People who have read this blog for sometimes know that I will post about politics and may have noticed that I have been mostly quiet these last three weeks. It is not from a decision to retreat from political writing or advocating positions but I will confess to still being in a state of shellshock from the results of the election.

However I may feel we had the election and the results as distasteful as they are are looking to remain.

I do believe that we are in for a particularly bad administration. In my opinion we are likely to see worst level of corruption in the Federal government since the 19th century and it will take a great deal of action and vigilance to protect the gains and right of all Americans from the right’s reactionary forces.

That said I have seen quite a few comments comparing our current political trouble with the rise of Nazism in the Weimar Republic. These comparisons I believe are wrong.

One must remember that the Weimar Republic was quite young, born in 1919 from the cataclysm of WWI that government’s institutions were weak and had no long standing traditions to rely upon when challenged. It is also important to understand just how violent and unstable Weimar really was. Not only did they suffer attempts to be violently overly thrown there were nearly 400 assassinations in just three years. (1919-1922) That makes for a well plowed field to grown a dictatorship.

The United States is not in the same conditions. Our institutions are well established and our social scene is quite stable.

Again that does not mean do not be vigilant, That does not mean that this is business as normal. Trump is not a normal president and these are not normal times but do not like hyperbole sway you into despair.

I believe that the man is a racist and has empowered racists.

I believe that the man is corrupt and will continue to be so.

I believe that extreme forces on the right will attempt to undo tremendously important gains.

I also believe that the rights of all Americans are terribly important.

I believe that these forces can be thwarted.

I believe that we are enduring a painful period as the worst forces on the right as die off. (It may be important foe some to remember that ten years I ago I considered myself a Republican. They drove me from the party and I know I was not alone.)

By a real margin the population did not want Trump the wisdom of the American people is still strong and while fighting, while being vigilant, it is important to remain hopeful as we..

Well. This was not the result I wanted. Mind you I have serious reservation about Hillary Clinton but I firmly believe that Donald Trump is the least qualified person to ever assume the office of President. But assume the office he will. The thing looks settled and there is naught to do but ride the dragon.

I thought he would never actually run. He Did.

I thought he would never win any primaries. He Did.

I thought he would never get the nomination. He Did.

I thought he would never win the general. He Did.

I think he’ll be a disastrous President. Perhaps I will be wrong again. The future we cannot know and we are living in interesting time.

To me the vital question is why did it go this way? Why did so many – but not a majority and not even the most – people selected him?

We don’t know the answer to that yet. We do not have the data. I caution everyone to wait and try to look around your filter. Do not go for the easy answer that confirms what you already believe. Dig down, question everything, and try to see it objectively. There is a mood in the country that neither the Republican and Democratic establishment have figured out but Trump did. It is vital we understand it

I have faith that our long established institutions are strong enough to withstand a Trump presidency. There may be rough waters and lots of trouble but I do think we will survive this and the arc of history will continue, with fits and starts, to bend towards justice.

The answer we do not know right now is what sort of president will he be? Will he be content with the pomp and pageantry, letting the GOP deal with all the boring details of running a government? In which case expect the Republican Agenda to sail through. Or will he be an active president and with strong idea, his own, about the right answers?

It is entirely possible that the GOP may truly regret letting the bull into their china shop.

In all likelihood come Nov 9 we will be greeting President-Elect Hillary Clinton, certainly adding the future students confusion as they try to untangle the two different President Bushes, both named George, and two different President Clintons. However 538 is currently predicting a nearly 17% percent chance that we’ll face President-Elect Trump, an outcome I would expect to be disastrous.

There are those who are truly in favor and fully supportive of Donald Trump’s candidacy but there are also a large number of people, Republicans and conservative who wish for his victory while refusing to personally vote for him. A number of those in the latter camp seem to hold opinions that a Trump presidency presents no particular greater dangers than any other presidency and these people I believe are whistling past the graveyard.

The Threat: A Trump Presidency will violate the norms and traditions of our Government.

The Tune: There’s little need to worry as the administration and cabinet will be filled with solid Republicans and they will administer the government in a sane albeit conservative fashion.

The Graveyard: Look at Trump’s campaign. Is it filled with solid well know Republicans and Conservatives? In my opinion Trump staffs his organizations by Nepotism, and with yes-men. Here is no evidence that he will suddenly pivot and staff his administration with people who would dare disagree or fail to do his exact bidding.

The Threat: Trump has indicated that as President he wants to use the powers of the executive to punish his enemies and order US military personnel to commit war crimes.

The Tune: The president is limited by law and regulation; Trump may want to do these things but he’ll lack and authority to do so.

The Graveyard: The wheels of justice turn slowly. It takes time to bring the courts and other checks and balances to bear on an executive. Of course there is impeachment but that would require that the GOP crossing heir base who elected Trump and they show little sign of that sort of courage. (See the Primary) Also while may of these action may be illegal remember as President Trump will have unlimited pardon powers. It is a wholly unchecked power of the office. Between that and the historical precedent of the Saturday Night Massacre I see little reason to put the safety of the at that sort of risk.

The Threat: As President Trump will be a loose cannon, inducing chaos and confusion both domestically and on the international scene.

The Tune: Trump wants tot attention but not the job, he’ll let the real duties be performed by Vice-President Mike Pence.

The Graveyard: Trump’s ego will not allow him to remain in any person’s shadow. Even for the short duration of a televised debate Trump is unable to let any perceived slight go unanswered. Even he that administration started under the leadership of Pence with Trump playing head of state, the moment the attention and respect began flowing to the subordinate Trump’s ego would compel him to act. Once he did so there would be nothing Pence could do to stop Trump and we’d be back in the mud.

Throughout the primary people in the GOP deluded themselves that once Trump won the nomination he would pivot to a more reasonable stance to win the general. There was no pivot because he’s not playing a part, the man presented in the primaries and in the general is who he really is and who he will be as president.

It looks very likely that Donald Trump will lose the election. Let’s be clear Donald Trump did not take a crazy turn after the primaries; he was saying the same sort of thing throughout the primary race and he won.

More Republicans voted for the man spouting crazy talk than anyone else. The critical question the Republican party faces post election is why did their voters respond so favorably to the man with the crazy talk?

If they dodge this, or write it off as a black swan one-time event they are leaving the door opening for someone more talented and possible more motivated to hijack the process, endangering the party and the nation.

For eight years the GOP has lectured us that President Obama was a narcissistic celebrity; then they nominated Donald Trump.

For twenty years the GOP has lectured us on the moral failings of President Bill Clinton; then they nominated Donald Trump.

For thirty-five years the GOP has championed fiscal prudence as their watchwords; then nominated Donald Trump.

For fifty years the GOP has claimed as their own the ethic of the silent majority; then they nominated Donald Trump.

For seventy years the GOP has proclaimed themselves the stalwart enemies of Communism; then they nominated Donald Trump. (Who has praised Communist dictators as they murdered their own people.)

When this is over and Donald has lost, and I hope more than anything for a massive loss, they will ignore him and try to tell us this was an aberration, an event, a nominee unworthy of notice. I will not forget. I will remember those who stood on the stage and try to sell us this man because they wanted, above all principle, to win.

My principles are not for sale.

Well, it’s all over but the crying. The opponents have dropped out and the last man standing for the GOP nomination for President of the United States of American is Donald Trump. This fall we’ll see a contest between Trump and Hillary Clinton, though my past predictions – like everyone else’s – have been disastrously wrong I think this will lead to a massive defeat for the GOP. So be it, they brought the storm down upon themselves.

Make no mistake, Trump won because he bested every faction of the GOP. He bested the establishment solids, he bested the patrician blue-bloods, he bested the up and coming hopefuls, he bested the experienced and sitting governors, he bested the RINOs and the tea party favorites and the unshakable social conservatives. he beat them in open and closed primaries. he beat them with pluralities and majority votes. The GOP voters put choose him as the nominee, He was not foisted upon them by the monies interests, He was not selected by the party big wigs. He was not given a free ride by the media. The GOP primary voters pulled those levers, punched that chad, and marked that box for this man and everything he has been spewing for ten months.

When the ruin falls in November- and I truly hope it does because the thought that he would win a majority of the general population terrifies me – a wise GOP would look at its base and seriously consider how did it cultivate such a voter pool. They created an environment where such a demagogue would thrive and they must clean the swamp to prevent a repeat. I fear that such an honest appraisal is beyond the party as it is currently constituted. I fear that like a spousal abuser they will shift they blame, most likely to the current president, and cry ‘look what you made me do.’

It is a sad time we live in. I’m going to go watch Marvel’s The Avengers.