Which election outcome--2016 or 2024-upset you more?

[Mark.b2]

For me, 2016 was worse, no doubt. I absolutely didnt see it coming. It was inconceivable! I ws on way to Florida on a business trip. When I turned my phone on upon landing in Jacksonville, I had about five texts from fellow Democratic friends giving me the first inclination that things were going sideways. I got to my hotel and about an hour later, it was pretty much over. I nevr slept and was miserable in meetings the next day from shock and lack of sleep.

This year, after the initial excitement of Harris’ taking over waned, I knew changing our candidate so late in the game had put her behind the eight ball. And the last three weeks of the campaign, I had done some traveling, driving around the Midwest and Southeast, seeing signs and hearing people talk. I was discouraged some. So, I guess I was innoculated to an extent.

Neither year was fun, but 2016, for me, I will always remember most unfondly.

[LisaL]

1. 2024 for sure.

Trump wasn't yet a twice impeached convicted felon then. Not that I liked him any better then, of course.

[2naSalit]

2. For me...

They are the same. For a brief time I will have a little bit of buffer but the window is closing.

[Dem4life1234]

3. 2024

2016 hurts but that was not too much of a gut punch because he was a shiny new penny and didn't have a criminal record. Plus, people thought she had it in the bag, so many didn't vote. No one would have thought such a clown would win. Pence was not an asshole like this bearded couch sniffer.


This one hurts because everyone should know what he was about and we all thought Kamala would knock it out of the park. She was kind of owning him in the polls, too. Plus Biden won 2020, the Blue Wall let us down, and I definitely think voter suppression was at play. He should be in the jail house not the white house. This one was a disappointment.

I will also say 2016 sucked because had Hillary won, we would not have had these trash ass SC justices.

[relayerbob]

4. 2024. I was sadly certain that Trump would take that one

I had hoped the US had learned its lesson by now. But apparently not.

[Dem4life1234]

7. I was hoping not to see his ugly orange mug again

[relayerbob]

8. You and me both

[andym]

5. 2024--how could America choose Trump again after what they saw: incompetence, division, pettiness, insurrection etc

as well as him being impeached twice and a convicted felon, it's truly amazing.

[Jit423]

6. Both were heart-breaking but 2024 is the worst. In the face of all the evidence and facts, the majority of the voters

chose the worse person who ever ran for President, knowing full well what is coming down the road and having an idea of how many people will needlessly suffer.

[iemanja]

9. Even though this is objectively worse, I too took 2016 harder

Precisely because it was such a shock, as you say. The dangers now, however, outweigh those we faced in 2016. Trump untethered will be a horrible thing.

[gemini_liberal]

10. This one stings more

While 2016 was extremely disappointing, it felt more like a speed bump than a barrier. There was still a lot of optimism for social progress in the mid 2010s, and Trump's election felt more like an error than anything. He had lost the popular vote and, while his electoral vote win was comfortable, his margins of victory in the key states that got him over the line were tiny. Combined with a noticeably underwhelming Democratic campaign (after a very contentious primary), it felt like more a fumble - one that would be corrected in 2020.

On the other hand, this one was an unmistakable endorsement for him. We can finger-point or pick faults with the Harris campaign all day but, at the end of the day, after everything that has happened in the last eight years, voters said "Yeah, that's our guy" or they didn't care enough to try and stop him at the ballot box. Consequently, he has not only increased his electoral vote from 2016 but also it looks like he's won the plurality, if not majority, of the popular vote.

Also, in 2016, his election was still an irregularity. While Brexit in the UK earlier that year was the first sign of a change that was coming all over the globe, his election was still seen as odd and even conservatives across the world thought him to be abhorrent. Whereas, the far right movement is growing stronger and more mainstream, and he (and those who aspire to be like him) are seen favorably by those on the Right now, as well as many independents and, alarmingly, some on the Left.

I should also add that neither result shocked me personally. I try not to underestimate our opponents and I had a gut feeling going into both elections it was going to be a disappointment. (It doesn't make it easier or make one less angry though.)

[roamer65]

11. 2016...first shock.

This time I was just numb and then pissed.

[quakerboy]

12. the current

I saw the 16 election result coming, but wasn't expecting this one

And I didn't see how bad trump would be, I assumed normal republican law breaking. This time we know there's a fair chance it will be far worse.

[Skittles]

13. one time can be an anomaly

twice means they approve of fascism

[Nixie]

14. 2016. This one is a watered down version of that, but 2016 was

when the stupidity of the war on Democrats really crystallized for me. Being told I was a Republican because I voted for Hillary made me see how others like white men just aren't going to stick around for that kind of stupidity. Now there's a war on boomers. The war on billionaires didn't get us squat. It's so ridiculous.

We see that the RW doesn't care who or what you are, just stick together and win. Consolidating power is what is needed and the Republicans are more than happy to see Democrats squander that.