Category Archives: Clinton

Democrats! Relax, Breathe in– and Get Ready to Work

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Talk about disappointed and angry white males, I’ve been out of sorts since late Tuesday night. I haven’t killed anybody, but have embarrassed myself with two seperate rants. Forgive me, Customer Service Department at Express Scripts!

Teeth-gnashing, second-guessing and fault-finding began after the first vote totals began. It continues today, as it will for some time. May we not circle the wagons and shoot in. Instead, let’s breathe in, relax and take some time reflecting and assessing. Along the way, there are a few things to consider.

  • Democrats didn’t turn out. As of this writing, Hillary has received 59,938,290 votes. Obama received 65,915,79 in 2012 and 69,498,516 in 2008.
  • Republican vote was also less than four years ago. Trump received 59,704,886,less than the 60,933,504 that Romney received AND less than McCain’s 59,948,323.
  • White, male working class voters did come out in greater numbers for Trump, especially in the heretofore “Blue Wall” states that Trump won.
  • However, if the Democrat vote had turned out in those states, Hillary would have won.
  • Don’t believe the pundits and their opinions right now. They were wrong last week and for months and even years before that.
  • We don’t need to address the discrete issue of jobs and opportunities for angry white males in the Rust Belt or elsewhere, but jobs and opportunities for both genders in all parts of the country. This especially includes inner cities and Greater Appalachia.
  • We are weaker in local and state offices than we are in presidential vote. Talk about your ground game! It turns out that there is one we have ignored.
  • Sexism, racism, nativism and xenophobia affected some voters, but we will never be able to figure out who or in what proportion. So, we don’t need to call anybody “deplorables,” but need to focus instead on our goals and tactics.

Meanwhile, let’s also remember that we our values to use in deciding upon those goals and tactics. In her concession speech, Hillary said:

“So, let’s do all we can to keep advancing the causes and values we all hold dear: making our economy work for everyone, not just those at the top; protecting our country and protecting our planet; and breaking down all the barriers that hold anyone back from achieving their dreams. We’ve spent a year and a half bringing together millions of people from every corner of our country to say with one voice that we believe that the American Dream is big enough for everyone — for people of all races and religions, for men and women, for immigrants, for LGBT people, and people with disabilities.”

You might say it a little bit differently, but those are values worth working and fighting for.

“Incivility” Happens– Sometimes for Good Reason

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I may be a heretic. Like me, you probably are dismayed at the increasingly shameful and vicious language often used in social media and other public discourse.  Like our climate, it seems to get worse every year. However, while much of what we think is “uncivil” can only be condemned, a sweeping condemnation goes too far. There is a time and place for “incivility.” We might like to think of him as “Sweet Jesus,” but at times he acted uncivilly by the standards of the day.

hillary-shooting-target-nbcOn Thursday, the New York Times had an article quoting some Trump supporters promising a  “revolution” if Hillary wins. One went so far as predict they would do “whatever needs to be done to get her out of office.” It is likely that  some of our Christian brothers and sisters feel the same. On Wednesday, the Diane Rehm Show had a program on civility and public discourse. Most of the show’s panelists condemned “incivility.” One defined it as violating some vague standard of “politeness,” whatever that means. Another was more precise by defining it “as claiming and caring for one’s identity, needs and beliefs without degrading someone else in the process.” That is a more useful definition.

However, Jesus acted “uncivilly” at times under either definition. For example, in Matthew 23:27, he spewed venom on scribes and Pharisees, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth.” Whew! He wasn’t being Sweet Jesus, and those are only some of the insults he threw out that day.

In addition, he periodically described people in other disparaging ways: dog, pig, snake, fox (in those days, it connoted a “weasel”), fool and brood of vipers. Moreover, one day he cleansed the Temple of merchants and money changers, overturning tables and driving them away with a whip. Sounds uncivil to me! It offended more than a few that day (they wanted to kill him!) and would have gone viral today: “#sonofmangoesberserk!”

In addition to these words and actions of Jesus, Paul was no shrinking violet. He called the Galatians “foolish” and later added that he wished those wanting circumcision would go the whole way and castrate themselves! (Gal. 3:1, 5:12) He also lambasted Cretans, “Even one of their own prophets has said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.’ This testimony is true.” (Titus 1:12-13a)

True, both he and Paul say and do a lot of other things that urge peaceful and harmonious discourse. Here are a few teachings:

  1. 5:7-9, “Blessed are the merciful. . . Blessed are the pure in heart. . . Blessed are the peacemakers. . .”
  2. 5:22, “But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.”
  3. 5:44, “But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.”
  4. 3: 8, “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”
  5. 3:21, “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”
  6. James 1:9, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

Just as we do, Jesus lived in a time of political, cultural and religious and unrest. At times, he spoke and acted in ways that violated “civil” norms of his day. There are times that Christians may be called to do the same in our times. What are some consideration for us to have in deciding our path? More on that next week.

Republicans Unite: #NeverTrump

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Last night, the Donald again displayed the most important factor that disqualifies him from being president: given a choice between the best interests of the country and his self-interest, he will choose the latter every time.

His life has been devoted to himself. He has shown no ability or inclination to change that focus. A president needs to have the capacity to put the country first. He does not.

We most recently see this in his explicit threat to throw the country into turmoil over the election results (note that today, he did say he would not dispute the results, “if I win”). We have seen this in his lifelong pursuit of fame, fortune and celebrity. We even have seen in this election cycle in two new ways. First, in how easily his thin skin is pricked into absurd reactions, most notably his belaboring the “size of his hands” and vouching for the size of his penis. Second, last Spring during the Republican primaries, when he questioned the results of primaries that he lost.

Even good Republicans who quiver at the thought of another Clinton presidency need to wake up to this. They need to vote for Hillary. Do they want a self-centered egomaniac making decisions about war and peace when his foremost considerations as president will revolve around his ego?

Would he sell out allies if Putin stroked him around the ears? Would he use nukes if North Korea belittled him? Would he jail political opponents? Shut down press outlets? Deport American citizens?

We do not know how far his hubris might reach. We should not try and find out.

Handling Election Stress

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Stressed about the presidential election? Here are a few tests:

  1. You wake up several times at night with thoughts like: “NO!!!!”, or “Wonder who he’s groping now?”
  2.  You check news reports every few minutes for the latest on Trump Twitter storms and WikiLeaks releases.
  3. You have invested your life savings in one of the campaigns.
  4. You receive instant notices about any changes in Nate Silver’s election predictions.
  5. You have moved to Canada.
  6. You hyperventilate at the sight or mention of anything orange.
  7. Your friends are suggesting counseling.
  8. Rudy Giuliani is starting to make sense.
  9. Rudy Giuliani looks increasingly simian.
  10. You fondly remember the good old days of 2008 when Sarah Palin was the loose screw.

If five or more of these apply to you, then you are among the 52 percent of American adults suffering from “election stress.” Last week, the American Psychological Association (“APA”) released a study finding that 52 percent of Americans 18+reported the election is a “very or somewhat significant source of stress.”

I thought that any stress primarily was people worrying about the Donald, but not so. According to an APA spokesperson, “We’re seeing that it doesn’t matter whether you’re registered as a Democrat or Republican . . .” Roughly equal numbers of those registered as Democrats (55 percent) or Republicans (59 percent) said the election is a “very or somewhat significant source of stress.” The worry also cuts across generational and gender lines.

The APA offered some suggestions to help sufferers manage stress:

  1. If the 24-hour news cycle of claims and counterclaims from the candidates is causing the stress, limit your media consumption.
  2. Avoid getting into discussions about the election if they have the potential to escalate to conflict.
  3. Stress and anxiety about what might happen is not productive. Channel your concerns to make a positive difference on issues you care about. Consider volunteering in your community, advocating for an issue you support or joining a local group.
  4. Know that whatever happens on Nov. 8, life will go on. Our political system and the three branches of government mean that we can expect a significant degree of stability immediately after a major transition of government. Avoid catastrophizing, and maintain a balanced perspective.
  5. Vote. In a democracy, a citizen’s voice does matter.

In addition to these, I have turned to television and movie comedies—and discovered “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” and rediscovered the old Peter Sellers’ Pink Panther movies– and there are 22 more days to go for more laughs.

Good luck!

The APA study can be found here.