Some Quick Takes on the Election

I've spoken to some people - clients, friends - since Tuesday. Reactions are varied. The "bookend" reactions: Awareness of what's going on, but attending to daily duties in a calm, peaceful manner - Depressed, anxious.

A headline in a professional pub, "Election Stalemate Heartens Markets": What happened to "markets hate uncertainty"? Someone obviously was paid to come up with something for this pub, and that was it. Ridiculous.

An interesting historical summary of the track record of Democrat and Republican party Presidential administrations: Most wars since the 19th century started when there was a Democrat POTUS. Most financial crises/depressions when there was a Republican POTUS. And here I thought Republicans were fiscally responsible, with the Democrats opposing Republican war-mongering.

Everyone was wrong in their election jabber - both sides. The "Blue Wave" was a crock; the Trump shocking landslide was a fantasy. 

The media - as if you didn't already know it - is, for the most part, useless as a source of information, for those who simply want to check in on what's going on. And that includes local news. Okay, sometimes they get a simply story from the street sort of right - although the weather is about all I sort of trust these days. And even that's been awfully jumbled and somewhat inaccurate lately (or at least seems more inaccurate to me).

What about the final results - whenever they come in? Well, the best commentaries I've read (and there have been a few decent ones) send this message: Don't worry - whatever your choice for President.

Now, they don't actually say "Don't worry." But they do point out that it sure looks like Congress will remain as it was: split. The House remains Democrat majority, the Senate Republican majority. Why does this imply "Don't worry"?

If you're a Trump person, you don't have to worry that the Democrat radicals will pack the court, gut the Constitution, or any of the other "A-List" items some Republican die-hards fret about. The Senate will be in a position to sand-bag such efforts.

As for Biden folks, well, it's a little more nuanced, I suspect. The ones who voted for someone they thought was more moderate than the extremist Dems can breathe easy as their man - obviously not in the sharpest mental state - won't be badgered into accepting turning the US Constitution upside down, and shoving what are essentially Marxist positions down his throat. The Republican Senate will make this impossible.

Of course, the radical Dems may not be so sanguine. In all this, they've likely lost the most, even if Biden wins. That's because they'll have a victory over Trump, but won't have the sledge-hammer they wanted to beat the rest of us into powder.

There's one more quick take. It's addressed to those of us who may not have been all that enamored of either party before or during Trump's term. Hang in there, because however things turn out, not much will change. Even those of us who thought Trump managed to facilitate some good policies that were not those of the establishment weren't dancing in the streets. A few things here and there had at best stayed the long slide into - well, wherever this country has been heading. And wherever that is, it's a more than a stone's throw from the country founded in 1776.

Then again, that country wasn't perfect either.

So I guess we should be happy that, in many ways, all remains as it was. Except for the fact that everyone being at everyone else's throat won't be improved under any circumstance.

Maybe not great news, but not terrible news either - I think.