How does one get over the "trauma" of 2016?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

I feel pretty good about the state of the Presidential race as we head into the final week, almost as good as I felt about Barack Obama's chances heading into the 2008 race (which seems like a lifetime ago) but I had also felt pretty confident that somebody as awful and crass and unqualified as Donald Trump couldn't possibly beat Hillary Clinton, disliked by many as she was. Because of the stunning and seemingly unexpected outcome of the race in 2016, it seems impossible to feel good about this election without somebody jumping in with some kind of caveat and/or reminder about 2016 seemingly being in our favor- until it wasn't. Most of my friends here and elsewhere on social media are fairly optimistic about Biden's chances but can't help throwing in caveats as well. I just don't think that, until the voting is done and Biden is proclaimed the winner of the race that I- or anybody else- can feel any kind of sense of relief. How is everybody else coping right now?

[Trumpocalypse]

1. By voting in 2020!

[BlueTsunami2018]

2. The only thing that will help is hearing the official announcement.

I believe the polls are correct but I don’t believe it’s going to be fair. My mantra is “We have to win by ten to win by two”.

I’m still haunted by 2000. Even the Obama years didn’t soothe that wound. All that lost time we can never get back is a tragedy.

[kansasobama]

3. More worried about the margin

All things being fair, I am 200% confident. I would really really want Florida to go our way though. If not, I am concerned about a closer election and Trumpies trying to throw a wrench. I expect a lawsuit on Nov 4th where Trump wants all mail-in ballots thrown out. If Amy Barrett is really serious about autocracy, that would be an issue. Florida will crush Trump early and fatally. I am really uneasy about Michigan. Are there any Michiganers here to calm me? If everything is fair, my nervousness is about the Senate, not Joe.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. Identify the activism you can get involved in regardless of who wins.

[LakeArenal]

5. Don't want to minimize your trauma

But the thread right before this one is:

“545 children came with their parents.”

So count your blessings and move forward to a new US government in January.

Have a great day wherever you are.

[cwydro]

6. I feel the same.

I don’t ever remember being this stressed out about an election.

[Nay]

7. I was traumatized when T won in 2016, not because I thought he'd never win, but

because of my sinking feeling that he WOULD win. (I have a lot less confidence in the American public than most people do.) When it became clear that my premonition was correct, I was devastated and that feeling followed me for many months.

This time I feel that if T wins, it will be through vote tampering. That's possible, but the sheer number of voters who have already made sure to go vote makes me think there are plenty of pissed-off nonvoters coming out, and that Dems have made sure that they themselves are voting no matter what. I've lived in our neighborhood for 27 years -- this is the first time I have seen such a flowering of Dem election signs. There are probably a hundred Biden signs and maybe 7 T signs. So the tide has turned here and it's very visible.

Now, if Dipshit wins, I will be sure that there has been election fraud, and it's probably time to move. Even though I'm old.

[SheltieLover]

8. Lock them up & throw away key!

[NewJeffCT]

9. By helping Dems win the next 5 presidential elections

as well as US House & Senate races. Maybe in 20 years, I'll start to get over it.

[maxsolomon]

10. I never will.

It exacerbated my depressive tendencies, permanently poisoned my relationship with my father, my conservative relatives and anyone, ANYONE who voted for that monstrous clown. I walk around with a barely contained rage.

The damage to the SCOTUS, and therefore any Progressive legislation, will last the remainder of my life (current estimate: 30 years).

I take some comfort in anticipating the impending natural deaths of multiple elderly Conservative politicians, magnates, preachers, and propagandists. Hopefully my prostate allows me to piss on their graves.

[SKKY]

11. I have a bottle of Lagavulin 16 year that I will be cracking open the minute...

....Florida, Arizona, and/or North Carolina are called for Biden. That's going to be my plan.

[DavidDvorkin]

12. A blunami this year will help a lot

But it won't be a cure for me. I'm still upset over 2000, 1980, and 1968, in addition to 2016.

[BannonsLiver]

13. Give yourself permission to let go of 2016.

I have no idea. These feelings people have about it are so foreign to me I don’t understand them at all. For me 16 is 16 and 2020 is 2020. I rarely even think about 16 anymore, tbh.

[tormadjax]

14. I have lost friends forever over 2016 n/t

[pwb]

15. How do I get over it? Live.

Time goes on, things change, then go back, then change again and suddenly your facing old age death. Now we have the Pandemic to deal with that we usually don't have during life changes. I would say 2016 was disappointing not traumatic.

[Upthevibe]

16. Proud Liberal Dem....

Thank you so much for your post. I may have the trauma for the rest of my life. I think it's very hard to really feel good right now so I don't think you're alone at all. I won't feel a sense of relief until Joe Biden is sworn in and dt is out of the city of Washington D.C.

I have followed politics a long time. I had a really, really bad feeling pretty much during the whole 2016 campaign cycle. I think many people underestimated how high Hillary's negatives were with Rush Limbaugh leading the charge and maybe even creating the unparalleled character assassination on this brilliant and amazing woman. There were entire cottage industries around the hatred of Hillary. The damage that Limbaugh has done is incalculable - but I have a whole tangent just around that and I don't want to get into it here. Of course there were many, many others who helped create and participate in what's been done to Hillary. It's almost soul crushing.....

In my opinion, what's on the ballot now is good vrs. bad, right vrs. wrong, light vrs. dark. I realize framing it in the extreme may seem hyperbolic but I think necessary in this case. I'm just trying to do everything I possibly can to help Biden get elected and to take back the Senate. I've donated to the Biden Campaign, to Jaime Harrison, and to an organization whose focus is on taking back the Senate- DSCC.ORG (Democrat Senate Campaign Committee/Integral Resources. I wasn't able to donate a lot because I'm unemployed (due to COVID) but something is something. And I have a good friend who has the means and whenever I make a donation she and her wife make a nice sized donation..

Also, if you're the prayin' type, those don't hurt......

[greenjar_01]

17. Win

That's it.

[cmf]

18. Volunteering

It's the only thing that tamps down the anxiety for me. I find that when I volunteer, even if we don't win, I feel better because at least I did everything I could to help.

2000, 2004, 2016 - the cumulative effect of these elections means that I am never super optimistic. Even in 2008 and 2012, I couldn't breathe until it was called for Obama. Hopefully we'll get to celebrate like we did back then! At home alone, instead of at watch parties, of course.