The Rowdy Minority: Will Trump (or Hillary) Supporters Ever Be Satisfied?

In the final weeks of this bloated election season we are catapulting towards a Nov 8^th election night that is surely going to alienate a significant portion of the American population by the outcome - and not that previous elections haven’t precipitated in fierce politicking across the aisle. Take for instance Mitch McConnell’s remarks to, “Make Obama a one term president,” following the 2008 election against McCain. But this election is different. In truth it’s not so much an election as it is a war. To voters across the political spectrum, the candidates aren’t the opposition, they are the devil incarnate. There has been so much animosity drudged up by this election it begs the question, will we as a country be remotely satisfied if either Trump or Hillary are elected to office?

The short answer? No. An Op-Ed in The Atlantic took note of the post-election fallout for Trump supporters – assuming a likely Hillary victory:

It leaves Americans that much more segregated and alienated from one another. It’s exactly this kind of cross-cultural suspicion and mistrust that has enabled Trump to come within spitting distance of the presidency. And it’s what threatens to keep his supporters isolated and fuming on the sidelines, long after their champion has forgotten them.

But it goes further. Much further.

Trump’s incendiary remarks have not only lit a fire under his most ardent supporters, but scorched a thick division between the Trump right and the center that not even members of his own party can transgress. If even a quarter of Trump’s ludicrous plans come to fruition, not even his own party can potentially stop it. Even the RNC establishment has blacklisted Trump – pulling funds to the RNC Victory Campaign, one of the largest sources of campaign money to Republican campaigns. In a terrifying way, Trump has aggravated a significant faction of the US population by alienating them from the rest of the country. It’s Us versus Them. “The liberal media says…They wanted that story to drop…I’m not perfect why are they…” Through this mentality Trump has convinced 40-45% of the country to buy only one brand, Trump. And if they lose, where will they go, and will they be satisfied? I doubt it.

Trump is a sore loser, despite his outrageous debate comments towards his, “winning temperament.” Undoubtedly Trump’s post-election media presence will be massive, and all the more inflated by his seemingly inevitable lose. But the damage has already been done, he has become the de facto (and only voice) of such a staggering percentage of the American public, that he can continue to drive this political division long after the election. If you don’t believe me, just look at how effective his Twitter has been in his campaign. Like him or hate him, Trump is a master of social media. The rumblings of a Breitbart-Trump news channel would take this twitter-talk to a national level post-election. 

But the point I’m making isn’t just about Trump. In the unlikely, but ever so possible chance that Trump loses the election, we are back to the same alienated place that pending a Hillary victory. The sad fact of the truth is that the scorched division between the Hillary camp and the Trump camp goes two ways. Should Trump win, undoubtedly it would be rejected by democrats and moderates across the country. Riots, hate speech, you name it. Our attention would be the Sanders, Clinton and any other liberal voice to speak against president Trump. And without a doubt every month of a Trump presidency would be a fight against the liberal establishment. But the bottom line is this action will be just as politically toxic as a Trump victory.

As we move forward from this pivotal election, we as a country need to realize that the wounds we have inflicted across the aisle are not ones that we be magically healed as of November 9^th. These are long lasting issues that will alienate half of our country in a way we haven’t seen before. And there isn’t a one size fits all solution to this malady, but it is a problem that cannot be ignored as we go into the 44^th President of the United States’ new term.