MS Speaks

Tomorrow is the day when the electoral college will cast its votes, and presumably Donald Trump will be the next President.

There's probably no way of stopping this from happening, but some pundits have been scratching their heads and wondering how such a singularly unqualified person with such bigoted views could have risen to this pinnacle of power in a country that prides itself on being  fair-minded, tolerant, and just.

It should be remembered that we've had some mighty bad Presidents in the past, and our fair-mindedness and tolerance hasn't always carried the day. In fact, this country has had a shameful record of cruelty and bigotry and just plain greed, all along.

But how did this particular bigot get to the top?

One theory is that those who voted for Hillary tended to be --or to be viewed as--people who have known the advantages others haven't had: the college-educated, the professional classes, the computer-literate, those who live comfortably enough with job security and a retirement plan in place, those who might be squirreling themselves away in gated communities and multi-car households that enable them to avoid the nitty-gritty of the "bad" neighborhoods or even the working-class neighborhoods where people are struggling to get by, working several jobs at once just to pay their bills.

And there are large numbers who have been displaced by modern technology.  Their jobs have vanished, or they have legitimate fears that they will vanish soon. Meanwhile the Haves have their smartphones and other electronic gadgets and can furnish their homes with pricey entertainment centers while the Have-nots can't afford them.

A Bruce Springsteen* song, "My Home Town," comes to mind, especially this part:

Foreman says, "These jobs are goin', boys, and they ain't comin' back."



The song came out in1985.  The despair felt in large segments of this country has only grown deeper in the last 30 years.  It's quite possible that people have grown tired of being overlooked, forgotten, and ignored, and Donald Trump seemed to offer them hope.

It's catastrophic that this antediluvian man has come forward with something resembling a beacon of hope.

Tomorrow at least 270 of 538 electors will cast their votes for him.

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*Bruce Springsteen has just received the Medal of Freedom, with this citation:

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen is a singer, songwriter, and bandleader.  More than five decades ago, he bought a guitar and learned how to make it talk.  Since then, the stories he has told, in lyrics and epic live concert performances, have helped shape American music and have challenged us to realize the American dream.  Springsteen is a Kennedy Center honoree and he and the E Street Band he leads have each been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.