To be honest, I didn't believe that this would happen again, but here we are. Trump wins again, and this time, with a popular vote majority! Even with everything he has done in the past, and some questionable tasks he promises to do in the near future, the voice of the nation has spoken, and it's Trump -- again.
So what comes next? I'll start with my personal plans, and then I'll branch out to give advice to both my liberal and conservative friends.
What Am I Going to Do?
Overall, my plan is to continue doing exactly what I've been doing the last four years. As I've told others recently, I'm having a blast enjoying the freedoms I already have. I'm living the American Dream, and I'm actively working toward my first major breakthrough, and now it's not just a matter of "if," but rather a matter of "when." And most of it is waiting for me to finally get my act together. I'm enjoying life despite all the hardships around us, and I hope that I can continue to do so -- that I don't lose any of my freedoms any time soon, and that I don't get cancelled because of my political beliefs.
With Trump's win, none of that has changed. As I will explain in an upcoming video on the 7 Habits on my "Always Be Better" YouTube channel, I realize that the vast majority of what's going on in this world is outside of my circle of influence. And until I can expand the circle, I'm better off focusing on the items where I do have control. But why write this post? Because I already have some influence, and I do have a small following of people who listen to what I have to say. (Of course, you all can help expand my influence and tell all your friends.)
Some of my long-time followers may remember back in 2016 when I tried a week-long experiment to like Trump. In the end, I came to realize: nope, I don't like him. But I learned some very valuable lessons. I came to understand why my conservative friends like him and that they are not idiots or "deplorables" or "trash."
After Trump won in 2016 and before he took office, I proclaimed on social media that I was going "give Trump a chance." I even tried to give him the benefit of a doubt when I made my list of predictions in 2017 (most of which came true). So -- yeah, I gave him a chance, but it wasn't long before I started complaining.
This time around, I know what he's capable of. When Trump won in 2016, I was like: "That's interesting." When he lost in 2020, I was all: "What a major relief!" And in 2024 I'm currently like: "Oh crap." Trump has already had his chance.
As far as I'm concerned, he lost all of my support in late 2020 when he tried to steal the election. He has never repented, and practically the entire GOP continues to support him in this claim without even the smallest shred of evidence that systemic voting fraud occurred in 2020.
Though, I do have a shred of hope that Trump will be nice this time. As he said in his acceptance speech, "no more rallies" which I think he was meaning to say that all the hyperbole and violent rhetoric would stop, and he would now work toward unifying and healing America. Not even once in that speech did he indicate that he'd be going after his political opponents, except for possibly a cryptic "I'm going to keep all of my promises." If Trump plays nice and actually uses his powers and talents for good, I'd be pleasantly surprised, and he may yet become the next Reagan.
But who am I kidding? The actuary in me says: I gave him a chance. I fully expect him to be exactly what he was before. There isn't much I can do about anything, but I'm going to have to set up contingencies to prepare for the worst. And I will always have my words -- for as long as they're allowed to be spoken and written. I can continue my "Always Be Better" series to help people learn the tricks and tips for better living and how to combat brainwashing, and so on. And I will continue to post here -- expressing any of my future complaints for those who care to listen.
However, at the same time, I fully accept Trump as our 47th President, because of ... the Constitution. And I will continue to respect the office. As long as Trump is "nice" he will have my cooperation. And as long as he does terrible things, he'll have my complaints. I realize the only way he can be removed from office is through impeachment, and I will not advocate any other methods of removal.
My Advice to Liberals
Be smart.
I understand your surprise, anger, despair, and disappointment. I am likewise going through those five stages of grief. Kamala represented hope, unity, progress, and working together. She had planned to fill her cabinet with a mixture of liberal and conservative leaders. She could have helped to further disperse the growing contention building between the two Parties. But now Trump has won, and he will have both the Senate and the House (sorry Pelosi, but Trump has this). He will now be able to fill his cabinet with his most loyal subjects, a veritable clown show. And scary times lie ahead.
But there are still some checks and balances in place. If you guys are smart, you will study those options available to you. The best defense right now lies in the judicial branch ... mostly in the lower courts. Even the Supreme Court could rule in your favor on some items -- for example, they would be unlikely to support an executive order to repeal the 14th Amendment (which can only be done through the amendment process).
Another strategy is to do what the GOP has done for the past four years: educate the masses. The GOP did this by coining high inflation as "Bidenomics," even though most of it was a big lie and a misunderstanding of what really caused high inflation. But it worked. This is the ONE issue that pushed Trump to the win just now.
And you can do the same now. Democrats, unite: come up with a message that resonates with the general public. Aim for the midterm elections. If you're successful, you will have the Senate and the House in two years, and you know what happens within a month after that. Whether you like it or not, this really is the fastest strategy to remove Trump from office.
But first, y'all need to have a big internal look at yourselves. You need to understand why practically all non-Democrats don't like you. Heck, even I don't like you. Else I'd already be registered as Democrat. I'm also very annoyed that you guys couldn't beat a convicted felon who destroys everything he touches. A testament that yeah ... most people don't like your party.
For me it's the fake "inclusion" thing mixed with the hatred of conservative people. As long as you hold on to this, the GOP will keep on winning.
I was just reading today about several Democrats just now won their races in states where Trump had won. And most of these Democrats ran on platforms that contained core GOP concepts. And I think therein lies the secret of your success. You must realize that these conservative people and many independents have concerns. You ignore these concerns at your own peril. You need to quickly get in touch with those concerns and figure out how to respond to them. Do that, and you will win in two years.
Also: a hint. Please don't do stupid things. Here are two examples:
#1) Don't protest Trump's election. This happened back in late 2016 before he took office, and it's happening again now in several cities. I've said this before and I'll say it again: you're only protesting the Constitution itself. I mean: what exactly are you trying to accomplish in these protests? There now exists no legal path to stop Trump from taking office without tearing up the Constitution. The delegates will be selected, they will be sent, the votes will be counted, and they will be certified -- and you really want to stop that process as spelled out in the Constitution?
These election protests are ineffective, dangerous, and outright stupid. If you want to win in two years, this is not the path you should take.
#2) Stop with the voter fraud allegations. I'm sincerely surprised to hear these. It's nowhere near as prevalent what the GOP tried to do 4 years ago, but still, the principle is the same. If you condemned the GOP for trying this tactic, wouldn't it make sense that you should also not be trying it yourselves? I really don't want to have to hear about this "voter fraud" thing every single election.
And finally, one last piece of advice. Have you ever been on a two-lane country road behind a slow person, and no dotted lines for passing? I know -- it can be frustrating. You've got that appointment to get to, and this guy is going 5 miles under the speed limit. What tactic is the best way to get him to speed up?
This happens to me more often than I would like, here in Winston-Salem. And I've found that the best tactic is to hang back. Don't let them know that you're in a hurry. More times than not, they will speed up naturally on their own. Maybe it isn't as fast as I want to go, but when we get to a passing lane, or it opens up to 4 lanes -- that's when I make my move ... vroom!
But when I instead get angry and ride their tails, 99% of the time, they SLOW DOWN. And then I'm in a much more terrible situation. When I get to that passing lane or 4-lane area, they're likely to SPEED UP and not let me pass.
I see the same with Trump. He's narcissistic. If he thinks the people love him, he's more likely to be "nice." The Dems being out of control are like the car stuck behind Trump, who is impeding progress. If you signal to him early what your intentions are, he will fight, and he will definitely NOT be nice. And when the time comes for you to make your move, he'll already be prepared and he will thwart it.
If on the other hand, you hold back and "work with him" as both Biden and Harris have been suggesting, then I think you will be in a better situation. And in two years, you can make your move, and bam!
Be smart.
My Advice to Conservatives
Remember.
First, I'll congratulate you. I know you're happy and full of hope after four years of losses. I know, because I was full of hope four years ago when Biden won over Trump. I thought that the prospects of civil war had been instantly dispersed, that the GOP would reinvent itself to eschew Trump and return to what they used to be, and the world would be healed. But here I am four years later, disappointed. Some of Biden's missteps sabotaged what he was trying to accomplish, and the GOP doubled down on Trump. I have many fears for the future of our country. The upcoming civil war is back on, though I hope it can still yet be dispersed.
So, we've switched places. Right now you're extremely happy. Enjoy it. It was a good win -- fair and square. The people have spoken.
One thing I've noticed is that most of my immediate conservative friends are reaching out to me with kindness and concern. This is most likely due to the massive amount of personal capital I've built among my friends. They also know how I still lean conservative, and they see me as just being misguided. They tell me that in four years, I will be pleasantly surprised. There will be prosperity, people working together, the nation healed, etc., etc. It will be like Reagan again.
So I thank my conservative friends for treating me with kindness, and I will try to return that kindness. No matter what happens in the next four years, I hope we can retain that kindness -- though I will continue to have enjoyable conversations with you all.
But to let you know: my concerns about Trump have not gone away just because he won. The economist in me still maintains that Trump was the worst choice for battling inflation. His planned tariffs and desire to destroy the independence of the national reserve will very likely increase inflation, and possibly even introduce America for the very first time to the joys of hyperinflation, like what happened a couple of years ago in Hungary when Trump's friend Orban got their banks to lower interest rates during the Covid19 recovery.
The economist in me also wonders in general: how can we end up with another Reagan when many of Trump's policies go against Reagan's core principles?
I fully expect that in four years, many people will regret having voted for Trump. I think that these next four years will make our history books, and many will say, "I didn't see this coming." A few months ago, I made some predictions at the bottom of this post. If you compare them to my 2017 predictions, you'll see that my 2024 predictions are considerably more dire.
When I posted these predictions to my conservative friends, I went as far as to say: if these items do not come to pass, I will be happy, and I will buy you all lunch in four years (2028/9-ish). And so, I will want you all to remember what I've predicted. Later this week, I will post my "lunch tracker." It will start with "I owe you lunch," but as each event occurs, I will subtract points, and should it fall under a certain tolerance, I will no longer owe lunch.
So, I'm asking you to remember. Maybe you'll get a lunch. But, should these predicted items come to pass, I will ask you, my conservative friends, to reconsider your position: is Trump still the path you want to go on? And then a time may come when you will have to decide whether or not to jump off of the Trump Train and help get the country back on track.
In four years, I will be more than willing to say I was wrong. Will you be willing to do the same?
Remember.
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