminal wrongdoing, and declining to recommend an indictment.  He said everything against her that he could possibly say before he cleared her. That should have been the end of the e-mail scandal that wasn't a scandal at all.  But, no, at the end of the campaign, Comey gave in to pressure and, eleven days before the election, sent a letter suggesting he might be re-opening the investigation.  He didn't come out and SAY it, just let everyone assume what he meant. Then, the weekend before the election, he sent a letter saying they had discovered nothing new in the e-mails of Houma Abedin. But, it was too late. The damage was done.  I hope President Obama tells Comey that he will accept his resignation before he leaves office.  

Then, there was Hillary, herself.  She spent an astonishing amount of money that did absolutely no good at all, not even in the down-ticket races.  She ran a race that left no doubt in anyone's mind that she was the quintessential insider, at a time when the country was in a mood to kick them all out and elect the ultimate outsider.  She didn't hold any big rallies and she concentrated on the cities and ignored the rural areas altogether, in spite of the fact that Bill Clinton warned against this tactic.  Apparently, he was ignored, to Hillary's peril. 

The pollsters made a similar mistake, polling in the more urban areas, and creating false hope among the Clinton voters, to the point that many of them didn't bother to vote.  

As I warned, at the time, a large number of Bernie's millennials   didn't bother to vote.  

In the meantime, we're stuck with a flim-flam man in the White House, who will do everything he can to enrich himself and his family. I guess the voters ultimately get what they deserve.

But, the fact remains that Hillary did win the popular vote, for all the good that does her.  We have to make major changes in the way we conduct elections in this country.  If I knew what could be done, I'd say so, but some way we have to ensure that everyone's vote is meaningful.  In many states, including my state of Arkansas, our votes didn't count at all.  

In the meantime, we're stuck with a flim-flam man in the White House, who will do everything he can to enrich himself and his family at the expense of the government and, maybe even the U.S. Treasury. I guess the voters ultimately get what they deserve.

So what do you think should be done in future elections? 

Stay tuned.