Dear Americans..

[mjames]

...Or people living in America, our new lord President is TRUMP. What was were your reactions?

As a person currently living on campus, the reactions were kind of hilarios (people started crying). Anyways, how the hell did Trump freaking win the Presidential elections? How?!

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I'm not American but I can only imagine it must have been a combination of his shining wit, debonair charm, worldly understanding and tolerance, and that lovely head of hair.

What a monumental ass****.

[ahinton]

...Or people living in America, our new lord President is TRUMP. What was were your reactions?

As a person currently living on campus, the reactions were kind of hilarios

Don't you mean Hillaryous?

Best,

Alistair

[dogperson]

How did Trump win?   I am not a Trump fan, but he had a sweeping win because the country is tired of the same old political regimen and Trump was considered to be a businessman rather than a politician.  All we can do as Americans is provide our support now, and wish the country the best.

I have been unimpressed with Trump prior to his election..... but his acceptance speech was well done, and unifying.

[vaniii]

Actions speak louder than words.

Lets see what he does; regardless of my resentment of his ideologies, he might do some good.

Whats the worst that could happen ... 

[timothy42b]

He won because he was better at assessing what would appeal to voters than the other candidate(s).

Some of what appealed to US voters is a bit disappointing, but it's hard to fault him for that. 

The huge support from the Evangelical Christian demographic is especially disappointing, because his behavior is blatantly and proudly opposite from their values.  There were some claims the religious right was losing influence but this proved to be untrue. 

I don't think the world will end though.  The power of even the US presidency does have some limitations.  And, for the first time in history we don't have to worry about him not honoring campaign promises.  He won't, and that's a good thing.   

[ahinton]

When last I looked, it seems that Clinton had polled a few more votes than Trump but had achieved a considerably lower electoral college figure.

Best,

Alistair

[Bob]

I was just wondering if places, like schools, will put a portrait picture of him up on the wall.  (With an inspiration quote?)

[debussychopin]

She lost when Florida went to trump and Pennsylvania later turned from going for Hillary to trump in the last couple of hours.

[ahinton]

Somehow I don't see him getting the Mexicans to build that wall at their own expense (but then I don't see him locking up that "hard working" Hillary or chicking out all the Muslims, Hispanics and other immigrants any time soon either).

He probably realises that the cost of building two between US and Canada would be incredibly prohibitive, given the length involved and the fact that there'd need to be two separate building sites.

No, I suspect that his first major building project is likely to be the Bering Bridge/Tunnel - after all, it's not so very far - and maybe he'll succeed in persuading his chum on the other side of the straits to go halves with him on the cost of that (provided that the Chinese don't seize the project first).

Best,

Alistair

[gep]

Insofar as I have followed things, the campaign addressed nothing whatsoever (seriously), the whole blasted thing was a huge commercial show somewhere below the level of Jersey Shore, and the majority voted the one with the least to tell. And this now is the most powerfull man in the most powerfull nation? I did search a thesaurus on the meaning of the word 'trump': a sound of or as if of trumpeting <the trump of doom>. Yah...

I wonder, since he seems keen on evicting all illegal immigrants, does this mean he will
- Eject the current Mrs. Trump (since she got in illegally)?
- Clean his houses himself from now on?
- Start working shifts in his companies?
- Accept 90% decrease in fruits pics, garbage disposal,a nd all other meanial, dirty and badly payed jobs?
- Shift the remaining 10% to China?

Possibly the Mexicans will build that wall, to protect themselves against the Untidy States of America...

All best,
gep

Oh well, let's just hope the Trump voters will get the president they deserve....

[indianajo]

With his ignorance and hubris in international and defense affairs, we will be lucky to not have a military dictatorship by 2018.  
i'm stuck here by a paid up pension and "free" medical care, but if the money turns to toilet paper I may emigrate anyway.  I'm pretty good at languages.  
The celebration of rudeness, race and minority baiting, and casual acceptance of violence move the ethics of AM radio talk shows to the mainstream society.  This reminds me of an election result that happened in 1933. 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I call the side of the cotton field with the most shade mjames

[bronnestam]

I have already made enemies with the Trump voters today. One assured me that this was "what the people wanted". Well, as Ms. Clinton actually got more votes, she would have won in a less outdated voting system. So to be more precise, he was the choice of the dumbest people in the world.

Out of all persons in the U.S. you had to elect Jabba the Hut?

Well, it wasn't exactly what the world wanted. Except Putin of course. Putin is happy. Now he can occupy the Baltic states again without risking some protests from Washington. He can do whatever he likes from now on. Jabba will be busy turning the U.S. to a banana republic and making some more marble monuments to his own glory and spin his chair in the Oval Office. And he promised to build a wall to keep people OUT, ha ha ha. Won't be necessary. 

[gep]

Right up to the strange tuft of hair on top...  

You must confess Trump being an amazing salesman; makes one hell (or Hell) of a commercial, gets millions to his shop, has nothing on offer whatsoever, yet gets voted 'best retailer of the year'. The man just re-defined 'selling hot-air' right over the horizon! You have to admire the trick (if from a fair distance...). Now we've got Trump in NATO, we might just as well get Saudi-Barbaria into the UN Human Rights Council! (err, hold on...). What's next, a new Hitler? (err, hold on; Phillipines...).


You can guess who the statue of the man with the shield might be...

All best,
gep

[perfect_pitch]

...shining wit...

Now THAT has to be the best spoonerism I have ever encountered.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

..shining wit..

Now THAT has to be the best spoonerism I have ever encountered.

Kinda glad someone spotted it

[iansinclair]

I would point out that, first, the popular vote was extremely close -- and the US is a federal republic, not a democracy, something which sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

That said, in my humble opinion, neither one of the major candidates was or is really what I at least would like to see as President.  However, Mr. Trump was not, and did not come across as, a privileged, connected to the Hamptons and Monterey, latte sipping plutocrat.  He came across as a person you might actually meet down at Joe's Bar and Grill on South Main, and in the end that was his advantage.  It really didn't matter what either of them actually said -- most folks I know wouldn't willingly trust or believe either of them -- but who and what they appeared to be.

There are, incidentally, some parallels to Brexit...

The liberal, globalist, privileged elite is just going to have to pull the thumb out and do some thinking.

[perfect_pitch]

Kinda glad someone spotted it

No problem... Used to love them when I was younger.

[chopinlover01]

Trump won because of his anti establishment appeal. In fact, though, he didn't really "win" in that more people voted for him; he won because more people voted for him *in the right states*.

Hopefully we kick out the corporatist democrats and have an actual left party in America now.

And more importantly, hopefully we realize how completely broken the Electoral College is.

[iansinclair]

A good left wouldn't be a bad idea -- as Mr. Sanders ably showed.  A couple of reliably centrist parties would also help.  There would, inevitably, be a hard right party.  Sound familiar?

On the electoral college, however.  The assumption is that the popular vote -- one man, one vote -- will always come up with the best candidate, or at least the one which an overwhelming majority of the population can support.  This is, perhaps, true in a very small group of people, where pretty much everyone knows everyone else.  In a larger group, however, the popular vote is very susceptible to emotional appeal and "sound bite" advertising -- so I wouldn't be quite so sure that direct popular democracy is quite as desirable as it sounds.

In the United States, however, there is another good reason for the Electoral College: the country is too big and too diverse.  This was true even when the US Constitution was written and there were only 13 States.  It is far more true now.  (Incidentally, if you haven't read the Constitution, stop and find a copy and see what it really does say).  The compromise -- referred to with considerable justice as "The Great Compromise" was the creation of a bicameral legislature, with a Senate -- as I have explained above -- representing the diverse interests of the several States, and the House -- also as I have explained above -- representing the people.  The Electoral College reflects the combined weighting of both houses, and thus helps maintain a balance between the interests of various regions and various people.

Without the balance between the two Houses, the US would have disintegrated years ago; indeed, it would never have formed in the first place.

At the risk of annoying some of my European and UK friends, may I suggest that such an arrangement might have avoided some of the pesky problems currently found in both the EU and the UK?  Consider first the UK: the government is absolutely dominated by London, with some contribution from a few other larger cities -- and in Scotland, it is completely dominated by Edinburgh and Glasgow; the northern isles and the Highlands (where I have a lot of relatives), for instance, have exactly one representative in both Holyrood and Westminster.  The poor men are completely ignored, and thus that region -- half the geographic area of Scotland -- has no voice in either government.  The same could be said of most of Yorkshire or Cornwall.  What if there had been, years ago, and arrangement with Commons representing the people, and Lords representing the geographic areas? (oh wait -- there was, until the great landowning families were destroyed by Labour).  Might some of the turmoil over Scottish independence have been avoided?  The same might be said for the EU, with a bicameral legislature -- one house representing all the people, and the other representing each nation state?  Might Brexit have been avoided?

[Bob]

Trump won because of his anti establishment appeal.

That's what I was thinking.  It's politics making strange bedfellows.  If you just wanted to vote for "something different" than it would be Trump, but that also bundled along his personality and ethics.

I still wonder why the polls didn't pick anything up though.


I do see the point of not being heard or not really having the government work for you.

[opus43]

I am hoping I will be better off with him as president than with Clinton. If he is, that is great.

I think certain groups of racial minorities get quite a few unfair benefits because of affirmative action. I am a racial minority, and, if anything, my group is worse off because of that.
I also hope that our nice country doesn't get into any more wars and provokes other countries less. It would be horrible if there was a war with some country and there was a draft.
That is why I think I may be better off with him as president.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

*** trump and anyone who supports him

I was walking to walgreens and These two white dudes was following me in a pickup truck calling me N1gger and sh*t. The KKK has been showing up everywhere and there's been race attacks all over the country.  Some dude pulled a knife on a girl for wearing a hijab at my school like yesterday.

And it's gonna be open season for the cops once this stop and frisk becomes nation wide

I'm not my ancestors I will beat the breaks off you if you act out of place

[georgey]

Here are my quick thoughts as of my typing:

My country has spoken.  Now we shall ALL enjoy a Trump presidency.

My numbers might be off a little but exit polls showed that  69% of ALL voters felt Trump was unqualified to be president, 69% felt he did not have the temperament to be president and 70% voted for their candidate (as their #1 reason) because they wanted change.   And yet Trump won the election.

Logically (to me) this makes as much sense as the following:  I have a nagging toothache that does not want to go away.  My solution: shoot myself in the kneecap.  This is a change and I probably won’t be thinking about my toothache for a while.

I am rooting for Trump to be a successful president and we should give him a chance.  I have my doubts (to put this mildly).  We will see what happens.  Best wishes to all.

[themeandvariation]

Rachman.
I am so sorry to hear.  It is frightening.  
They're all emboldened,  and coming out.  
Stop and Frisk… with  Giuliani  as attorney general will be just one of the waves of destruction.
     I see private prison stock has risen.  And Habeus Corpus is now a thing of the past.  

He'll  appoint a AGW denier for secretary of the interior.
He'll gut the social programs, and abolish the EPA, and regulation..
Cut taxes for the rich by half..
  a banana republic..
Not to even mention his dangerous unpredictability on the world stage..

Indeed a nightmare has started… in so many ways.  Just look at those he surrounds himself with.  
He has demonized and threatened the 4th estate - our checks and balances..

We must get active.


 

[ahinton]

Rachman.
I am so sorry to hear.  It is frightening.  
They're all emboldened,  and coming out.  
Stop and Frisk… with  Giuliani  as attorney general will be just one of the waves of destruction.
     I see private prison stock has risen.  And Habeus Corpus is now a thing of the past.  

He'll  appoint a AGW denier for secretary of the interior.
He'll gut the social programs, and abolish the EPA, and regulation..
Cut taxes for the rich by half..
  a banana republic..
Not to even mention his dangerous unpredictability on the world stage..

Indeed a nightmare has started… in so many ways.  Just look at those he surrounds himself with.  
He has demonized and threatened the 4th estate - our checks and balances..

We must get active.

You just did. You elected him (well, not you personally, perhaps, but...)

Best,

Alistair

[themeandvariation]

Hint:
why so smug?
Feel burnt a bit yourself? I can understand that..  It seems to be a theme happening all over.
Here's separation by a few degrees..
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-37946420

[ahinton]

Hint:
why so smug?
Feel burnt a bit yourself? I can understand that..  It seems to be a theme happening all over.
Here's separation by a few degrees..
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-37946420

Nothing smug about it; it's a fact. The same kind of thing happened over here with Brexit; an  anti-establishment protest vote. It might happen similarly in France, Germany and the Netherlands in next year's elections in those countries. It ain't just the Americans, believe me! What's missing from this is that getting rid of one establishment almost always means replacing it with a different one.

Best,

Alistair

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I am hoping I will be better off with him as president than with Clinton. If he is, that is great.

I think certain groups of racial minorities get quite a few unfair benefits because of affirmative action. I am a racial minority, and, if anything, my group is worse off because of that.
I also hope that our nice country doesn't get into any more wars and provokes other countries less. It would be horrible if there was a war with some country and there was a draft.
That is why I think I may be better off with him as president.

That's some of the dumbest bullsh*t I've heard

[mjames]

Oh yeah, I forgot about how much republicans dislike science.I mean democrats hate it too, but at least they pretend to like it.   Major government funded research institutions can expect some delicious budget cuts.  
I guess USA has to depend on the private sector [for climate change, space exploration, clean energy, particle physics, related research...) for the next few years. The center for groundbreaking research has returned to Europe, hope you dolts won't *** that up either.

[opus43]

That's some of the dumbest bullsh*t I've heard

Just because somebody agrees with a candidate on something doesn't mean they're dumb. It's not like every stance Trump has is wrong.

But of course, you likely don't want to believe me. After all, it can be argued that your group of people benefits at the cost of my group of people through affirmative action.Why would you want to stop that, anyways?

*** trump and anyone who supports him

I was walking to walgreens and These two white dudes was following me in a pickup truck calling me N1gger and sh*t. The KKK has been showing up everywhere and there's been race attacks all over the country.  Some dude pulled a knife on a girl for wearing a hijab at my school like yesterday.

And it's gonna be open season for the cops once this stop and frisk becomes nation wide

I'm not my ancestors I will beat the breaks off you if you act out of place

People have been using the n*** word all the time. It's not like Trump is the reason they're using it.

[opus43]

Oh yeah, I forgot about how much republicans dislike science.I mean democrats hate it too, but at least they pretend to like it.   Major government funded research institutions can expect some delicious budget cuts.  
I guess USA has to depend on the private sector [for climate change, space exploration, clean energy, particle physics, related research...) for the next few years. The center for groundbreaking research has returned to Europe, hope you dolts won't *** that up either.

When funding for the military goes up, funding for NASA usually goes up as well. (Not that NASA has been particularly innovative recently...)

The USA would have to depend on the private sector for the next few years no matter who becomes president (except for Jill Stein). Also, Europe probably always has been a center for "groundbreaking research", even more recently. How long has America led the world in this?

But don't get me wrong; I disagree with the new president-elect on issues like the environment. It's just that I doubt there would be a huge difference in impact if Clinton became president.

[dogperson]

From your post history, I am confident that I am not dumber than you. Also, just because somebody agrees with a candidate on something doesn't mean they're dumb. And, you seem to be acting like every stance Trump has is wrong.

But of course, you likely don't want to believe me. After all, it can be argued that your group of people benefits at the cost of my group of people through affirmative action.Why would you want to stop that, anyways?


People have been using the n*** word all the time. It's not like Trump is the reason they're using it.

Was this necessary?   I actually am not a minority but I am highly offended by your post.   

[opus43]

Was this necessary?   I actually am not a minority but I am highly offended by your post.  

Why is it offensive?
EDIT: I've deleted the attack in the first sentence; now, is it better?

[dogperson]

Why is it offensive?
EDIT: I've deleted the attack in the first sentence; now, is it better?

NO it is not better.  Aren't you capable of determining what would be offensive to someone of another race?   I don't know (or care) your race.  But what would you think about a racial slur directed at you?  think about it for a minute.

[opus43]

NO it is not better.  Aren't you capable of determining what would be offensive to someone of another race?   I don't know (or care) your race.  But what would you think about a racial slur directed at you?  think about it for a minute.

I believe you are misunderstanding. When I mentioned the n word, it was in response to when the account mentioned that 2 white people called him that yesterday.

EDIT: I have edited the post to show that it was not an attack, but a response. I thought that would be obvious. Aren't you capable of putting things in context?

[visitor]

.

.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

People have been using the n*** word all the time. It's not like Trump is the reason they're using it.

False Trump IS the reason they're using it.

Trump supporters think that now their boy is president they're all extra confident and now they can say and do whatever they want.  You think it's just a coincidence that as soon as he got elected the KKK is showing up all over the place and race crimes instantly went straight up?  Please...

Tyrone and Becky apply to the same college

Becky gets a 3.2 going to one of the best high schools in the nation and she has two loving parents that support her.  On the weekends she likes to hang out with her friends and she's on the softball team.  She likes eating expensive cheese.

Tyrone gets a 3.0 but goes to a hood ass school with zero resources and has to worry about getting shot from the cops AND the clique down the block when walking home.  There's no dad in the picture cause he's in jail for infinite time for holding a couple grams of weed and the moms never at home cause she's too busy working trying to put food on the table for him and his baby brother.  Which by the way he has to take care of.

But Tryone has an unfair advantage right...

[mjames]

Lol i dont get why so many people give black people sh*t for affirmitive action. The ones who benefit from affirmitive action the most arent hispanics, asians, or black people, its middle class white women. Why is it that i never hear anything about white women getting handouts because "they're lazy?"

Anyways, affirmitive action is not just a race thing. Its based on race, gender, and income level.

[mjames]

When funding for the military goes up, funding for NASA usually goes up as well. (Not that NASA has been particularly innovative recently...)

The USA would have to depend on the private sector for the next few years no matter who becomes president (except for Jill Stein). Also, Europe probably always has been a center for "groundbreaking research", even more recently. How long has America led the world in this?

But don't get me wrong; I disagree with the new president-elect on issues like the environment. It's just that I doubt there would be a huge difference in impact if Clinton became president.

NASA hasn't been particularly innovative, what? You serious? XD
And not always, for example we have the dark ages and the pre and post WW2 era in which research in at least physics and astronomy stagnated considerably in Germany (mostly due to their brain drain), France, Italy, Poland, and the Netherlands. This is also the period in which the USA (generally unaffected by the war) grabbed various European intellectuals from their countries and went on to dominate the field for a few decades. It's only around the mid 80s Americans started to slack off, but Europe wouldn't "catch up" until the mid 90s. It's only the 2000s that Western Europe regained its crown tbh, and they're not slowing down either!

However for some odd reason the ESA is still getting shafted by its countries. US still dominates when it comes to awesome space stuff. : D

[Bob]

I bet Trump (like others) will flipflop and not do what they said.  Except Trump's fairly passionate when he's speaking about things.  Changing his mind later discredits what he said before and what he says now and in the future.

It looked like during the election and then with the Obama meeting that he got toned down, not as lively/decisive.

[georgey]

.

[themeandvariation]

The Real reason why Hillary lost - is because ever since Bill was president - the democratic -Economic - and regulatory laxity  - In Particular, has been moving to the right.
Hillary was trying/appealing  to get repubs to jump ship..
She lost because  6 million dems Didn't vote that voted last time.. She Didn't appeal/speak  to the Bernie supporters - the true voice of those economically disenfranchised..
Of course, she had progressive stance on social issues, like bathrooms, and abortion, and LGBT, but these do not address the economic disparity … which Is the Real issue.  
She rigged the party against Bernie - and more importantly - and His supporters.  
He would have trounced Trump.  
maybe, -  there in lies the question: Will the elected dems. really start acting in the light of the giant unleashed by Bernie???   This is what we dems Really want -  Not for them to reach out for the repub's. vote!   Period!  

[timothy42b]

I bet Trump (like others) will flipflop and not do what they said.  Except Trump's fairly passionate when he's speaking about things.  Changing his mind later discredits what he said before and what he says now and in the future.

The people who "voted for change" also voted in the down ticket Republicans, who are all status quo.  I don't think there's much chance of Trump doing what he promised. 

[themeandvariation]

Timothy, he may not have much of a chance for some stances, but i think the obvious red flags are cutting the taxes for the rich by half (radical, even by trickle downers' standards), gutting the EPA (being a denier)- and all that entails - , enlarging the military purse, (already half of discretionary spending), stacking the supreme court w/ his special brand of activist judges - (think of corporate victory of "Citizens United" on steroids - ), - not to even mention the 'tone' of normalizing hateful behavior - as we witness a crescendo of its effect on the social fabric. 
So, i think these things are the concern relating to what he probably Will do.
T.

[Bob]

Interesting.  Bernie Sanders.