Why this hurts so much
The more I think about what happened Tuesday the more it hurts, and even more so the instant dishonesty spread by my party, the losing Democrats. Analysis after analysis will follow, but the only ones who see what happened clearly are the ones who will be hurt the most. And they will see the results, the horrific results, the soonest, as in Nazi Germany.
In the several days before the election the GOP spent over $200M on ads in swing states with only one topic: fearmongering about trans women in women’s spaces, the “men in the girls’ bathroom” argument so often and convincingly debunked by facts. Unfortunately, these arguments fell quickly in the voting booths: many leaning Democratic voted for Trump. They are hateful bigots, and their votes hurt as much as those of the farthest right-winger's.
Trans hatred was more important to them than women’s healthcare, the economy, infrastructure, entitlements and inflation, all of which fared much better under Biden, and will fall apart now. More important than felonies, rape and sexual harassment convictions, erratic and dangerous behavior and promises about dictatorship and everything we “learned” from the first Trump term.
These people are the “some good people” Trump talks about. They are to blame for what will happen, first to the trans people, then other LGBT, and of course soon to everyone who doesn't swear fealty to the leader.
Look at the maps with all the red flags. There is a big swath across swing states, where the ads were concentrated. These are races where Democrats crossed over, and they will continue to cross over as long as they are sufficiently frightened.
And finally, let me tell you what hurts me the most, for my trans friends especially. This tactic, “trans fright”, will continue to be used by Republicans in all races from school boards on up, and this will continue until either until people’s minds are changed about trans people, or the Democratic Party disavows all support for trans rights… what the Democrats might do is capitulate instead of fighting the fight, and then the devil has won. It is an admission trans people are not deserving of human rights, just as the Nazis believed.
PS As always, my wife and I have an extra bedroom that has hosted a few people needed shelter… I do not want to put my contact info here, but anyone can comment below. And to anyone wishing to flame me, good luck. The only ammo I have is intelligence, logic and empathy, even for you.
PPS I also have concocted many apocalyptic scenarios following the designs of Project 2025. These are not conspiracy theories; they are GOP policy. There is no nightmare worse for the country, the continent, the world. This election could truly be the biggest mistake made in history. No hope.
