Buyers’ Remorse

In large numbers:

Blacks (men and women) voted for Trump despite his well-documented history of racism.

Hispanics voted for Trump despite the fact that he will deport family members, friends, and neighbors.

Those calling themselves Christians voted for Trump despite the fact that he has repeatedly and without remorse violated at least nine of the Ten Commandments.

Business leaders voted for Trump despite the fact that his economic policies added $7.8 trillion to the national debt.

Women voted for Trump despite his history of being a sexual predator and who denied them the right to manage their own health care.

Farmers voted for Trump despite the fact that his tariff proposal will instigate a trade war and they will be unable to export their products. (Tariffs are a double-edged sword).

Muslims voted for Trump. He recently nominated Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Mr. Huckabee once said, “There is no such thing as a Palestinian.”

Teamsters voted for Trump despite the fact that he was and will be one of the most anti-union presidents in U.S. history.

One voter, in particular, is representative of this acute myopia. On a recent episode of 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley interviewed a woman (an alleged Democrat) in Pennsylvania who owned a diner and voted for Trump. Mr. Pelley mentioned that inflation and unemployment are down and wages are up and wondered … why the switch? The woman’s response was that she didn’t know anyone who had received a raise and the price of eggs had gone through the roof.

(1) According to Forbes (Nov. 1, 2024), wages are up 19 percent. If this woman didn’t know anyone who had received a raise, that would include her own employees! This sounds more like someone who voted for Trump three times than anyone who was ever a Democrat.

(2) If Trump keeps his promise of mass deportations, half the farm worker labor force will disappear. Did she ever consider how that will affect the price of eggs and all other groceries? Also, if her daughter, sister, or niece were experiencing a life-threatening pregnancy and were denied necessary medical care, would this woman’s main concern still be the price of eggs? Like millions of other Trump voters, her answer could very well be an emphatic yes! … “Ain’t That a Shame” (song lyrics by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew, 1955).

Americans will get who they voted for, but not what they expected. Buckle up; it’s going to be a very bumpy ride.