Surprisingly, there was very little shouting. Occasionally, you would hear a “WTF” from the Democrats and a few “I told you so” from the Republicans. There were no fireworks or parades, just quiet acceptance or enjoyment. The loser politely conceded, and the incumbent promised an orderly transition of power. By Wednesday, the results were reported; by Thursday, everyone was back doing whatever they were doing before the election. What did we learn from this exercise in Democracy?

First, we learned that we are a conservative or at least a Republican version of a conservative country by a majority vote. Liberal but mostly Progressive causes mostly fell by the wayside or will soon be deleted. We were reminded that Bill Clinton was right, “It's the Economy, Stupid.” We also learned that politically unified groups aren’t. Coalitions feel apart right before our eyes.

I also found it interesting that most people do not mind being lied to - a little - but take exception to being ignored. The Democrats took groups of voters for granted at their peril.

The biggest takeaway I have from this election is referenced in the sub-heading above. People voted on their feelings, not the facts. It caused me to remember a radio interview I listened to a few years back. A politician from a Southern state was going on at length about several topics that he represented, even though there was no factual support for his position. He ended by saying, “That’s the way I feel, and no facts will cause me to change my position.” I thought him ignorant at the time, but I have since changed my mind.

It turns out that most people do almost everything based on feelings. Like is a feeling, and you hear it all the time. I like that song, I like that team, and I really like my girlfriend. We learn that emotions/feelings are very strong motivators. We can only hope the underlying facts and thorough critical analysis form the basis for these feelings rather than something you read on the internet or heard on TV.

Enough about politics that is not what this blog is about, but who can ignore a Presidential election? Future posts will concentrate on trying to explain the components of politics, the economy, society, and education in terms everyone can understand. Our purpose is to educate, not influence.