Checking In

As I noted in this piece, I don’t make predictions about elections because that’s not what historians are trained to do and that’s not something I’m comfortable with. But even then I noted that I thought this was leaning Harris’s way and, boy, that was wrong.

I’ve had several reporters and podcasters reaching out to me to ask what comes next, but I’ve begged off because, clearly, my predictive powers are even worse than I thought. I have some thoughts, but we won’t fully know what just happened for a while yet and any real thinking about where we go next has to depend on understanding clearly where we are now.

That said, I can offer some general advice, weak as it might be.

First of all, as crushing at the results are and as bad as it’s likely to get, do not give in and do not give up. One thing we do know about authoritarian regimes is that they rely considerably on having a resigned population reluctantly agreeing to sit down and shut up. As this thread explains, “don’t obey in advance” is an important motto.

Second, as you look to regain your footing, don’t let yourself become overwhelmed by trying to take in everything at once. Start small. Reach out to your friends and family, check to make sure they’re doing OK, and let them know you’re here for them — especially those who are understandably feeling betrayed and attacked personally by the results.

Third, understand that this will be a long slog and that we’re pretty much on our own. That sounds depressing, yes. But I think there’s a danger in false hope that our institutions will save us, given how badly our institutions failed. There’s going to be a temptation to put hope in some savior who’ll ride to the rescue, but looking back on the first Trump term, the effective resistance wasn’t from the Muellers and the media, but from ordinary Americans who stuck together and refused to be cowed. That’s still true.

So look out for yourself. Look out for your community. And look for chances to stand together.

This is a confusing moment and it’s easy to get lost wondering who your fellow Americans are, how they could embrace such an ugly politics and what that means for our future. These are important questions, and there will be time for answers.

But for the moment — don’t get lost about who you are. Stay true to your values, to your friends and family, and most of all, to yourself.