Looking For More

When you believe you have seen or heard it all, something out of the bizarre occurs and it leaves you wondering what just happen.  It also sets the stage to what might transpire next.  It is worth noting that this election year has been quite entertaining, alarming and depressing all at the same time.  On one hand, a number of things were called “unprecedented” or unusual for a presidential campaign.  While on the other hand, several of the old tricks of “dirty” politics, name calling, voter suppression, intimidation and fear mongering remained the norm.  

What is so surprising this year, unlike other years was the high level of sophistication, shifting tactics, key operatives, shallow narratives, email hacking and the role social media played.  This does not over shallow the impact of “fake” stories, draining the swamp, lock her up, suspicion of voter fraud, recounts and the possible hacking of voting machines.  And to take a few steps further, repealing the Affordable Care Act, rebuilding the Military, getting people back to work, returning jobs and businesses from overseas, changing the tax codes, revising social security, cancel or renegotiate trade agreements…the list is long and continues to grow each day due to new special interest groups. 

All of these sound bites are pretty interesting issues to tackle, but what most of us really know is that “talk is cheap” and that change takes a lot longer than the first 100 days.  What people are choosing to talk about is one thing, but what they are not willing to talk about is the “elephant the room” and that is how to “Unite the Nation.”  For many this will never happen during this presidency due to not winning the popular vote and thus a presidency that is considered illegitimate.  The second major underling issues in the room include how to tackle rising drug additions, mental health, economic disparity, immigration reform, affordable housing and improving education.   

I know that for many of us, the 2016 election did not turn out the way you had hoped or dreamed about.  I know you were looking and expecting more, but this is “what we got.”  The next few years are going to be one for our life time and it is going to be perhaps a real bumpy ride.  It will not be business as usual or one of comfort, so I suggest to… “Strap yourself in and hold on to something tight.”