Somber

as befits the mood of our post election day. It's like the energy has been sucked out of this town. It's certainly been sucked out of me.

While Hillary won the popular vote, the arcane American representational system delivered a victory to the worst possible person to head that country. And to think that less than 26% of eligible voters ensured his victory. I want to tear my hair out (but I pay my hairdresser way too much to go down that route...). 

I'm still trying to digest this. What I do know is that it'll have a day-to-day impact for those of us living in Washington D.C.: the town is a "transit" town; after every election, the old guard leaves and is replaced by a coterie of people that are associated (far or close) with the new regime. Given the cast of characters, I fully expect D.C. to be transformed into a live episode of Jersey Shores or the Kardashians...

On a more substantive level, the Republicans now have complete control of all three branches of government: the executive (president), the legislative (Congress, where no progress was made either) and soon the judicial, with the ability to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat -- and likely one or two more in the near future. That does not bode well for some of the recent advances that were made (marriage equality, abortion, health insurance, etc...). 

Recommendations for conciliation are made by some and for 'resistance and obstruction' by others. I don't know which way I'll break yet: I've always disliked schoolyard bullies and one of them is now leading the country.

Read this, if you'd like to understand the reasons for our despair. Darn it. I feel bloody depressed.