It’s been a brutal week at Adrastos World Headquarters. In addition to Trump’s win, Dr. A’s baby sister died after a long battle with cancer. She was a terrific person who always made me laugh. She was able to vote for Kamala but passed the day before the election. I’m glad she missed the outcome but she would have been pleased that Virginia stayed blue and Tim Kaine won. She will be missed by everyone who knew and loved her. RIP, sweet, smart, and sassy Crystal.
I’ve been exhausted all week. I might have been wrong about the results, but I left it all on the field in writing about the election. I remain glad that I erred on the side of optimism: freaking out for three months would have been untenable. It’s bad enough that I still have to write about the crook. Fuck him and the morons and haters who voted for him and that fucking Donut JD Vance.
I don’t feel like rehashing the election today. Post mortems seem pointless right now but if anyone dogs Kamala, they can go fuck themselves. She faced an electorate that the Insult Comedian had primed with sexist and racist remarks. She lost a narrow race to a horrible man who will continue to escape culpability for his crimes. I expect him to overreach and fuck up. It’s what he does.
In 2016, I served as an amateur shrink to many of my friends broken up about Hillary’s defeat. I’m not up to it this time but I’m up to linking to my 2016 post-election piece: Sitting Political Shiva.
Buster Keaton in Sherlock Jr. served ably as the featured image for many of my campaign notes posts, so I thought I should un-meme him or some such shit. I doubt that’s a word. Is it a new coinage? Discuss amongst yourselves.
This week’s theme song was written by Robbie Robertson for The Band’s 1971 album, Cahoots.
It poses a pertinent question to which I have no answer: Where Do We Go From Here?
Here’s a different song with the same title:
I don’t have either a second or third act this week, but I’d like to share the Veep’s defiant yet still gracious concession speech:
In a word: Classy.
I was touched by Claire McCaskill’s emotional reaction to the speech:
I was verklempt too, Senator.
Here’s the money quote from Kamala’s concession:
While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign. Hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright. As long as we never give up. And as long as we keep fighting.”
It reminded me of how Ted Kennedy closed his brilliant speech at the 1980 Democratic Convention:
For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”
Dream on, y’all.
That’s all for this week. The last word goes to Kamala and Dougie.
