I need to confess something: The Trump presidency is my fault. I am responsible for Betsy DeVos, Neil Gorsuch, the AHCA, and all the other awfulness which the American people are enduring.
Before you get too upset with me, I should explain that I didn’t vote for Donald Trump; I voted for Hillary Clinton. But casting that vote is about all I did in support of her. in hindsight, there was so much more I could have — and should have — done.
I have never cared much about politics. While I strongly identify as a Democrat, political causes were never something I felt especially passionate about. I realize that a large part of the reason is because I have spent much of the past 20 years living in a liberal bubble.
I reside in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. which is one of the most liberal areas in the country. Most of my friends and family share my political views, so it was easy to think that those views were prevalent throughout the country. I recognized that there was a considerable number of Republicans out there, but considering America had twice elected a biracial Democrat, I was skeptical about how strong of a group they could possibly be.
Therefore, as the election grew closer, I found it odd that Donald Trump was within striking distance of Hillary Clinton in most polls. It didn’t make much sense. He made a series of what seemed like fatal missteps along the way, but none of them appeared to be fatal to his campaign. Wasn’t Howard Dean essentially eliminated from the 2004 race because he screamed a little too enthusiastically? So why didn’t Trump’s mockery of a handicapped reporter or the Access Hollywood tape ruin his chances?
Still, I wasn’t too concerned. I was sure that even if everyone in the country didn’t share my views, enough people would be able to look past the “scandals” and recognize that Hillary Clinton was tremendously qualified to be president.
I also assumed that even if voters weren’t crazy about Hillary, they’d be smart enough to realize that she was a far better choice than Donald Trump. Even if they bought into the bogus “they’re both awful” narrative, I assumed people would recognize that Trump was horrendously unqualified to be president. I assumed voters would recognize that his campaign consisted of little besides empty promises.
I don’t feel too bad about making those faulty assumptions. It seems that Hillary Clinton and her campaign made them too. Otherwise, she would have spent less time focusing on how awful Trump was, and more time touting her superior credentials and policy.
On November 8th, my bubble burst. As my wife and I watched the election unfold, we bore more than a little resemblance to the characters in this Saturday Night Live skit:
The following weeks brought a range of emotions: Anger, despair, guilt, and regret. Not only did I have to watch the Trump presidency play out as poorly as I expected, I was also made to feel guilty for being a liberal. Thanks to countless “What Democrats don’t understand about Trump voters” stories (that turned out to be mostly bullshit), I was made to feel like I was out of touch with the values held by “real Americans.”
If there’s one bright side to Trump being awful, it’s that people like me have received a much-needed wake up call. I began to question how the country could possibly elect a man like Trump, and asked what I could do to ensure that it never happened again.
I didn’t like what I learned. Apparently, the problem was worse than I thought and extended well past the White House. While I was living obliviously in my blue bubble, Republicans had taken control of most of the country. Not only was Congress under Republican control, but the governorships and legislatures of most states were as well.
I realized that there was a lot of work to be done, and I could no longer sit idly by. At first, it was difficult to determine where to focus my efforts, and honestly, I’m still trying to figure that out. In the meantime, I’ve already contributed donations to Democratic campaigns, made some campaign phone calls on behalf of Democratic candidates in runoff elections, and performed research to help turn swing districts blue.
I’m not going to claim that I’ve made a huge difference thus far, but the journey to the 2018 midterm elections is a long one. If I — and others like me — continue to stay involved, then I have a feeling that two years from now, I won’t be looking back at the election with the same sense of regret I feel now.
