Take a Breath After An Intense Election

Alight folks, now that the election is over, I know there are some very strong feelings. Some of us feel vindicated and victorious and are walking on could nine, if you will. As one of those individuals, I feel blessed and thankful. However, I do know many people, both personally and those in the spotlight, who are feeling discouraged, angry, or even afraid. To all of us, we just need to step back, take a deep breath, and come back to reality.

If Donald Trump was really the reincarnation of Hitler or evil incarnate, why would current president Joe Biden be working with his team for a smooth transition? Why would he call Trump to congratulate him on his clear and decisive victory? The answer is, he wouldn’t. Instead, he would be doing everything he can to ensure Trump is not inaugurated. We have to realize that as nasty as it can be and as vile the name-calling can get, in many ways, election season is pure theater.

For those out there who think their rights are going to be stripped away, such as a nationwide abortion ban, removal of rights for members of the LGBTQ community, or any other reason, stop listening to the hysterical media for a while. They too are in the business of shock and influence, though fear mongering. None of this is even on the table.

The first time Trump was elected, we were told we would be in a war with Russia promptly. We were told people would be put in internment camps. We were told that he would ban abortion nationwide. We were told he would have his opponents locked up. None of this happened. So, why would we think this would happen this time around? The simple answer is overly emotional thinking rather than focusing on reason and logic.

Many people are now directing blame and pointing fingers on the Democratic side of the ticket. They simply can’t fathom how the results panned out. Blame is being put on major party figures like former President Obama and Hillary Clinton. Some are blaming Hollywood elites and entertainers like George Clooney and Taylor Swift. And yet others are ticking by the old standby of blaming racism or sexism. But as long as the blame game persists and the Democrat party doesn’t do some deep soul searching, the results of future elections will likely be similar.

Let’s use the stock market as an analogy here. When stocks go either incredibly well for a while or tumble very badly for a period, eventually we have what is called a correction. The correction gets us back to a normal trajectory and predictable pace of growth. This is what happened in the election on November 5.

The simple fact is that the United States is a Center-Right nation in terms of its overall political philosophy. For a while, the nation has been going left to some degree, and within reason people accept that and it is fine. However, when things start going too extreme, the average American will reject it and bring on such a correction.

What we as citizens of this great nation should do is to always hope for the best from our leaders, even if they aren’t the leader we wanted. When Biden was elected, I wasn’t happy and doubted his abilities but indeed did hope that he would do well. I would hope that at the very least any reasonable person would feel the same way after their candidate of choice loses an election.

Now to get down to the heart of the matter, this nation is called the United States of America. The first and perhaps most important word there is “United.” We don’t always have to agree on things or on how the process works in terms of governance or our political views. However, bickering, fighting, and outright rejection of the right of another person to have different views is at best non-productive and at worst destructive and divisive. Sit down, listen to others, and realize we have more common ground than you might think.