That sure was one hell of an election we just had. The Seattle Times has the full results.
A quick summary of preliminary results from some of the higher profile items on the local ballot:
- Sound Transit 3: Approved
- Seattle Init 124 – Safety, health, labor protections for hotel employees: Approved
- State Init 1433 – Raises state minimum wages, requires paid sick leave: Approved
- State Init 1464 – Provides for publicly funded campaigns, lobbyist restrictions: Not Approved
- State Init 1491 – Allows court-issued protection orders temporarily preventing access to firearms: Approved
- State Init 1501 – Exempts certain information about in-home caregivers and clients from disclosure: Approved
- State Init 732 – Places a tax on carbon, provides tax credit for low-income residents, reduces some taxes: Not Approved
- State House – 43rd District: Nicole Macri, Frank Chopp
- Governor: Jay Inslee
- U.S. House – 7th District: Pramila Jayapal
- U.S. Senate: Patty Murray
- U.S. President (every site on the internet): Donald Trump
I have the honor of being the Wallyhood editor at this turning point in American history. I really want to write a long, emotional post about this election. However, I am not foolish enough to write a long, emotional post the morning after this election. We will be discussing this election for the rest of our lives, so I will give my own response a few days. However, the comments are open for discussion.
I will add a few thoughts to kick start the discussion below. I will attempt to be as non-partisan as possible. The Republicans appear to have swept the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. This will very likely lead to a Republican leaning judicial branch. A single party will control all three branches of federal government. Many expected the Republican Party to be in tatters after this election, yet it would appear we just watched the death of the Democratic Party as we knew it. The traditional Republican Party had already been defeated in the the primaries. The country is not different today than it was yesterday, but its reflection in federal government is radically different. The reflection had not kept up. It just lurched forward.
The American experiment in western democracy appears to be alive and well. Every four years we give uncontrollable power to the citizens to elect their President and Congressional representatives. Often we are surprised. Not usually this surprised, but often surprised. The wheels of our democracy turn slowly but they do turn. We just gazed into the quadrennial deep, dark truthful mirror. The reflection will not define us rather we will be defined by how we react to that reflection.
I will look to the comments below for ideas on what this all means for Wallingford. I spoke to one of my neighbors yesterday morning about what a Trump presidency might mean. His initial thought was that his day-to-day life would be relatively unchanged. The impact of local elections being more important than the federal elections. Do you agree? If you are a member of a group that Trump has targeted over the course of this election, I would imagine you might feel differently. If you currently receive health care through the affordable care act, I imagine you might feel differently. The list of people who might feel differently could be quite long. Please tell us your thoughts.
Thank you for this post. I suppose the only word that sums up the way I feel right now is anxiety. You and your neighbor are probably right, my day-to-day, too, will largely be unchanged. Local elections, especially as the GOP moves federal power to states, will become the area where we can enact most change. Locally, I am fairly pleased at the outcome of this election. There are some things that could have gone in my politically-leaning favor, but I have some trust that the political system in WA will bring more educated and informed policies that can create a more equitable state.
That being said, I am very scared for what a 3 branch Republican led/leaning government will do. I am hoping my fear is only perception and not actual, though it would be foolish to not trust my gut. I fear for the safety of people of color, women, low-income families, LGBTQ people, immigrants and refugees, and other often underserved group in this country. If we have policies that either target or exclude these groups, it will be devastating all of us as it weakens our national health and impacts the way our children are brought up and perceive the world. I am disappointed that this is what we, collectively, have decided.
On my walk in the neighborhood this morning everyone looked shell shocked.
I think a lot of people are wanting to point blame or talk about what a failure this is for democrats. I don’t think so. This was about racism. Trump’s whole thing was build the wall, and that buoyed racists of all types. There had to be backlash for the first black president ever.
As a Health Insurance Advisor who helps people understand their ObamaCare
options, I’m more than a little anxious about what this means.
Obamcare has really helped those with low incomes, but failed the middle
class, and given a hugely unfair benefit to those who are wealthy but
who have low “taxable” income. We definitely needed a better, more
financially stable (single payer would be financially impossible if you do the math), and well thought out
alternative to ObamaCare, but I’m doubtful that the Republican party
can deliver on their own. Perhaps now Republicans can stop whining, and start working, and Democrats can stop being so idealistic and start compromising.
“Implied Observer” seems to inaccurately sum this up as a Race issue, when it’s not. “It’s the Economy Stupid” A whole swath of the American Population that we Progressive Liberals here on the West Coat know nothing about is falling economically destitute. While we here have been recovering economically the past 8 years due to mostly the Tech Boom, most of the Heartland, those in manufacturing, farming, mining, and blue collar jobs have not seen the promise of our Progressive Obama Presidency fulfilled. That’s not just the fault of Obama. It’s the world economy which rewards the lowest labor costs, and can move production accordingly. As Progressives, if we ignore 50% or so of our fellow citizens as the current economic policies have the past several years, we are should not be surprised at this result when they revolt.
I generally agree, Jeff.
IMO, this happened because the Democratic party has become to focused on catering to a bunch of smug, know it all, easily-offended urban hipsters who assume everone thinks like they do. Until liberals toughen up and tune in sometimes to right wing talk radio and engage with the opposition, and maybe, (gasp) actually befriend some of them, they will never understand them. And if you don’t think understanding the opposition and where they’re coming from isn’t important, then maybe you need to read “The Art of War.”
Progressives need to toughen up and break out of their little comfort bubbles, stop being such fragile little snowflakes, and learn how to justify and back up their opinions instead of just surrounding themselves with people who look like them and think like them. They might even find areas of agreement, like in how both sides deeply dislike and distrust Wall Street (and for good reason).
But instead of doing some soul searching and asking themselves what went wrong and where do we go from here, we had the spectacle of a bunch of morons blocking I-5 and burning the flag. The Democratic party needs to take back the flag and patriotism and love of country from the Republicans. We should never have given them that narrative. And we need to learn how to reconnect with the everyday middle and lower class Americans living and working in the heartland who’ve been left behind by the tech economy. Democrats used to be about that. Instead, we’ve become obsessed with “microaggressions” and making college campuses politically correct safe zones. Meanwhile, the rest of America just rolls it’s eyes at that.
Oh, and enough of the crap about voting for who “really represents you,” or making a “statement,” whether it’s Jill Stein, Bernie, Ralph Nader, or sitting it out because you’re mad your candidate didn’t win. You want to play your silly idealistic little games? Save it for the primary. Come the general, SUCK IT UP, BE PRAGMATIC, AND GET ONBOARD. Now you’re looking at potentially four supreme court appointees of Trump’s because you had to show everyone just how right and virtous you are.
This stuff’s too important to play games with.
Seems to me most of what you and Jeffrey are burnt about would have been addressed by nominating Sanders. That didn’t happen because more people voted for Clinton in the primaries. People complain correctly about DNC shenanigans, but I don’t think that had a big effect on the outcome. It’s tough “connecting” with the huge numbers of voters who don’t even believe climate change is a problem, have ignorant ideas about immigration, think war is a policy choice, etc. Things will change when the voters change. I don’t know how to do that, but probably not by tweaking “the system” or by the choice of candidate. Here we have had McDermott for years and this time had a choice between two excellent progressive candidates. That reflects the voters here. Voters elsewhere… well, Trump won…
Of course we’ll never know, but I don’t believe Bernie would have beat Trump. I don’t believe in Socialism, and neither does the vast majority of America. Sure, he gets support in cities like Seattle, but so what. As much as we Seattleites want to believe that everyone thinks and believes like we do, they don’t.
If someone like Bernie wants to run for POTUS and actually believes he can win and makes a genuine effort to do so, I don’t begrudge them that right. I was never a fan of Hillary, or Bernie. But when it’s the general election, if it’s not your preferred candidate, then yes, it really is about the lesser of two evils. And as we’re about to find out, the greater of the two evils is going to be far, far worse, especially when the GOP will control all three branches. People need to stop throwing away their vote on quixotic candidates like Nader and Jill Stein. I really resent candidates who KNOW, they they don’t have a chance in He11 of winning, and who are running simply to get whatever “message” out. How does it help advance your cause when you help elect a man and a party who are going to dismantle agencies like the EPA?
I’m not sure what would have happened, but I thought then and I still think Sanders would have done better. Neither party is serving us very well any more, and maybe they’re finally both damaged badly enough to make room for an alternative. There’s a lot of room in the middle, but unfortunately not much money for a candidate who doesn’t serve the oligarchy, so I guess the big question would be whether a more centrist candidate could run the same kind of grass roots campaign.
To say Sanders would have done better, you have to tell me which groups would have been more likely to vote for Sanders while losing a significant part of the African-Americans and Hispanics who voted for Clinton and with whom Sanders had no rapport in the primaries. I don’t think you can identify those numbers.
I don’t know that anyone would have been lost, but it’s immaterial at this point. The actual relevant number is that 49% didn’t vote or voted for an absurd candidate, and half of the rest voted for a bad joke who no one thought could win. This election leaves both parties looking very sick.
@classof77,
Clinton did better than expected in areas where she didn’t need more support (the west coast, and the NE), while not doing as well as expected in the places she expected and needed to win (the Rust Belt). Sanders would have done much better in the Rust Belt (and in fact did do much better there in the primaries than Clinton), and still would have carried where Clinton carried. Trump has nothing (actually, probably less than nothing) to offer African-Americans and Latinos.
As much as I hate to admit it, Trump did much better than Democrats because he managed to build a larger coalition. It’s built on snake oil and lies but it won him the election.
How do you advocate “engaging with the opposition” when this comment is full of name calling. You think burning down the flag is bad? Well you just said 1. easily-offended urban hipsters 2. SUCK IT UP, 3. morons. I could go on.
We just got our a55es handed to us. So I’m sorry if my using harsh language against some on our own side offends you. But if we’re going to understand and address what went wrong, that’s going to require confronting some uncomfortable truths. If we don’t, Trump will have a 2nd term, and he won’t have to worry about governing for all of us; he will do what he wants. And yes, when you have the chance that someone like Trump could take the WH, people who sat this one out or voted 3rd party are indeed morons.
At midnight last night I looked out my window and saw a young woman sitting in the middle of my street, which the #26 bus runs down. I walked outside and got her to stand up and walk over to the sidewalk. She said she was poor, and worried about losing her health insurance. She said she was “gay as fuck,” and was afraid of losing her rights. She said she wasn’t suicidal…but she was sitting in the middle of the street at midnight.
I told her she lives in Seattle and is surrounded by like-minded, decent people. But that’s all I got. The fact is, with a single-party Federal government, a lot of damage can be done to the progress we’ve made over the past 8 years for people like her. Her access to affordable health insurance can be stripped. She may not be able to marry whomever she wants wherever she wants. This isn’t a reality show, this shit is reality.
I wish her well. I wish us all well.
Yes, local elections affect things that can make a more noticeable difference here – next year’s mayoral election, for example. I’m not sure I agree that western democracy looks alive and well, though. It’s sick, real sick.
The future of this country (at least as many of us know it) is exceeding grim; it could well cease to exist, as the checks and balances that are supposed to be in place will soon be gone.
Environmental controls – gone
Reproductive rights – gone
Civil rights – gone
Voting rights – gone (how best to stay in power? Identify those who don’t like you and make sure they can’t/don’t vote)
Move to renewable energy/combat climate change – gone; King Coal is back! Remember when Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the White House roof and Reagan took them off?
Health care – gone
The right-wing congress will render our newly-elected representative invisible and irrelevant. Don’t know if the other person would have been any more effective – probably not as the repubs don’t have to listen and they won’t.
And don’t be surprised if the incoming FBI director, Rudy Giuliani, looks in the public records, finds who supported HRC and comes knocking on your/my door. It’s 1952 and Joseph McCarthy is alive and well – and looking pretty good for a dead guy.
And changes to the supreme court (and the effects) will be around for decades. You think the conservative members now on the court are crazy? You ain’t seen nothing.
And don’t count on this region getting any federal money for anything (other than perhaps a coal terminal or new prison for all the newly incarcerated immigrants); we are on the official shit-list.
Wonder how much of the new Sound Transit plan/boondoggle anticipates federal money? The Metro buses were mostly purchased with federal dollars.
And mainstream media like newspapers and not like Fox are struggling; the voice of the ‘loyal’ opposition, facts and truth is getting faint. And the Donald and his pals will do what they can to run it over with their coal train and kill it for good. Count on it.
I feel sorry for the young people – this changes everything and for a long time.
It was a mostly good/fun 240 years – circling the drain.
re: McCarthy – you probably know that his lawyer, Roy Cohn, is widely called Trump’s “mentor.”
Yes
Heard yesterday that this latest Sound Transit effort includes around $5 billion in federal money – about 10%, which will mostly likely now not be forthcoming.
So, whatever it was supposed to cost each resident, add 10%.
Why not? I didn’t hear anything about federal money for infrastructure being cut. I heard the opposite: working on infrastructure will be a priority. I am a strong advocate for the Sound Transit system. Please give me details on why I need to be worried now more than I was prior to the election.
I’m a Seattle native and 18 year Wallingford resident. I’m a small business owner and love my neighborhood and Wallyhood blog, but as a Repulican in Seattle it can be frustrating.
Most neighbors I talk with talk and read on this blog assumes or generalizes that there are only democrats in this neighborhood. It makes one feel not very inclusive.
So when folks post “we lost the election” I think to myself I who are “We”. Arrogance.
Republican candidates used to be an honorable alternative, but right now, in today’s headlines, we’re talking about something else. The party nominated a president who even Republican candidates wouldn’t be seen with. Is that “inclusive”?
Donald Trump isn’t a republican and he doesn’t believe in anything; say what works at the moment. He’s happy as long as he’s the center of attention –
But the people who run around behind him are the ones who will do the real and lasting damage.
I remember Dwight Eisenhower, Gerry Ford, George Bush 1 and even Richard Nixon – all republicans and the current bunch wouldn’t give any of them the time of day.
Circling the drain indeed –
Yeah, I think the guy who really pioneered the “front man” Republican president was Reagan, another TV personality. Whatever you think of their policy ideas, Nixon, Goldwater etc., I suppose it was at least their policy ideas to some extent, but Reagan was just the face of a neoliberal/neoconservative gang. Who’s running around behind this guy? Apparently Vladimir Putin, but other than that no idea.
How many votes did Republican candidates receive from Wallingford in the primary? You’re a smaller group than socialists or greens in this area.
So should he be fearful or feel unwanted/outside? Doesn’t that go against the entire “inclusion” idea? It’s nice to have opposing views when presented rationally, calmly and intelligently. Otherwise, the majority can become too smug and impotent. I’m not sure if that’s what the point of your comment was?
Wow. After reading the responses to your comment, I can’t imagine you feel any more included, Christian. I’m an Independent (have been since 1979 and my first election) and just moved here. I am seeing now that tolerance, like Thackerey, is a one way street. You are not alone. I feel as outside as you do and wonder why anyone in Seattle has fear when the fearful are the majority here.
Horrified. Disgusted. I have always felt that way about Republican presidents, but this is a new level. We now have one that is additionally, to be generous, an embarrassment. His victory belches last night gave new meaning to the phrase “the banality of evil.” Coming of age in the shadow of the war in Viet Nam I have never had a lot of respect for our national government; Things keep getting worse, and when I voted for Obama it was not from a place of hope; but this is scary in new ways. I am not looking forward to years of a president who makes me want to puke when I see him, let alone hear his blather. President Pig. (And it’s like Mark Twain wrote: …If you think they’re bad, you should see their constituents) Sorry to be so negative, but it is what it is.
Hayduke, while I agree with your premise that the Dema have lost touch, it’s inaccurate to suggest that’s all that happened. 30% of Latino men voted for Trump. He was endorsed by white nationalists. Clearly it’s a complicated story that will take a while to sort out.
I’m deeply concerned about our country, but it has very little to do with Trump. We can’t talk to each other. We don’t listen any more, we don’t seek understanding, and we can’t agree on data sources. Not sure how our democracy thrives without these basic ingredients. E plurbis unum right?
I don’t watch cable but have begun to seek out CNN’S Van Jones. He’s the only one talking about this. It’s important.
This is the best reply I’ve read on any site. There was a reason why Trump won the nomination and the election as well as why Hillary couldn’t win. But all the focus is on Trump and not on the voters who sent him as a messenger to the rest of the country. And not all of the voters who supported Trump were uneducated white males who were misogynistic, racist, xenophobic and homophobic. I never again want to hear/read/see those four words used against someone who voted for any candidate. To paint 25% of the population with that ugly brush is unforgivable. How does it move toward dialogue and healing?
“it is what it is.” I honestly didn’t pay any attention to the guy, since I knew right away there was no chance I’d consider voting for him, but if he said and did all the stuff he apparently said and did, and people voted for him to fill the office of US President, then it doesn’t matter if it’s 25% or 100%, those people chose their paint color and painted themselves. I have a hunch many of them thought – like we all thought – it wouldn’t matter because he was unelectable, but even had it worked out that way, the message is still what he made it. To me the most disappointing part is the economic message – bloodsucking vampires are inspiring? Tolerance, respect for people, respect for the truth … maybe he can turn around on that kind of thing, but he can’t undo what he’s done.
Ben Robinson, you succeeded in keeping your article unbiased and informative. I applaud you and thank you!