OK, I’m back. Thanks for keeping the conversation going in my absence, although my eyes were starting to glaze over there toward the end of the comment thread. But that goes with what I’d like to say, and it’s this:
No more memes, lefty America. Memes are a cheap, easy way to defer actual thought. When you see one, nod and think “I’m just going to hit this Share button,” don’t. In fact, I won’t say “no more,” but maybe “far less” social media in general. It’s a great way to catch up with old friends, to reach a lot of people quickly and cheaply, to just fritter away a lunch hour if you don’t have a magazine. But it’s a piss-poor way to stay informed, and its crack-like effect on our brains is something we should be deeply suspicious of.
And look at what social media has begotten: Slacktivism, the sort of feel-good, do-nothing gestures that help no one but ourselves. Change your profile picture to “support” the victims of the Paris attacks, or “raise awareness” of this or that. Check in to Standing Rock to throw the FBI off the scent of the protestors who are there. And so on. Fuck that shit. Use it if you must to see what people are talking about, but learn to tell the difference between original sources of news and the aggregators and rewriters who attach themselves to real journalists like agenda-bearing lampreys. Sites that have and pay actual reporters to knock on doors and make phone calls might not always tell you what you want to hear, but that’s going to be far more useful information than what the lampreys give you, spun and crafted to match all your prejudices. You have enough of those. If you have trouble telling which sites are which, I can offer some tips.
No more open letters. For the love of God, will someone put a sock in Aaron Sorkin’s mouth? Open letters are the original concern trolling, a way to direct a high-minded lecture, ostensibly to one person but really to everybody else in the room, to polish your own halo because you are so, so worried. Just stop it.
No more disruptions. Go ahead and protest — it’s the American way — but be advised that every time you shut down a light-rail line or plug a freeway, you are providing a useful video clip to Breitbart or InfoWars or whatever other shitbag propagandist is interested. And you are inconveniencing people who just need to get to work, where they may be doing something very important, like delivering babies or cleaning bathrooms. Fuck your agenda, whatever it is; respect people’s time. The same goes for vandalism, window-smashing and whatever other bad business a mob can get up to. It’s the very definition of counterproductivity.
No more hoax hate crimes. I know, I know — there have been dozens since last Wednesday, but take it from me as a journalist and as a human being with a working brain who has been around for several summers that at least some of them will be proven hoaxes. Humans crave attention, and some crave it enough to try to stage these things. We all had no problem seeing through the woman who, in 2008, claimed she’d been assaulted by supporters of Barack Obama, who wrote “B” and “O” on her cheeks, only backward, you know, like you’d see it in a mirror? Be suspicious of the ones that don’t pass the smell test, like the ones that went up on social-media sites (see above) before police were called, if they were called at all. Like the ones where there were cameras and witnesses all around, but somehow none captured or saw the incident. Like the ones where someone’s car is “vandalized” with conveniently non-damaging soap on the windows. I stress: Some of these attacks are real. Yes. Real. But some are not, and every one that isn’t undermines 10 that actually happened.
No more fear. Many of you may be members of groups that have very good reason to fear the coming presidency, but screw your courage to the sticking place and be brave. Find others in the same boat, organize, tend your networks. But the more you quake in fear and tell the world how fearful you are, the more time you waste, time that could be spent making progress. Remember the popular vote. They have the power stick right now, but if they start using it to club people, others are going to speak up. This isn’t Nazi Germany, for god’s sake, and even if it were, don’t you want to go down fighting? I do. I remember reading a story about Meyer Lansky, the Jewish mobster, and his lawyer said that if the Jews produced more men like him, there wouldn’t have been a Holocaust. You can argue that, certainly, but I take his point.
As for me, I’m going to do my job. If the people of rural Michigan voted for Trump because they thought he would make their lives better, well then I’m going to be monitoring the progress. I’m going to keep an eye on our Muslim population here, and see if anyone’s stirring the shit to harass or assault people there. I’m going to keep my eyes open, my powder dry and my bullshit detector turned up to 11. Useful skills for the coming era include an open mind, a fair and just heart and a willingness to confront one’s own assumptions — all of them. I’m not giving anyone a pass, but I’m done feeling sorry for myself.
Remember “Gone With the Wind?” I often call it the best bad novel in the English language, and I’ve read it several times. The scene in the movie that ends the first half — “as God as my witness, I’ll never be hungry again” — plays differently in the book. Scarlett has just arrived at Tara, after the terrifying trip from burning Atlanta, only to find her home ruined, her father enfeebled, her mother dead. She walks to a neighboring plantation in search of food and finds a row of radishes in the garden, about the only thing left, eagerly unearths one and eats it, only to throw it back up almost immediately. She collapses in the garden and swoons for a long while. And then she pulls herself together:
When she arose at last and saw again the black ruins of Twelve Oaks, her head was raised high and something that was youth and beauty and potential tenderness had gone out of her face forever. What was past was past. Those who were dead were dead. The lazy luxury of the old days was gone, never to return. And, as Scarlett settled the heavy basket across her arm, she had settled her own mind and her own life.
There was no going back and she was going forward.
Throughout the South for fifty years there would be bitter-eyed women who looked backward, to dead times, to dead men, evoking memories that hurt and were futile, bearing poverty with bitter pride because they had those memories. But Scarlett was never to look back.
That’s way too dramatic for what we’re talking about here, absolutely granted. But that’s kind of how I feel now. Time to settle the heavy basket over our arm and go forward. We’re going to need everyone to help.
Bowditch said on November 13, 2016 at 4:07 pm
Listen to Leon. Listen to Leonard. Find the power at your center, and watch, with both eyes open, vigilant, objective, and pragmatic. Then write, talk, sing, love, and organize.
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kathy t said on November 13, 2016 at 4:24 pm
Thank you for this.
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Judybusy said on November 13, 2016 at 4:46 pm
Thank you, Nancy, I can hardly stand FB now with all the crap memes, etc. And safety pins?! I signed up today to volunteer with Showing Up for Racial Justice, which organizes white people in racial justice work. Making calls for Clare Housing to raise money to continue to support housing for people living with HIV. Etc.etc.
I am scared but not sitting around sucking my thumb. The latest podcast by Dahlia Lithwick has me even more worried.
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brian stouder said on November 13, 2016 at 4:46 pm
…and THIS is why nn.c is an indispensable stop for me, each day.
Thanks for the dependably common-sense, always entertaining (and often endearing) perspective.
(“common” as in undeniably true, and easily understood – if not readily accepted observations about the way things are)
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Michael Einheuser said on November 13, 2016 at 5:09 pm
I feel like I’ve been the victim of an 18 month scam. As a self described political junkie I’ve devoured all manner of media every day for whatever information I could absorb about the election. The Trump candidacy was the traffic accident on the side of the road that I could not avoid looking at.
I need time to be disengaged. I don’t care about his transition, I don’t care about who in the running to be which cabinet secretary, I don’t care about the lame duck session of Congress.
The oath of office is no cure for clinical narcissism. He will still lash out and embarrass the country. He has the office but very little public respect. It will get worse.
I’m listening to padcasts instead of NPR in the morning. An suggestions that have nothing to do with politics?
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David C. said on November 13, 2016 at 5:25 pm
Michael, Marc Maron is rarely political and is almost always interesting. He has a great back catalog of the old timey comedy greats. Stop Podcasting Yourself is Canadian, quite silly, and most of the time a lot of fun. The Infinite Monkey Cage is a BBC science podcast with scientist and TV presenter Brian Cox, another good science podcast is Star Talk Radio with Neil deGrasse Tyson. These have been my go-to podcasts this past week. The only political podcast I’ve been able to listen to since Tuesday is Keepin’ it 1600. I like the hosts so much I just can’t not listen to it.
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Diane said on November 13, 2016 at 5:58 pm
What Brian said @4.
And charitable action is great but political action is really important now.
I agree about the protests, they are too easy for their targets to disdain and blow off. Energy is valuable (or many I’m just old and don’t have much) but use it well anyway. I’m thinking study your statehouse and target one republican coming up for re-election-either the most obnoxious or the most vulnerable. Find a credible opponent and canvass and campaign and fund raise and corral other people to help and unseat him/her. Then you have credibility and can point out to the next most obnoxious or vulnerable one that you are are looking for your next campaign.
Of course, this is off the top of my head and is rather long term. I would love to hear ideas and suggestions from this group but the goal is reclaiming not a voice but power. I am terrified because our vaunted system of checks and balances is a complete fail for the next two years at a minimum.
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Sherri said on November 13, 2016 at 6:31 pm
Protest without a plan, a specific goal, and follow-through is just noise, and worse, as Nancy says, plays right into the law and order theme that conservatives love.
Speak up. Stand up. Have the difficult conversations like I had this morning. Don’t try to solve all problems at once. Figure out what is most important to you, and do what’s in front of you. Keep your eyes open. Find your friends and allies; I’ve been touching base with people all week.
The most important thing: remember to breathe!
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Jolene said on November 13, 2016 at 6:40 pm
If you can afford it, choose an organization that shares your goals and send them a monthly contribution. If you have the resources, it’s easy enough to do. I’m thinking, particularly, about organizations that can oppose the Trumpistas in court. The ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the Natural Resources Defense Council are a few examples.*
It’s especially difficult to address environmental concerns because they rarely affect us directly–at least not until there’s an oil spill in the Gulf–and because the deleterious effects of unfortunate practices are slow to develop. But no serious person thinks it’s a great plan to loosen regulations on the production and consumption of fossil fuel, and that’s exactly what Trump has in mind.
*As I write this, I recall that I’ve said something similar before. Not sure if I said it here. If so, sorry for the repetition.
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Sue said on November 13, 2016 at 6:58 pm
Well, Nancy’s not saying it so I will. My focus is on journalism, something that’s been infuriating me for years. In the wake of last Tuesday I’ve donated to the Wisconsin Center for Media and Democracy, and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. I’ve already subscribed to The Guardian, after they did some nice work on the shit going on in WI.
Any donations out there for Nancy’s Bridge?
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Sherri said on November 13, 2016 at 7:58 pm
Both the NYTimes and the WaPo focus on RNC PR BS as Chief of Staff and ignore Bannon as Chief Strategist and Sr. advisor, even though Bannon’s name was at the top of the press release.
The man who runs a white supremacist site has a senior role in the White House, but the story is the Trump has offered offered an olive branch to the mainstream GOP? Way to normalize. This is why I won’t let go of the racism, misogyny, bigotry; our media doesn’t want to face it.
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brian stouder said on November 13, 2016 at 8:29 pm
Sherri – wadaya talkin’ about? Misogyny?
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/08/stephen-bannons-domestic-abuse-charges
In the report, Bannon’s then-wife claimed that he grabbed at her neck and smashed a phone she was trying to use to call 911. In January 1996, he was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence, battery, and dissuading a witness, though the case was dismissed when his ex-wife did not show up for trial, according to Politico. (A spokeswoman for Bannon told Politico that he pleaded not guilty to the allegations and was never interviewed by the police. She said he has a great relationship with his ex-wife.)
See – Presidential advisor Bannon only grabbed his wife by the throat, when he attacked her; not her genital area, as the boss would have done.
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BigHank53 said on November 13, 2016 at 8:31 pm
Podcasts that may help…there’s Backstory, which has three history professors looking at a single topic through the centuries of American history. They did a really good one a couple years ago on the history of Christmas celebrations, for example. Gretchen Rubin has her Happier podcast, which is not woo-woo but mostly practical advice on forming better habits, so you can make space to be a bit more cheerful. If you’re a gardener Margaret Roach has a great podcast.
The historian David Blight recorded his freshman course on the Civil War a couple years ago. He’s a brilliant lecturer, and you don’t need more than high school history to follow it. Search for the Yale Open Course to find them.
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Joe Kobiela said on November 13, 2016 at 8:36 pm
Dam it,
Lost Leon Russel.
Pilot Joe
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alex said on November 13, 2016 at 9:12 pm
I found a nice diversion for the weekend. “Sausage Party.” It was the most profanity-laced, sophomoric piece of crap I’ve seen in ages, and its ethnic stereotypes made those that were common a half century ago in cartoons look tame by comparison. It wasn’t even my first choice for a movie, but as a gracious guest in someone else’s home I suffered it. And it was cathartic and it does have artistic merit. I’ll have to watch it again if only to catch all of the jokes I missed because it’s such a rich pastiche of raunch. It’s a parable for our time told with a millennial’s sensibilities.
I’m bracing for attending a conference this week for work and dreading it in part because it’s an insurance industry thing, Hoosier style, and it has always struck me as very arch-conservative and tribalistic. Very Carmel/Noblesville new-gilded-age wannabe. “Everybody, if you love Chick Fil A, raise your hand! I see there aren’t some hands raised. What is it you don’t love about Chick Fil A? Haven’t you ever been to one?” Seriously, this was what I was subjected to at one of these things a few years ago, and worse. If it gets bad I may just bail on it.
I saw the Trump interview on 60 Minutes and he’s showing more self-control than I’ve seen before. He’s now the dodgy politician he warned his followers about. On the gay marriage question, he claims it’s settled and there’s nothing more to say about it. Until, of course, Mike Pence has something to say about it, which he will. As for prosecuting Hillary, I’m sure the “lock her up” people came away just as happy as those who know he’s full of shit.
I caught the opening of SNL on the Internet but didn’t watch the whole show. A woman of my acquaintance asked if I’d seen it and weighed in that Kate McKinnon playing Hillary playing the piano was very soothing and healing, “but then that Dave Chapelle had to go and ruin it.” I get the feeling that a lot of Trump voters were uneasy about their vote and feel guilty about it and are looking for affirmation. The kind of healing they’re expecting is for the country to slip back into denial that there’s any racism or that it’s a problem. That’s the fissure that Obama’s election opened up and that’s what gave rise to the silly canard that there wasn’t any racism until Obama came along. For these people it’s all about them and their comfort level, fuck everyone else.
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Suzanne said on November 13, 2016 at 10:06 pm
I needed this tonight.
I got into a Facebook bit of a snit with someone today. Her daughter was harassed, she said, at college by some black girls and she was scared. I agreed that I would have been worried, too, and then one of her Facebook friends commented that she was so surprised at this and that she’d even heard about women having their hijabs ripped of their heads! Wow! That set me off and I replied that I was not surprised and that when you have vitriol spewed like was in this election, people feel emboldened to harass others. I said I had lived through Kennedy & King assassinations, the Kent State shooting, and the Chicago Dem convention riots but that this was different. My comments were not well received.
So, I need to follow Nancy’s advice and shut up & put up. And go down fighting.
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on November 13, 2016 at 10:30 pm
Sherri, if it’s any comfort, your suggestions re: voting on tax issues were point by point what I’d said.
Post-worship today was just plain weird. My wife and I went to one of the usual lunch gatherings, but ducked out early. The hyper-defensiveness of those disclosing they voted for Trump (I have yet to ask anyone, but now people keep feeling the need to tell me they did, in numbers that my head just isn’t wrapped around) is just impossible to respond to without living down to some perverse level of expectations. I’m not ready to say what I’m going to be preaching in the near-term other than what I’ve been planning right along (Advent, Christmas), but my Facebook and e-mail were certainly filled with exhortations from my denominational leaders and my peers in ministry to tear into Trump voters, bigly. I don’t feel right about that, mainly because I need to know more about their motivations than I do right now, but I’m not feeling very much at peace with the amount of tension that apparently was building up as some (many? not sure) were tensing up expecting me to rail against them, and their electoral choice, which apparently created the weirdly eruptive defensiveness after the service was over. Part of me would like to say “you think I’m upset about Hillary losing? what would give you that idea?” but that would seem too much like saying “yeah, Trump voters, that was a good move that will work out well.” So I’m still listening, and discerning.
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susan said on November 13, 2016 at 11:12 pm
This is excellent, by Leon Wieseltier, in the WaPo. “Stay angry. That’s the only way to uphold principles in Trump’s America. And the subhead: “Having run a campaign of division, he implores us to put an end to our divisions. No.”
I’m glad WaPo has finally (mostly) come around to reporting and writing about reality. As opposed to the NYT.
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Sherri said on November 13, 2016 at 11:50 pm
Well, at least the Seahawks beat the Patriots tonight, after Belichik and Brady gave aid and comfort to Trump.
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Sherri said on November 14, 2016 at 1:15 am
What Normalization Means: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/what-normalization-means
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Sherri said on November 14, 2016 at 1:20 am
A conservative NeverTrumper stays NeverTrump: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2016/11/13/trump-voters-we-did-hear-you-we-just-thought-better-of-you/
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Dexter said on November 14, 2016 at 1:37 am
I like to tell stories of the past but not pine for those days…as Bernie says, “What good would it do?” I do like to be aware of the past so I don’t speak up for some lamebrain plans like invading Iraq (check out the current Showtime doc about the Iraq invasion of 2003, featuring the main characters, Rodriguez, Tenent, Powell, Rice, and many more.) The entire Vietnam-USA experience provided many lessons but the Bush surrogates never paid any mind.
I like Facebook and find it easy to separate the wheat from the chaff. I try to keep up with world events via online newspapers, but the big masthead rags I like have paywalls these past ten years; I understand the revenues pay writers, but as a fixed income senior age retiree, I had to choose: paywalls or cable TV and I get more enjoyment from TV these days. Can’t have all of everything. I used to spend at least 30 minutes a day on The Grey Lady, now I always save my 20 clicks per month for some disaster and then never use them. I never complain because …what good would it do?
Twitter…I have an account but I will go months and not go there. For my Social Media, I much prefer Facebook.
And alex? You are correct. When Ms. Stahl asked about The Wall and said it’s been reported it’s really going to be mostly a fence, Trump said he was fine with that…”Build that wall”—“Tear DOWN this wall!…” are all just bullshit . It wasn’t Gorbachev who tore down Berlin wall, it was people with pipes and hammers , and Trump is actually sounding like he’s status quo-bound .
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Sherri said on November 14, 2016 at 2:27 am
This, from someone who watched Erdogan take power in Turkey, suggests that public protests do accomplish something: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/trump-victory-regime-change-lessons-autocrats-erdogan-putin
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alex said on November 14, 2016 at 6:14 am
Here are two takes on the same event:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Sign-of-solidarity-arising-after-election-16304719
http://wane.com/2016/11/13/anti-trump-protesters-gather-at-allen-co-courthouse/
I suspect both organs had a preconceived story in mind and sent out rookies to gather the necessary filler.
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Linda said on November 14, 2016 at 6:48 am
I have a friend who sort of drifted into conservatism after retirement, when she started hanging around with conservatives. She believes everything she sees on right wing memes, without even reading them.
When I see a story on a politically charged site, I dig around till I find the back story in a local “real” news source. Sometimes I find the political source exaggerated, but sometimes I find they just picked up on a facet of the story that was not important to the local readers, but was interesting to their ideology.
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Alan Stamm said on November 14, 2016 at 7:11 am
Stirring crie de coeur, Nancy. — Agenda-minimizing lamprey
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adrianne said on November 14, 2016 at 7:50 am
This made me laugh in the middle of the post-election storm: Apparently the fools around Trump didn’t realize that the entire West Wing staff for Obama would resign once he’s gone and he has to hire a whole new staff. How clueless are these guys? We’re about to find out.
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on November 14, 2016 at 8:27 am
What, we can’t offer them incentives to stay and work with us?
Reading that made me think of a picture I’m sure everyone has seen, and I went looking for it and found another salutary lesson in what the internet can and can’t tell us clearly: http://time.com/4566547/white-house-obama-staffers-donald-trump/
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Suzanne said on November 14, 2016 at 8:29 am
This just makes me sad. Madam Butterfly sad “One fine day…”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/business/economy/can-trump-save-their-jobs-theyre-counting-on-it.html?_r=0
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Jolene said on November 14, 2016 at 8:29 am
Agree, Adrianne. I mean, *I* know that essentially everyone at the White House other than the housekeeping and maintenance staff has to be replaced. How could they not know?
Honest to God, I share Nancy’s “get tough and get moving” view, but what I really feel like is crawling into bed and pulling the covers over my head.
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Jolene said on November 14, 2016 at 8:56 am
Suzanne, CBS Sunday Morning had a very good piece on an economically devastated county in West Virginia. There is no way that community will ever be restored to the days when coal was king, but, among the greatly reduced population, there are lots of people who think that Trump can and will make it happen.
If Trump had an ounce of integrity, he’d have given these people a “Nobody can bring back the past, but we can work together to help you now and build a different future” message.
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Peter said on November 14, 2016 at 9:22 am
Oh Jolene, if Trump had an ounce of integrity…talk about squeezing blood out of a stone.
Adrianne, I had read that as well…I would have forgiven Trump for everything, the racism, the misogyny, the nativism, the lies and lies and lies, his appalling lack of intelligence, if he could surround himself with people who knew what they were doing, even though I would disagree with their opinions. No such luck that’s going to happen. This is going to be worse than Carter. Maybe even worse than Harding.
And then Leon Russell on top of that.
Have a nice day!!!
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Julie Robinson said on November 14, 2016 at 10:04 am
While I totally agree that we need to move forward, every so often it hits me again like a big ol’ slap in the face. Like when I wake up in the middle of the night. At times like that I feel hopeless.
But there’s nothing like staying busy for distraction, and the kids had decided to host a big dinner for a family member who is moving. She’ll miss Thanksgiving, so I made stuffing, banana bread, and they also requested that god-awful green bean with fried onion casserole.
We had a wonderful time hearing about her new life and stocking up on toddler hugs, and if talk at the end of the evening digressed to the electoral college, well, what are you going to do.
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Suzanne said on November 14, 2016 at 10:05 am
I truly believe much of what has driven Trump is that Correspondent’s dinner (I think that is what it was) years ago at which Obama made fun of him. It was highlighted on the Frontline documentary about the candidates.
Trump never forgets an insult and is very vengeful. I think it has been his dream since then to force Obama, as POTUS and a black man, to have to hand over the keys of the White House to His Excellency Mr Trump. That’s his revenge and the GOP got sucked up into it. Who knows how Trump will react once he’s finally in office? Mission accomplished so move on to something else? Or once he’s got the taste of blood in his mouth, find other victims to flay?
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Jolene said on November 14, 2016 at 10:40 am
Not a meme exactly, but a combination of entertainment and resistance: People are donating money to Planned Parenthood in honor of Mike Pence. No amount is too small.
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Sherri said on November 14, 2016 at 10:59 am
In business, when you acquire a company, you offer retention bonuses to key employees to stay some period of time. Maybe the Trumpers thought there was some government transition pool of money for that (they certainly weren’t going to use their own money!)
Jolene, that message is what Hillary told those miners in West Virginia. They didn’t want to hear it. They preferred Bernie’s stick it to the bankers message in the primaries and Trump’s magical bring the jobs back message. I’ll leave as an exercise to the reader which message they would have preferred had Bernie been Trump’s opponent.
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Jeff Borden said on November 14, 2016 at 11:07 am
I think one thing everyone can do is look out for those who are going to be marginalized. Speak up if some asshole is insulting a woman in a hijab. . .Intervene if some douchebag is harassing a gay person. . .etc. A lot of innocent people are feeling marginalized through no fault of their own in the wake of this horrible election. They deserve our support.
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Deborah said on November 14, 2016 at 11:11 am
Jolene, I did crawl in bed yesterday evening and pulled the covers over my head. Then I woke up at 2am and decided I needed to get out of my echo chamber, so I got online and looked up National Review and Michelle Malkin etc. That wasn’t a good idea either, that made me more depressed. There is a lot of hate spewing everywhere, out of my mouth too.
I need a rest, I’m taking a hiatus from the internet again. Next week I’ll be in Abiquiu so it won’t be possible, no electricity so no wifi and cell service is spotty. I need to shut up and listen to people talk but I don’t have any conservative friends, only family. I don’t pick and choose my friends by whether they’re conservative or not, it just happens naturally.
I got some sun spots burned off of my forehead this morning and my latest physical tells me I’m starting to have cholesterol issues, so that means good-bye eggs, cheese and butter. It’s time for me to get in shape physically as well as mentally.
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Scout said on November 14, 2016 at 11:27 am
This is exactly what I needed to read after spending the entire weekend depressed, sleepless and hopeless. Although I recognize my action was not exactly in the spirit this piece was intended, I did re-post this on Facebook on a private page that was set up before the election to support Hillary, and which is now, post-election, a place for community to commiserate and share action ideas on where we go from here. It seemed apropos.
As one of the marginalized, my partner and I have already stopped acting like a couple in public. That may change as the emotional climate changes, but for now, two 5′ shorties who are 59 and 61 will feel safer being more invisible. We bought a new bed this weekend and pretended it was for just me. This whole thing makes my heart hurt and my guts churn.
I’m not ready to get over it, but I am ready to stop feeling hopeless and start planning what we can do besides what we have done in the immediate aftermath. (Donated to ACLU and PP) I’m getting weary of cycling through the 5 stages over and over again!
It helps to have this community, so thank you all. And BIG THANKS to Nancy.
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Bitter Scribe said on November 14, 2016 at 11:42 am
From the Wall Street Journal:
And that’s yet another of the long, long list of reasons why Obama is a better man than I am. I would have spent the minimal amount of time with the asswipe, not one minute more, saying, “You think I was such an incompetent disaster? OK, figure this out on your own.”
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Bitter Scribe said on November 14, 2016 at 11:45 am
Deborah @#38: I’m not telling yourself to gorge yourself on eggs, cheese and butter, but you should be aware that the latest research shows that the link between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol has been exaggerated for a long time. Does your doctor have you on cholesterol-lowering meds? Mine just put me on, which should preserve my health until Paul Ryan “reforms” Medicare into oblivion and I can no longer afford them.
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Jeff Borden said on November 14, 2016 at 11:47 am
Bitter Scribe,
I noted with grim humor that the son-in-law, Jared Kushner, asked during a tour of the West Wing how many of the employees would remain behind. He had no clue all will exit with President Obama. Clueless really doesn’t describe this crew.
And now Steve Bannon, a champion of white nationalism and a hero of the alt-right and one deemed anti-Semitic, is the official strategist for the Trump presidency. What could possibly go wrong?
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Jean Shaw said on November 14, 2016 at 11:50 am
Of all the books to quote from–and yet that excerpt resonates with me, deeply.
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Judybusy said on November 14, 2016 at 11:52 am
Ah, Scout that breaks my heart. I have been pulling back to. Usually I take every opportunity to say “my wife” but I am going to be more careful. The guy that came to fix our furnace on Thursday was wearing his VFW hat, I was home alone, so she became the gender-neutral “better half.” Now I regret it, because being out is so important, and I doubt anything terrible would have come of it….
I talked to a co-worker today who is really involved with racial justice. I asked her advice on what to do with this. She is on the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission, so I am going to look into that.
I am talking openly with people of color, including one of the security guards at the government center, about the election results, letting them know they are not alone in the fight.
I have logged off FB. It’s not productive.
MPR had a story today aout what Trump’s tax changes would actually mean. The very wealthy make out like bandits of course, and taxes could actually go up for many middle class people. They also had a way-too-long piece about Trump’s nearly normal tone in the 60 minutes interview. Very much part of the normalization process that Sherri linked to. If he’s not spitting and frothing, he’s normal, we’ll be able to work with him, etc, etc.
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FDChief said on November 14, 2016 at 11:53 am
One thing is critical, though. It’s important to take the autocrat at his word, and his lieutenants at theirs.
So when somebody like Newt Gingrich says that a new HUAC is a dandy idea? Don’t kid yourself that it’s just rhetoric. He really, truly wants to do that and you need to be prepared to fight against it BEFORE he gets the damn thing up and running. When somebody like Paul Ryan,the zombie-eyed granny starver, says he wants to yank the social safety net out from under granny’s orthopedic shoes to see if she can survive on cat food? Believe it.
I’m hearing a pantsload of my “conservative” acquaintances telling me and every lefty they can reach to STAY CALM! and that all this talk of yanking marriage licenses out of the hands of L/G couples is just sayin’, that the idea that elite squads of Trumpentruppen will be fanning out to track down every taco truck guy and anchor baby is just the New Boss’ way of filling dead airspace. That we should pay no attention to the Kluxxer Drumpf has appointed to be his chief advisor or to the climate-change-denier he’s going to put in at EPA…that he’s reeeeeally going to govern from the center.
Nope. Give the man and his siderunners the respect to take them at their word. Drumpf wants to be the Boss and Ryan and McConnell & Co. want to rear down the New Deal and the Great Society and see what happens if we have a Gilded Age only with cell phones.
And if you’re not okay with that…and why should anyone be?…it’s time to start organizing a plucky band of rebels. Now.
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Little Bird said on November 14, 2016 at 12:11 pm
Charlotte, about the knitting thing, the link takes me to a sign in page and then sort of freeezes. I have 9 unsold hats from last night, do you have the actual address for where to send the hats?
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Kim said on November 14, 2016 at 12:22 pm
So much depends on civility. I know there aren’t many soccer fans here, so please bear with me. My youngest’s team played yesterday for the conference championship – a #6 seed vs the #1, so we were at #1’s field. The home team’s student section was led by a young man whose actions were beyond the pale. He held up a large (2’x3′) photo of one of our players – a mugshot from four years earlier when this young man was arrested – and then yelled lies about that player. Of course his student section, located on the pitch right in front of the visitors’ section, dutifully repeated those lies. Then, because our keeper is an immigrant from Central America (whose family has lived in the U.S. for years) and a very talented athlete who saved shot after shot, he encouraged his crew to yell “Build the wall!” (Never mind that soccer is a sport that is recruited internationally, and the home team’s starting 11 had eight international players among them. I am an idiot, I know, to expect he/they could see the disconnect.)
A woman who appeared to be some sort of administrator eventually took away the signs, but the young man and co. persisted in his ridiculous, racist taunts and lies. It was distressing, to say the least, and everything I could do to keep my mouth shut when I walked out and past this young man. He was not going to be receptive to what I had to say and I didn’t want my point to get lost in heat. Believe me when I say this was very hard.
So today I have written a letter to the NCAA, to the university’s athletic director and president, and to the conference’s commissioners. The NCAA has a program that addresses respect (in fact, it’s called RESPECT) and it’s clear to me that there’s a group of students and administrators who need a refresher.
It is a shame, because the athletes played a beautiful game, very clean and with enormous respect for each other. That – and all those players from so many different countries – was a good thing to see. I doubt the home team’s student section caught any of that.
So, there’s a lot of work to be done, whether these students were emboldened by last Tuesday’s results or are just that way. Let’s get to it.
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nancy said on November 14, 2016 at 12:46 pm
Kim, that’s chilling. This was a college team? The president needs to be informed of this, stat.
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Peter said on November 14, 2016 at 12:48 pm
Scout, I can understand your reluctance to be a victim of a hate crime, but you shouldn’t change because some slug got elected. Especially when you buy something. I always looked at it as if you don’t like my lifestyle choices then you don’t like my money. Sure, it’s easy for me to say because I’m probably 1000 miles from you and have never met you, but you should be proud of who you are.
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Kim said on November 14, 2016 at 12:50 pm
Yep, Division 1 college sports, people. I did mean to include the president, as I did include him in my distribution.
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Deborah said on November 14, 2016 at 1:07 pm
Bitter Scribe, my Dr said I’m still in the range of normal but my levels are higher than they were last year and that I should watch my diet, to cut back on eggs, cheese, butter, red meat, and fried foods. I don’t eat much red meat but eggs and cheese are going to be hard for me to give up. The day before my physical I made lasagne and had a huge plate of it. I was wondering if that could have caused my levels to be higher.
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Suzanne said on November 14, 2016 at 1:23 pm
Talk about chilling, I just got a text from my daughter. She said a friend of hers was groped by a guy in broad daylight and then said “This is the New America!”
But, no. Trump’s election didn’t embolden thugs.
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Suzanne said on November 14, 2016 at 1:25 pm
The guy said “This is the New America!”, just to be clear, not my daughter’s friend.
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Bitter Scribe said on November 14, 2016 at 1:44 pm
Boy, it sure takes a lot of guts to scream racist abuse at a goalkeeper who has to stand there with his back to you.
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brian stouder said on November 14, 2016 at 2:25 pm
…and – Gwen Ifill – rest in peace
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Sherri said on November 14, 2016 at 2:28 pm
Don’t get your news from Facebook, part eleventy-millionth: http://gizmodo.com/facebooks-fight-against-fake-news-was-undercut-by-fear-1788808204
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Sue said on November 14, 2016 at 2:35 pm
Just called my R senator and rep, and made it clear that I did not want them to support Paul Ryan’s efforts to privatize Medicare. Paul’s in a hurry, don’t wait to make the call.
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Heather said on November 14, 2016 at 2:48 pm
I called Paul Ryan and McConnell’s office about the Bannon appointment. Both had too many calls to answer or voicemails were full. I left a message with my Dem senator to speak out against it, and called my state rep where a human actually answered.
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LAMary said on November 14, 2016 at 2:48 pm
My son plays pickup soccer on weekends in a park here in LA. He’s the only guy on the team who isn’t Latino. Two guys on the team wear ankle bracelets because they had minor traffic stops and were found to be undocumented. If they mess up again, and I’m talking about stuff like a broken tail light, they get deported. They get hassled by the police pretty much every weekend. My son doesn’t. He’s a really white guy. They have a barbecue after the game every week and the cops always check for alcoholic beverages. Every week. As if they would bring any knowing that a) they will be hassled and b) they might get an ankle bracelet or tossed in the immigration holding jail. I don’t imagine this will get better.
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Peter said on November 14, 2016 at 2:48 pm
To second Brian, Politico among others are reporting that Gwen Ifill has passed away.
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carl said on November 14, 2016 at 2:52 pm
About that meeting between T and Obama. This is more or less fiction, but insightful nevertheless. Last half of a tumblr post:
Trump walked into the Oval Office like a two-pump-chump freshman thinking it was SYLLABUS DAY, and what he got was the FIRST DAY OF LAW SCHOOL, and he hadn’t done the reading like everyone else had, and Professor Obama decided to put him in the hot seat.
This was Obama’s chance for the most perfect revenge that would never be picked up on as revenge at all. He was gracious, polite—everything he needed to be for a peaceful transition and a good review from the press. And that would continue when the doors were closed, because that’s the key. Not a Come to Jesus meeting, oh no. If Obama were smart—and he is very smart—he would have treated Trump like an equal, and brought the discussion to a level that assumes far more of Trump than anyone has so far. Assumes that he’s an adult who’s been paying attention. Statistics, esoteric minutiae about the executive branch procedure, economic growth numbers, labor figures, domestic policies, countries Trump has never even heard of, shit that would never in a million years have been in Trump’s campaign soundbites or digestible summaries.
No way to escape. No aides to remember any of it for him. Just the two of them.
Because that’s what would strike a precise chill into Trump. The thundering realization that he’s woefully unprepared for the hard, boring, thankless reality of this, and Obama’s version of a smooth transition won’t and shouldn’t include remedial civics.
That’s what I saw when they shook hands and Trump stared at the floor instead of looking back into Obama’s face. He’s just figured out how little he knows about any of this.
And that should give you a small glow of satisfaction, because after those meetings, Trump definitely has the 1L Terror Shits. In January, the night sweats and insomnia will show up, but for these first few weeks—nothing but diarrhea and self-doubt.
http://chels.tumblr.com/post/153094186352/valadilenne-ive-been-thinking-a-lot-about-the
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Peter said on November 14, 2016 at 2:53 pm
And now the AV Club is saying that Lupita Tovar, star of early Mexican films, has passed away in LA at 106.
The first two comments were memorable:
“She couldn’t live in Trump’s America.”
“Who could?”
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Kirk said on November 14, 2016 at 2:54 pm
Any reason you’re not IDing this bastion of higher education, Kim?
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Deborah said on November 14, 2016 at 2:58 pm
Sorry to hear about Gwen Ifill, always liked her.
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Mary Ann said on November 14, 2016 at 3:07 pm
I have only commented here once before, and I’m a little nervous about barging into such a close knit community, but here goes. I’ve contacted my state rep and two senators saying I expect them both to keep the Ryan “let’s kill Medicare” initiative from happening. They’re all Democrats. Any ideas about what else I can do regarding Medicare and the ACA? My sister who is self-employed was able to find a good insurance policy through the ACA, and I’m really worried about her if it gets repealed.
Thanks for any ideas you can share.
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Suzanne said on November 14, 2016 at 3:18 pm
Whoever said previously that he/she checked the National Review site for some balance and came away depressed was correct. I just checked. They are still running with stuff like this: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/442158/birtherism-sidney-blumenthal-white-house-correspondents-dinner-trump-victory
And they tell the left to get over it??
Or are they just too embarrassed to admit that in spite of all their pontificating about what a disaster Trump would be, nobody in their sphere listened. And so, let’s distract.
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Sherri said on November 14, 2016 at 3:22 pm
It’s a sad moment for this country when the best hope you have for an incoming administration is that it will be able to jettison the racism and xenophobia that was its primary fuel while fulfilling the impossible economic promises that it has made. If that doesn’t happen, and the impossible economic promises do not come to pass, only the racism and xenophobia will be all that’s left and over the weekend, we learned that they will have a friend at the apex of our government to keep them warm.
Charlie Pierce gets it about right, I suspect.
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a50654/why-steve-bannon-is-dangerous/
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brian stouder said on November 14, 2016 at 3:35 pm
…and the Bromance continues!!
Donald Trump has spoken by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin says
The two men pledged to combine efforts against their “shared enemy No. 1 – international terrorism and extremism,” and plan to meet personally, the Kremlin statement said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/11/14/donald-trump-has-spoken-by-phone-with-russian-president-vladimir-putin-kremlin-says/
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Deborah said on November 14, 2016 at 3:40 pm
Suzanne, that was me. I made the mistake of thinking I would learn something new by going to some right wing sites. The one that really depressed me was Michelle Malkin, that woman is just vile when it comes to spewing hate. I went with an open mind, I know that may seem false, but I really did. The thing that’s so ironic is how they say the left is spewing hate. Yes that’s true to some degree, but look in the mirror, people. Pot/kettle.
Mary Ann, I’m looking for the same answers for my daughter who is about to lose her healthcare. So far all I’ve come up with is to encourage my daughter to get every test/treatment she possible can while she still can. Everything I’ve read is that’s the first thing to go, on Trump’s agenda. I honestly don’t think it will happen as soon as they are saying, but just to be on the safe side, get what you can NOW. Ryan is really earning his moniker given to him by Charlie Pierce, he calls Ryan the Zombie Eyed Granny Starver.
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Charlotte said on November 14, 2016 at 3:44 pm
Little Bird@46 — I suppose you have to have a Ravelry account (although Ravelry is a lovely place filled with really terrific folks). Here’s the info I have from the NoDAPL site: donations & checks can be mailed to:
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Attention: Donations
PO Box D
Building #1
North Standing Rock Avenue
Fort Yates, ND 58538
Please make checks payable to Standing Rock Sioux Tribe – Donations
It’s blowing like gangbusters here in MT, and from what I saw on the weather channel, it looks like it’s gotten cold and snowy in the Midwest. I’m knitting as fast as I can!
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Jolene said on November 14, 2016 at 3:47 pm
The SPLC HAS an online petition opposing the Bannon appointment . Worthwhile to sign, but some people are also taking the steps recommended in this FB post:
Here’s a concrete action a friend of a friend proposed: Friends, let’s seek a tactical victory this week. Let’s try to stop the Bannon appointment. Presidents have had to back down before, for comparatively minor reasons. (Some of us are old enough to remember Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood, Bill Clinton’s two AG appointments, who had to withdraw for failing to pay Social Security taxes.) Let’s not assume this is a done deal.
Let’s do what we can to stop this. I have enclosed a list of actions below. Please feel free to add to this, especially those of you with organizing experience (some of whom I’ve tagged).
1) If you live in the US, call your Representatives and Senators and tell them this is unacceptable.
2) Paul Ryan is feigning ignorance again. Call his office at (202) 225-3031 and let him know that this is not ok. Same with Majority Leader McConnell, (202) 224-2541.
3) Call out the media when they report the Bannon appointment as a straight news story or refer to him as a “Breitbart executive” or a “provocateur,” but don’t call him what he is: a white supremacist, anti-semite, misogynist. Don’t let them normalize.
4) Where protests are ongoing, make this the focus, with signs, chants, etc. Next week we can turn out attention to other things. But for now let’s focus like a laser on this.
5) Let’s get religious groups on board; maybe even mainstream business groups, like the Chamber of Commerce (202-659-6000).
6) Contact other people of influence–College presidents, high-profile coaches and anyone else who has a public megaphone.
We can do this.
Of these, calling McConnell, Ryan, and your own reps are most straightforward and practical–unless you happen to be the leader of a large religious denomination.
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Mary Ann said on November 14, 2016 at 3:48 pm
Thanks, Deborah, I’ll talk to my sister about making early appointments for any tests or treatments that are coming up. It’s just so frightening to contemplate having no health insurance. This election has left so scared, angry, and ashamed for my country.
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Sherri said on November 14, 2016 at 3:55 pm
Unfortunately, unlike the Baird or Wood situations, Bannon’s nebulous position as senior advisor and strategist doesn’t need Senate confirmation. We can put pressure on Reps and Senators to speak out and influence Trump, but they can’t block the appointment.
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Jolene said on November 14, 2016 at 3:59 pm
Deborah, I understand the concern that you and Little Bird have about health insurance, but I don’t think it’s going to be so easy for them to repeal Obamacare. Trump wants to be loved. That’s the basis of everything. What they come up with may be worse than O’care, but I suspect it will be fairly similar, but with a different name. He promised last night that there’d be no gap between repeal and replace.
He is so ignorant of how the components of O’care work together that he doesn’t realize how hard it will be to keep what he likes and get rid of the rest, but he will find out soon.
And, yes, so sad about Gwen Ifill. A good journalist and only 61. I watch the PBS NewsHour most nights, so knew that she had been off for an extended period a while back. She came back, but was thinner and appeared to be wearing a wig. So, I thought cancer, but she looked well. So, I thought she might have had weight-loss surgery, and lots of black women wear wigs. Unfortunately, looks like I was right the first time.
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Heather said on November 14, 2016 at 4:00 pm
I just saw something in the NY Times about how reports of violent attacks on minorities and women “prompted” Trump to speak out against them on 60 Minutes. Um, no, he didn’t say anything at all at first. Lesley Stahl had to prompt him a couple times, and then all he said was “Stop it.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/us/politics/donald-trump-transition.html?smid=tw-share
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Jolene said on November 14, 2016 at 4:02 pm
. . . but they can’t block the appointment.
Exactly, but a few phone calls cost little in time or effort, so why not give them something to think about?
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Jolene said on November 14, 2016 at 4:06 pm
FYI: Big headline on WaPo website right now says, “Trump faced backlash over Bannon pick.” Somebody must be making a substantial amount of noise.
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Jolene said on November 14, 2016 at 4:11 pm
WaPo report on the death of Gwen Ifill.
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Charlotte said on November 14, 2016 at 4:15 pm
So — I put their phone numbers in my phone today and then called. If it’s useful to anyone — here’s the script I used with my GOP Sen/Rep.
“Hello my name is … and I’m from Livingston. I’d like some clarification on the Sen/Rep’s position on white nationalism?”
When they admit he opposes it (although Ryan Zinke’s young staffer was so freaked he had to get a mean lady to talk to me), then politely ask that they make a statement opposing the Steve Bannon appointment.
I’m playing the long game. I’m planning a couple of weekly calls, always about a single issue. Next up, the ACA.
Oh — and Deborah — I also had a chat with my ACA insurance company rep this morning — I hadn’t gone in through the exchange before, so I wanted to make sure I’m not on the hook for 2 policies. Incidentally we got chatting, and it was her impression that we’re all okay for 2017 … these are contracts after all that we’re signing during the open enrollment period. For 2018 — who knows? And she shared my concern about Medicare/SS.
I also made soup for lunch. Onions, garlic, a tiny bit of chile sauteed with some saffron and lots of lemon zest. Then a handful of bulgur, some chopped up carrots, the last of the garden roma tomatoes, and some kale. Chicken broth and another handful of ditalini soup pasta. More lemon juice and some olive oil to serve. We’ve got to stay healthy folks. We have a big fight ahead of us.
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Deborah said on November 14, 2016 at 4:15 pm
Jolene, There may be something to “replace” but everything I’ve heard is that Medicaid which LB has because of the expansion is probably going to disappear, especially in NM, a state with a lot of poverty. She will probably be able to get insurance because “they say” they will make it so insurance companies can’t refuse people with pre-existing conditions, but will it be affordable for them, that’s a big question. And if it’s affordable will it really cover what needs to be covered, will there be caps etc. It’s a big question mark now. No one knows. So my only advice is to take advantage of what they’ve got now. LB should really get a brain MRI because of her neurological condition, while she can, that will probably be prohibitive later. I’ve told her she needs to hound her primary care physician about this until it is approved, soon. She hasn’t had one since she was 18, she really needs one to see what’s going on there. They are very expensive, and unfortunately that is because our system in the US has the highest costs of anywhere else. We didn’t do this earlier because we thought we had time. Well, now we don’t.
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Deborah said on November 14, 2016 at 4:29 pm
Let me clarify, not all of Medicaid will disappear in NM, just the portion that became available because of the expansion because of the ACA. A lot of those people are on the cusp, not being able to afford Insurance premiums but not dire enough to be considered for Medicaid as it will be offered in the Trump administration.
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Deborah said on November 14, 2016 at 4:46 pm
Another clarification, there are 3 levels of Medicaid in NM, A,B and C. A being the most being covered and C being the least. LB qualifies in C because of her condition as they have it on the books. Of course as with any condition there are fluctuations of involvement and/or outcomes, but that’s what we have to work with. So if you do the math, obviously if they have to save money they’re going to eliminate C, or in the best case make cutbacks. Duh. What will she have in it’s place? Who knows? Trying to stay positive, but finding it harder and harder, the more I know.
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Jolene said on November 14, 2016 at 4:47 pm
I certainly endorse the idea of getting any needed or anticipated care soon, but Medicare is not going to go away. It was in place long before Obama and will be there, in some form, when Trump leaves the White House too. There were millions of people on Medicare before O’care, and they can’t all be dropped. If they were, we really would have people dying in the streets, and I think it will be a while before we get to that stage.
What may change are eligibility requirements and whether the program is administered under federal standards or under standards established by the state.
I’m not saying there is no reason to be concerned. I desperately wanted the ACA to be passed, and I support it despite its problems. Keep in mind that it has, to a great extent, become institutionalized, and the industries–insurance, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare providers–will have something to say about what happens next. Trying to offer some comfort here that I think is realistic.
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Jolene said on November 14, 2016 at 4:50 pm
Looks like we were typing at the same time. I guess the best you can do is, as the kids say, stay woke.
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LindaG said on November 14, 2016 at 5:07 pm
@81 – Deborah – a friend of mine has been working as a navigator for New Mexico Blue Cross and Blue Shield and she says it’s been hell ever since the election. And I remember her telling me that when the ACA was passed, flaws and all, people who were now able to afford health insurance literally were crying with gratitude to her.
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Deborah said on November 14, 2016 at 5:39 pm
Jolene, I don’t want to beat a dead horse but if you go to Ryan’s website as of yesterday anyway they describe phasing out Medicare as we know it. They talk about privatizing it which means handing it over to private insurance companies with vouchers for subsidies to help seniors pay for it. I don’t know about you but I was never happy with any private insurance company I had before I retired. I often had to call them and scream at them to get them to cover something that was well within my policy. Maybe I’m unusual in that but I doubt it. I’ve been on Medicare for a year now and have not had any such incidence. Medicaid is a different animal from Medicare. It’s all very confusing and complicated.
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Sherri said on November 14, 2016 at 5:57 pm
What Ryan wants to do to Medicare, and the impact: http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-medicare-ryan-20161114-story.html
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Sherri said on November 14, 2016 at 6:18 pm
State legislatures in 2018, folks. Gotta get ’em.
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a50672/state-legislatures-republicans/
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Sherri said on November 14, 2016 at 6:33 pm
Trump has asked for security clearances for his kids. You know, the ones who will be running his companies in that not at all blind trust. The people he can’t hire in his White House because of nepotism rules.
Once he’s inaugurated, he can grant them on his own.
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Sherri said on November 14, 2016 at 6:47 pm
Okay, here’s an amusing story – when “older” and “born first” aren’t the same!
https://gma.yahoo.com/twins-daylight-saving-time-birth-results-bizarre-age-190859817–abc-news-parenting.html
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Diane said on November 14, 2016 at 9:35 pm
Sherri @88 – Exactly!
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Suzanne said on November 14, 2016 at 10:11 pm
So Gov My Pants has email issues as well:
http://fox59.com/2016/11/14/another-email-controversy-why-pence-is-pushing-to-have-emails-contents-kept-secret/
I am sure nothing will come of it though. It’s Indiana, where we love us our despots.
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Carter Cleland said on November 14, 2016 at 11:54 pm
Another reality that Trump may be unaware of is that he will be a 24/7 resident of the White House starting January 21st. How long will he be able to handle watching Steve and Reince goosestep out, while he’s left behind?
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LAMary said on November 15, 2016 at 12:48 am
Want to feel a little better? Look at the Official Senior Dog Sanctuary facebook page.
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