If Harris won, Trump supporters would have been in disbelief because everything they saw convinced them the presidency was a lock. Trump won, and now Harris supporters are in disbelief because everything they saw convinced them the presidency was a lock. Most of us live in a confirmation bias bubble which tells us what we want to be told. And when reality unfolds otherwise... well... hopes are going to be dashed over expectations not being met.

Alas, reality is my bubble, and I didn't have expectations one way or the other. I knew the race was a dead heat, and the only thing I was certain of was that polls don't mean shit and it was anybody's ballgame.

So while I'm not shocked at the results, I can't help but be disappointed.

Not just because Trump is too fucking old and mentally unfit to be president (just as Biden was), but because his campaign message mostly consisted of calling people stupid and being generally awful. That's what passes for political discourse now? That's really what we want as president?

I guess so, because the American people have spoken.

And the consequences here could be pretty dire if you're anything other than a straight, white, healthy, wealthy, Christian man.

If you're not a man, you have to worry if a full abortion ban is in the cards. This means that not only will rapists get to choose the mother of their children and young girls and women who are pregnant from rape will be forced to carry to term, but that it's increasingly dangerous to get pregnant period. Because if something goes wrong, your chances of dying are much higher if you can't get the care you need when medical professionals are too terrified of being imprisoned to do what they need to do to save your life. That's already been happening since Roe V. Wade was overturned. Trump has said he won't push for a national abortion ban, and I hope that's true, but it seems like it's going to be easier than ever to get state legislation passed.

If you're not a Christian, you have to worry if Christian Nationalism is going to escalate to a point where it's dangerous to practice your faith in a country where you're supposed to have freedom of religion. Our country was founded on the idea that Church and State would be separate. But that hasn't been true in a while, and it's been made very clear that the Christian faith is the only faith that's going to be recognized by the administration. The trickle-down from that should worry everybody including Christians because we don't know what "brand" of Christianity is going to be calling the shots. JD Vance, for example, is a Catholic convert who is intent on forcing Opus Dei Catholic values on Americans. And while Trump can deny ties to Project 2025 all he wants, make no mistake, that's going to be his administration blueprint because too many people tied to it are tied to Trump. And Project 2025 is the blueprint for a Christian Nationalism that's very different from what the average Christian might think.

If you're not wealthy, you have to worry if the tax burden will continue to shift away from millionaires and billionaires onto the backs of the middle and lower classes. Trump has made promises that the wealthy will pay less of their fair share than they already do, so the money has to come from somewhere. And you also worry whether you'll ever be able to retire since Social Security, Medicare, and essential services for the aging could end up gutted. And that's not even touching on these massive tariff increases Trump has promised, which will inevitably end up being put back on Americans... making everything more expensive than it already is. Which will just be extending a trend for consumers, since American corporations are already experiencing record profits thanks to price gouging. It will be interesting to see if Trump will actually do anything about it as he's promised to do. Could be that it's too late to do anything because consolidation into monopolies has progressed too far.

If you're not healthy, you have to worry if health care will even be available to you. Pre-existing conditions, affordable insurance, government-sponsored research, and Federal assistance could all be shuttered if the Affordable Care Act is dismantled. And the nightmare scenario of having an anti-science, anti-vax, anti-doctor politician like RFK in charge of the nation's health agencies could be a blow to health care from which it could take decades to recover. Of all areas to worry about, this could be the most dangerous. People forget (or choose to deny) just how many people died from that initial COVID wave because the White House didn't have a plan for a pandemic response and fully ignore the plan that was left to them. Another event like this could have horrific consequences now that we will be even less prepared. How Americans have been convinced to paint "science" as some kind of evil entity that should be destroyed boggles my mind. I guess we're well on our way to once eradicated diseases like polio to make a comeback.

If you're not white, you have to worry if you're going to be on the receiving end of an even larger share of the violence and inequity than society seems all too anxious to force on you in a country which was designed to be a melting pot of peoples and ideals. Doesn't matter if you're an American citizen or not... if you don't look "MAGA American" or you don't act "MAGA American" or you don't think "MAGA American" you're at risk of becoming a target of political policies. Though even if you are white, our president has made it very clear that anybody defying him will be targeted. Rival politicians, journalists, and anybody not onboard the MAGA Train is seen as a threat worthy of retribution and persecution, and that's going to be regardless of skin color. So at least there's something that will be based on racial equality to come out of the administration? I dunno. What I do know is that if these mass deportations happen, we're going to be in quite a pickle. Who is going to harvest crops and build stuff and do the tough jobs that most American citizens don't (or won't) do? I guess we'll find out. Maybe it will be robots.

And if you're not straight, well... what isn't on the table to worry about? A government backed by the Supreme Court means that marriage could be threatened. Equality and anti-discrimination protections could be threatened. Access to health care and social services could be threatened. It goes on and on and on. These marginalized persons have been ruthlessly attacked on the campaign trail with lies and vitriol, and the election has sent a very clear message to the LGBTQ+ community: We're going to do everything we can to relegate you to second-class citizen status and strip away anything that benefits you. And it's more than a little heartbreaking to think that this will make a toxic society even more aggressive when it comes to my LGBTQ+ friends and co-workers who are doing nothing but trying their best to play the hand they were dealt in life.

   
So, yeah, I am choosing to hope for the best, but it's tough not to be pessimistic when Trump will likely do exactly what he's said he'll do. I wasn't spitballing fantasy scenarios in this entry... he's showed us exactly who he is, let us know in no uncertain terms what he's about, and promises were made. So you have to be preparing yourself for the worst case scenario if you don't fit in the "MAGA American" mold despite being 100% American.

This will undoubtedly include a lot of Trump supporters who don't realize this means them.

So I guess we'll see what unfolds over the next four years. Could it be that a lot of people are worrying about nothing?

Anything is possible.

Alas, it's just not very probable in this case.