By JB Lester
As the holiday season approaches, Santa certainly has a lot to put in Donald Trump’s stocking this year. And there are plenty of pieces of coal to go around for many others. That’s the way elections go, some win and some lose. And when you win you humbly hold your head up high and when you lose, you lick your wounds and look to the future and roll up your sleeves. It would be so easy for Democrats to light their hair on fire and start wringing their hands, but what good does that do. It is obvious that the Republicans have connected with many Americans this election cycle, mostly in rural and blue collar walks of life. Seems to me politics has become a lot about education and information. Democrats have counted on college educated voters while Republicans have sought the support of the fly-over states and now it seems many union members. One thing you can count on in politics, someone always takes a voting block for granted, and the Democrats have lost support over the years from union workers as the social platform of progressives has not connected well with blue collar workers. I am a bit surprised it has taken this long for them to leave the nest quite frankly. But in the end, union workers are the backbone of the middle class and the Democrats have always been the champion for the middle class, until now it seems.
This election was about kitchen table issues, the cost of everything. And of course, the southern border. Neither party has been effective in coming up with a solution for our immigration woes, but at least the Democrats and a few Republicans had a partial solution only to be shot down by Trump. And in the end, it worked. No deal on the border. No solution to an ongoing problem. No victory for President Biden. Now President-elect Trump and his band of merry men (and a couple of women), will have to put up or shut up. Trump has the House and the Senate to do his bidding. There will be little if any excuse this time around. Build a border wall and have the Mexicans pay for it. Never happened. The price of everything from eggs to monthly rent will be on everyone’s mind as the Republicans say they have a way to fix everything that is broken. The economy they inherit is in pretty good shape so they should have no roadblocks ahead. I can’t help but think of that phrase, be careful what you ask for. For at least two years before the next midterm elections, Trump and the Republicans will have plenty of ammunition to take on the promises they made.
I doubt that all Trump’s nominees for positions in his administration will be approved. Nor should they be. There are some real head scratchers to say the least. But he won the election, and he gets to pick his people and we may all have to live with those choices. We have seen Trump in action before. This isn’t his first rodeo. I hope he can curb inflation, lower food prices, keep health care costs affordable, figure out the border crisis and keep our troops safe around the world. I am not confident he can get most of that accomplished.
The Constitution and the rule of law are sure to be tested over the next four years. I have faith in our democracy as it has been challenged before in our nation’s history. Don’t light your hair on fire, just yet. But keep the matches handy. And buckle up for a bumpy ride.