Trump Has Humiliated His Foes
That was the headline in one of the early analysis articles now out after Trump's win "
Trump Has Humiliated His Foes." (
Source)
I
said last night that I was concerned as I went to bed before the election results were known. I woke to the news this morning feeling not humiliated, but confused.
The election was well run. I am not challenging the election results.
Trump has not changed. He is the same unfit-for-office man this morning he has always been.
The American people did not withhold their views of Trump, they expressed them at the ballot box.
Harris was a legitimate candidate who ran a remarkable campaign. She had every opportunity to win, and she lost.
None of these confuse me.
What confuses me is the fact that so many people voted for Trump this time around. How did I not see that coming? I live in a deep-red county. I interact every day with deep-red people. I respect these folks. I serve them as my gym members. I work with them in the Chamber of Commerce and other community organizations. As an employer and business owner, I interact with them as employees, vendors, and colleagues.
Using language from the article I cited above, how did I not see "That Trump represents a movement — rather than a flukish convergence of circumstances...?"
When the above-mentioned intelligent and successful people expressed their support for Trump, I dismissed it as them being confused about who Trump really is and what he's really doing. While it remains 100% true that Trump is who he really is and is doing what he is really doing, how did I dismiss my friends' deep belief in Trump as simple confusion? It's clear this morning that I was the one who was confused. I misunderstood the nature of the support my friends have for Trump. That support, that conviction, was not what I believed it to be.
Obviously, my expected 2024 presidential election outcome did not develop. In the coming days, as I always do when I make an error, I'll be looking to learn from it and use what I learn to do better in the days ahead. I'll do the work of correcting my course and bouncing back.
In this case, the development is not personal. A hurricane did not take out our business or house. No one close to me is seriously ill or has passed away. My wife and I remain in excellent health. Our finances are sound. This is a political development in which my opinions were proven wrong and I have yet to understand why. I went to bed last night with an unsettled feeling in my gut. That's gone now. What was a physical sensation in my body is now an unanswered question in my mind.
Today is a new day. In these new circumstances, it's time for me to adapt to the fact that I misunderstood people's respect for Trump, and to the fact that he will be president once again. Like all Americans, I'll respond to the deeds he does as they come into view.
It's customary for a losing candidate to congratulate the winner. In that same spirit, I congratulate the Trump supporters here. The race was fairly run and fairly won, and you helped bring that about.
Grateful to be Grateful
I live my life as an intentionally and habitually grateful person. Whether I'm correcting an error, responding to a setback, mourning the death of loved ones, or find myself bedridden with an injury or illness, I always count my blessings. I eagerly do so because that's a highly effective strategy to progress in life. Gratitude is my default response to just about everything I encounter in life, including this political development. This morning, I'm a truly grateful man, counting the blessings I have this day.
