Words I had to eat in 2016: "Trump will lose badly".

[Atticus]

I just could not bring myself to believe that there were enough mean fools to put him in the White House.

Mrs. A was not fooled. She was picking up "vibes" that I was not. In hindsight, our trip down the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway should have opened my eyes.

For miles and miles we passed all sorts of residences---from mansions to shacks---that had one thing in common: every damned one had a Trump yard sign---or a larger professionally made Trump sign---prominently displayed. I don't recall seeing ANY Hillary signs. I did my best to pooh-pooh my wife's mounting fears, but she wasn't buying it. She did not flat out say that Trump was going to win---just that he COULD win and that was terrifying.

I relate this to perhaps break through the "America is better than that" comfort blankie that some appear to have again wrapped themself in. Like Mrs. A in '16, I am not saying Trump will win or even win the GOP primaries.

But, tne fact that such a disaster COULD happen again should be viewed as an existential threat that justifies an "all hands on deck" response. It can only happen if we allow it.

[Botany]

1. Trump did not win in 2016

He was installed by Russia. Exit polls had Hillary winning Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania,
North Carolina, and Florida.

[betsuni]

13. +1

[Botany]

14. Russia installed Trump w/these 3 actions

A misinformation project to targeted Americans. They did this w/Facebook, Fox News, and supplying
republicans with highly edited out takes from the information they got by hacking the DNC and HRC's
computers.

Using the electoral college that allows the loser of the popular vote to still become POTUS.

Manipulations of voter rolls,* voter d-bases (see Paul Manafort), electronic voting machine, and
and central tabulators.





* https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2017/01/23/russians-suspected-hacking-local-dems/96965824/

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/03/trump-russian-asset-election-intelligence-community-report.html

[Fix The Stupid]

17. Wait...

So, the 2016 election was "rigged"?

Then doesn't the blame fall on the Obama Admin. for not detecting this before and ensuring the election was fair?

Also, if the 2016 election was rigged, what is the current Dem. Administration doing to ensure it doesn't happen again?

Is the current Admin. investigating the 2016 election as you claim it was rigged? If not, why not?

[Fix The Stupid]

27. Can someone answer?

Thought not.

This place never disappoints.

[MrsCoffee]

20. +2

[abqtommy]

21. +100 TFG, Putin and their cultists won the 2016 ratfucking. We let them get away with

it at the time and we've been paying for it ever since.

[David__77]

2. Of course Trump could win in 2024.

…

[Emile]

3. After the insurrection you still think he won in 2016? He's a cheating sob!

[Atticus]

5. I understand your point, but who occupied our White House for four years after 2016 and

is he not STILL "cheating sob"?

We dare not ignore the "cheating sob".

[Ohio Joe]

4. I know I did as well...

I grew up on the Jersey side of the GW bridge and was very familiar with TFG. I didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to fall for his bullshit. When he won his first primary, I thought it was just people voting to show dissatisfaction with the rest of the field... No way anyone could actually support this loon. When he first won the nod, I thought it was great news, we would win in a landslide...

Those words were the bitterest I've ever eaten.

[Tommy Carcetti]

6. We all had our moments of fleeting optimism.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10027029927

[RaDaR63]

10. Was that young woman

wearing a meat necklace?

[RAB910]

7. Americans never voted for Trump

the racist origins (who to count blacks without letting them vote) electoral college did

[walkingman]

8. I felt exactly the same - depression after the 2016 election. I personally think

the Progressive/Moderate clash in our party suppressed the vote. After 4 years of total chaos and mind-blowing yuck that changed. Now we are back to naysayers and doubters. Hopefully America really is not as delusional as it appears, but I worry.

[dalton99a]

9. It was easy to treat Trump as comedy gold and not as an existential threat

Democrats underestimated the exponential growth of the Trump cult, the Hillary hatred engendered by decades of hate radio, the crucial roles played by social media, CNN, Fox News and even the NYT (esp. regarding the Hillary email scandal), and of course the hidden catalyst: Russia.

"Look at that ridiculous looking idiot! President?? NO WAY!"

[RaDaR63]

11. You were far from alone in 2016

I think I've still got a little residual shock going on.

[Retired Engineer Bob]

12. I hear you Atticus

Being a naive Hoosier since 2008 I was looking forward to not only seeing Hillary win in 2016, but Pence losing as well.

Indiana had recently passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), https://freedomforallamericans.org/three-years-ago-today-mike-pence-signed-indiana-religious-freedom-restoration-act-law/

To call November 2016 a disappointment is an understatement. TFG could certainly win in 2024. He must be stopped.

[SoonerPride]

15. I was very disillusioned. I thought our county was better than that too.

Clearly we are not the country I grew up believing in.

I no longer hold this country in very high regard.

[niyad]

16. I kept pointing out, as I heard him dismissed as a clown, etc., that the very same

things were said about hitler, and look how that turned out. I wanted VERY much to be wrong.

The fact that 74 million voted for him in 2020, that he still exists, scares the hell out if me.

[pwb]

18. Then we woke up in 2020.

Trump is dog shit. We know now.

[MrsCoffee]

19. He did lose badly. By millions of votes.

The factors that contributed to his "win" are all 100% sus.

[BlackSkimmer]

22. Many of us saw the warning signs back then and were shouted down.

I really couldn’t believe it would happen, but I was terribly afraid that it would.

I dislike when I see threads here that we should only believe the best that can happen. I wonder how many here did NOT vote because they were certain Hillary had it.

[fightforfreedom]

23. 2016 was a freak accident.

Even Trump was surprised he won.

[MagickMuffin]

24. He lost bigly and lost the Popular Vote, he was never voted as being popular, poor thing

He was installed as pResident. He didn't earn it.


The only fools who voted for IT was the wrestling crowds, the Apprentice crowds, the Beauty Pageants crowds, the lovers of the Rich and famous crowds.


The Cult of Personality gave him an edge, but it still wasn't enough. He was just never popular.

The Electoral College elected him and crowned him the winner and pResident of the White House.

[raccoon]

25. I too used to think America is better than that.

“Wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then.” – – Bob Seger

[LetMyPeopleVote]

26. You are not alone

I was training voter protection attorneys at a downtown law firm with one of my firm's associates taking the course on voter protection. I saw my associate make a face during my presentation and asked what was wrong. He told me about the Comey reopening of the Clinton email schedule. My first reaction is that this was in violation of DOJ policy and the only reason to do this was to elect TFG.

Comey is pond scum and he helped to elect TFG