The Observer: Democrats must focus on the long game after Trump win

The Nov. 5th triumph of Donald Trump shocked many millions of people. On that day, Republicans took back the White House and the Senate, and they will probably hold the House, too. It was a sweep by the most contentious candidate ever to run for the office. Democrats wonder how you can spend $1 billion and still lose.
The incoming president has told us what to expect after his Jan. 20th inauguration: migrants turned away at the border, immigrants rounded up and deported, steep tariffs imposed on goods from China and elsewhere, corporate taxes slashed, government spending (and services) massively curtailed, federal regulations eliminated, climate change initiatives revoked, NATO abandoned, aid for Ukraine withheld, LGBTQ equality ignored, reproductive rights rolled back, etc.
With Congress and the courts lined up behind him, many of these “reforms” could come to pass. The “proof” as they say “is in the pudding.” We will see what happens in the next year or two. If Trump’s vision is as realistic as his supporters think it is, the country will be a very different place — albeit not a better place — in 2028 than it is today.
But, be careful what you wish for.
With that vision will come a cascade of consequences: unfilled jobs, steep inflation, a recession (or worse), profound changes in Social Security and Medicare, loss of protection for consumers, a deteriorating environment, alienation of allies, growing inequality and maybe even a police state.
Trump might be thrilling his base, but to govern he is going to need help from legislators, judges and especially his Cabinet. There is plenty of talk about who will fill the two dozen or so cabinet posts in his administration. Fasten your seatbelt.
Here are some of the names in circulation: Elon Musk (Cost-Cutting Czar), Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (Health and Human Services), Linda McMahon (Commerce), Marco Rubio (State), Tom Cotton (Defense), Dr. Ben Carson (Housing and Urban Development), Elise Stefanik (UN Ambassador).
While nobody is talking about sycophants like Rudy Giuliani, Mike Flynn or Hulk Hogan, the names being floated are hardly people who will provide guardrails against the president’s worst instincts. Nor will his vice president, J. D. Vance do so either. Who will save the 47th president (and the rest of us) from himself?
In her 2005 book about Abraham Lincoln (“Team of Rivals”), Doris Kearns Goodwin recounts how Lincoln filled his cabinet with “the very strongest men” in the Republican party. Some of them were people who had challenged him for the presidency. These were not fawners, flatterers or yes men. They provided Lincoln with dissent and alternatives to his own thinking. The country was better for it. Sadly, this is not the model for Trump’s cabinet.
What are the Democrats going to do? As the minority party, Democrats will sit in opposition, but how effective their resistance will be is unknowable. They are going to have to oppose what they can’t stomach and live with what they can’t prevent. Trump’s plans may be more of a hallucination than a vision. We might just let it play out. Be patient. The next four years may prove that the Republican pudding is truly indigestible.
Democrats need time for self-examination without reverting to a blame game in the election’s post-mortem. They have to understand how they got so out of touch with so many voters. They must reassess their strategies and their vision for the country. They also need to prepare for the bi-election in 2026 and the election of the 48th president in 2028. In the throes of today’s mourning, recrimination and regret, Democrats must focus on the long game.
I have no words of comfort to offer, but a classic Beatles’ song could provide some inspiration: “When I find myself in times of trouble… in my hour of darkness… when the night is cloudy….. Let it be.” “Let it Be” speaks about waiting, watching, listening and being prepared. It suggests a kind of Zen politics for the Democrats; some serious soul-searching to help them get their Mojo back so they can win again.
Republicans, with their control of two if not three branches of government, may be able to impose the will of the majority, but does that majority actually want what they voted for? Thomas Jefferson warned us about this: “The government you elect,” he said, “is the government you deserve.” We need to deserve better next time. We need to be better next time.
Ron McAllister is a sociologist and writer who lives in York.