For the first time since the election, I'm starting to feel hopeful again

[CatWoman]

I was in complete shock after the election and was in deep depression.

I didn't even care, news wise, about the hack, as I didn't even want to confront the reality of a Trump Presidency.

I didn't want to read about it; I didn't want to hear about it; I didn't want to think about it; I didn't want to acknowledge it.

Now that DU is back up and there is news of revisiting election totals, I'm getting the spring back in my step.

No matter how things turn out this is at least a turning point and a much needed step for me (and the rest of humanity) to heal.

Thanks again DU for being here.

[hlthe2b]

1. The hope was sucked right out of me so I'm not willing to embrace any signficant "recount hope"

but, I am surely glad to have DU (and DUers) back again.

[CatWoman]

5. i'm not ready to inaugurate team Clinton

but where steps are needed, this is a welcome tiny one.

[hlthe2b]

12. Bush v Gore still devastates me, but if there were any cosmic sense of fairness & sanity...

we would prevail. But, I'm not sure I can hold my breath that long...

[lark]

61. Team Clinton would face such obstacles and hate.

You know they would make her life hell like never before, start hearings immediately or maybe even move to impeach her without hearings, just because they control both arms of Congress and they could. I really think they'd probably kill her if they couldn't prove anything, which they won't be able to do. The only good thing is they wouldn't be able to do their worst and drumpf would be stopped from ruining the world. OK, there is definitely an upside and a huge one, but I can't imagine Clinton getting the presidency without a civil war. These are the gun nuts, the KKK, the Aryan Nation, the Skinheads with armories who hate her, don't ever forget that.

Still, know it's probably not going to be easily proved, but hoping they can prove hacking or vote stealing and get it overturned. Just really glad she's not taking this lying down anymore.

[ewagner]

62. Family consensus

..over Thanksgiving dinner... op lark's words were repeated verbatim:

OK, there is definitely an upside and a huge one, but I can't imagine Clinton getting the presidency without a civil war. These are the gun nuts, the KKK, the Aryan Nation, the Skinheads with armories who hate her, don't ever forget that.

[lark]

63. Scary.

Wish I was wrong, but don't think so.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

28. Pretty much in the same place... it's gonna be a rough 4 years if Jill Stein does not prevail in her challenge.

[liberal N proud]

2. I am not getting my hopes up

I have had 2 huge mental hits in as many months, I can't invest in this yet.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

29. Me neither. I had to turn cable TV off... maybe for the next 4-8 years!!

[MFM008]

3. yes its been bad.

I went into surgery on Oct 28.
Its been a difficult road on that alone.
My mom has gone downhill with heart failure.
Then came this abomination.
DU being out almost drove me to tranquilizers.
Dont feel alone....................................

[CatWoman]

6. hope you and your mom all the best

[red dog 1]

21. plus 1

[ewagner]

66. Plus two!!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

30. So sorry to hear... best wishes to you and your mom.

[Maru Kitteh]

4. For the first time, I feel a spark, no matter how dim it may be;

I feel enough hope to quietly nurse this small little spark in the cold, damp darkness around us.

[CatWoman]

7. very well put, Maru

very well

[Maru Kitteh]

24. Thank you CatWoman

[chimpymustgo]

48. A tiny glimmer of hope to save AMERICA.

Thanks for being a warrior, CatWoman.

[murielm99]

8. Even if nothing comes of this,

someone is trying. And we can keep the pressure on about honest vote counts, no matter what the outcome here.

Remember Kate. "I'm not giving up. Neither should you."

Hillary won the popular vote. trump is the most hated man in the country, possibly in the world.

All of this is a starting place.

[Hekate]

42. Plus a bunch. Kate McKinnon's song & statement were devastating.

[BlueMTexpat]

34. 1!

The 2.2+ million ... and counting ... margin of difference in Hillary's favor in the popular vote also helps because it gives me a bit more faith in my fellow US citizens than I had following the dreadful night of November 8.

[LeftofObama]

9. The thing that gives me a glimmer of hope is that I don't think trump is going to have as many

friends in congress as he thinks he has. Many republicans will suck up to him, but I think there are more than a few that are going to tell him to take a hike.

While I'm concerned that Ayn Ryan will try to cut Medicare and privatize social security, I don't think the votes will be there to let him do it.

All that's left is for us to sit back and watch the trump train jump the tracks.

[wryter2000]

38. I think you're right

I wouldn't be at all surprised if they got rid of his sorry ass.

[pangaia]

44. I sure hope you are right about Ryan ans SS and Medicare.

because, speaking just selfishly, if those are cut or privatized, I am screwed...

I just got my annual November SS letter,, which ALWASYS says my payment is being increased a little,, usually because I made a little more a couple years before.. BUT, this year it is getting CUT by over $2400 !

All because I sold my business last years and had a big 'income' for 2015. Letter says this is only for 1 year ! HA !! We'll see.

Oh yea, I got a humungous COLA increase of .3%

[vi5]

10. I'm more depressed than ever...

I had really hoped that DU coming back up would bring about some real soul searching, and a genuine post mortem that pointed out all the blame to go around.

Instead it's all screaming about recounts that aren't going to make a goddamned bit of difference, and still focusing on a cult of personality that has already destroyed so much of what we were supposed to be working for as a party.

I can't stay at a place like JPR because there are people that are actually celebrating a Trump presidency and who actively worked for it. I'm someone that voted for and once she won the nomination supported Hillary and I'll make no apologies for that or celebrate her loss. But I'm also not going to refuse to look honestly at what we did wrong, and the large amount of people who were very right, and the very loud, very vocal people who were very, very, very wrong.

We neglected the party as a whole, neglected our back bench, and allocated our time, money, and effort in a very lopsided way and we need to course correct ASAP and I just don't see any concerted effort or discussion of that.

I'm hopeful once this recount flames out as it inevitably will, that we can get down to actual work.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

15. Stands, claps, whistles and cheers n/t

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

33. I hear ya vi5 and applaud you... and I certainly take no pleasure in having been right. We blew what should have been an EASY victory...

But, like you said, we need to figure out where we went wrong and make a course correction... or we'll find ourselves in the same shit shape we're in now.

[Amishman]

65. Yes, thank you!

I too am disappointed that so many here are focusing on recounts or otherwise in denial about the changes we need to make.

Recounts are not going to change the election. The voting machines would have to been hacked individually in person... And it is just too far-fetched that this could have been done undetected in dozens of counties in many states. And in the spectacularly unlikely chance that enough fraud is found to throw the election into doubt, the radical Right is heavily armed and police/military lean right too as a whole.

The party needs a change and we need to move on. They have the house, Senate, and most state legislatures and governorships. We have been in trouble for a long time. Our problems predate Nov 8 by years.

[mtnsnake]

11. Definitely. Your post right away made me think of one of my all time favorite songs

Feeling Stronger Every Day by Chicago

And yes, it's definitely more encouraging now that DU is up and running again. It's important that we're heard, not stifled by right wing hackers. And it's much more hopeful facing this dilemma with thousands of DUers helping to get the word out.

[salin]

18. For once, I am given an earworm that I actually welcome.

Very fitting. Thanks.

[heaven05]

13. well keep healing

we're all going to need to try to stay healthy the next 4 years. Especially, the chronic infirm and senior citizens.

[secondwind]

14. You are not alone.

[vlyons]

16. I decided to stay present during these times

I write from a Buddhist perspective, which practice is to stay as grounded and present as possible through whatever comes my way. It's called "calm abiding." I freaked out a little bit, when I read that Trump was going to forbid NASA from doing any climate change research and reporting. Jesus how stupid is that? (VERY!!!) But then I decided that there is nothing I can do to change that for now. This is just one of those degenerate times that people go through periodically. Certainly not as bad as Dresden and Berlin during WWII, or Hanoi during the bombing in the 1970s, or Richmond during the civil war, or Tibet when the Chinese destroyed everything in the 1950s, or the black death in the 14th Century. But our current times will be difficult to endure. Difficult for all the needless suffering that a Trump regime will inflict. And difficult to witness the absolute stupidity of his decisions. For me, the stupidity of it is very difficult to endure.

I shall certainly channel my anger, frustration and disappointment into what Buddhists call "enlightened activity," as much as an old 69 yr person like me can find the energy and stamina for. Life can be difficult. Hello? Surprise surprise! Life can be difficult. Let's all stay present and deal with whatever happens as best we can. What else can we do?

[hlthe2b]

20. Interesting... while I respect the Buddhist perspective that one can only affect one's reaction to

the difficult events that mark our lives... it is hard to accept that we, as a people, population, or even as individuals, cannot change or at least partially affect what happens on a large scale....To accept the notion that nothing anyone could have done would have changed the world events of 1930s Germany is just bone-jarring to me.

How do you reconcile those concepts in Budhhism?

[AgadorSparticus]

52. You do the best you can and the rest is what it is.

Haven't you heard that saying? We make plans and then God makes plans for us? We can't always avoid pain and suffering.

And when the time is right, pieces in the puzzle start to move to affect change, the storm ends and the rainbow appears. It is all a cycle. This, too, shall pass.

[vlyons]

56. Exactly my point.

[vlyons]

54. Everything arises from causes and conditions

The bad things that you see going on with the Trump regime are caused by the confused and ignorant minds that are filled with greed, hatred, and arrogance. It's not that we can't do anything. We can do a lot, but as individuals what we can do is limited by forces larger than any one person. It's only when enough people join together in a mass critical enough can accomplish a given goal. Then that becomes a cause and condition to affect a future goal. Buddhists have the notion of "enlightened Buddha activity," which is to work for the benefit and happiness of others, rather than for one's on selfish needs at any cost to others. But the most important thing that we can do is to work on ourselves to eliminate greed, arrogance, and hatred from our own minds. It takes a lot of practice in maintaining a calm mind to not let our destructive negative emotions of anger, frustration and despair take over and rule us. That's why they call it "practice."

[Qutzupalotl]

25. Thanks for this. n/t

[red dog 1]

26. Plus 1

Well stated!

[Hekate]

43. Peace, and thanks

[MoonRiver]

45. vylons, I hear you. The idea is detachment, from what in truth is just illusion.

Realizing this is easier said than done, and I am also struggling. But my ongoing prayers and meditations do help. Namaste.

[vlyons]

57. The illusion is not "out there"

The illusion is inside our minds, our point of view. Our brains are born to perceive from a dualistic view. There's the subject (I, me, mine) and the object (everything else). When in truth, we are all connected. Plus we think that everything is an independent, self-existent entity.

[MoonRiver]

60. Yes, all is One. Only our perceptions appear to differentiate levels of reality.

Peace can only be found by letting go of our attachments to the dream. I am trying.

[salin]

17. One of the highlights, for me, post election...

is *right.now* seeing you.

I have been thinking about you - we haven't crossed paths in quite some time.

And your one-time home state has gone NUTS - thankfully I mostly dwell in one of its bluest bastions.

[CatWoman]

23. always wonderful to see you my friend

it seems half the country has gone nuts, with the Trump Bots acting out their hatred and ignorance.

They remind me of Fidel Castro opening his jails and setting them on sail to Florida.

[PinkFloyd]

19. I know just how you feel. I'm getting a slight glimmer of hope myself.

If by a holiday miracle Hillary does become the winner, I'll jump a thousand joys knowing we don't have a fuhrer for our new POTUS and his cabinet of nightmares to deal with.

The person I'll still feel sorry for is the man who actually lost his life from a heart attack from the stress of thinking we'll have to have someone 2x worse than Dubya for the next four years.

[Coolest Ranger]

22. Right now the only hope

I have is if I pray that I can survive these 4 years because I don't have a lot of hope

[red dog 1]

27. K&R

I, too, am thankful that DU is there for us.

[mountain grammy]

31. Also depressed. I can barely control myself when I see or hear the con man.

I hate him and everyone who voted for him. Like my dearest friend said to me, "they finally got me to hate." Me too, good buddy, me too.

[nolabear]

32. Yep. Alive and kicking.

[Vinca]

35. It's been a rough couple of weeks, that's for sure.

[japple]

36. Wake up, smell the coffee....

Just do it because this might happen:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/history/2016/11/his_election_that_november_came_as_a_surprise.html?wpsrc=sh_all_dt_fb_bot

[Motley13]

37. I'm afraid my depression will last for 4 yrs or impeachment, whichever comes 1st, buuut

that means Mike Pence. I need my medical marijuana.

Every time I tell myself, "it will all work out, always has" the narcissistic, bloviating imbecile opens his mouth.

And the thought of Ghouliani as secy of state is driving me over the edge.

[anniebelle]

39. Still in Absolute SHOCK!

I haven't slept, been able to concentrate, calm my nerves with my usual round of yoga and daily meditation ~ this is just such a scary point for so many in our country and the world. I, too, am glad to be back to DU to talk to some reasonable people. I live in a deep red state so it's hard to find anyone who's not celebrating the destruction of Democracy and our Republic. I just feel sick to my stomach when I see his supporters, the people he's chosen to surround him in his overthrow of our country. I'm white, 71 years old, and will probably be o.k., but I am so worried about so many in our country and the world who are not as privileged as I am. There are no words.

[femmocrat]

40. I don't feel hopeful, but I do hope the recount annoys the crap out of him.

That gives me a little pleasure. I surely don't feel like facing Christmas. No interest in it whatsoever. Can't shake this funk.

[Hekate]

41. I am holding my breath, but it is a really good sign how many are fighting back

These are my hopes and prayers -->

[mvd]

46. Hugs

I am not even enjoying the holidays due to the election. It just seems like this just can't be happening. Really hopeful that the recount shows something - at the least it showed Trump to be the petulant child he is again.

[CatWoman]

47. hugs back

I'm already seeing Hillary's popular vote total grating on his ass

[anamandujano]

49. My hopes are sky high. I really believe it's going to happen for us.

I did have to pop a few Valerian Root tabs that have been hanging around for over a year on that horrible night but now with the events of this week--

[CatWoman]

50. lol

Valerian root AND Melatonin

[anamandujano]

51. I got them for sleep, didn't work & taste horrible but I popped them without a thought.

They actually helped.

[betsuni]

53. And here I was so optimistic about the U.S. before the election.

On election night, when Ohio went to Trump, my husband called from work and without a greeting or anything said "What's wrong with America?" Sigh. It's a long story.

It was the first time I seriously thought of Trump as the next president. As more states went red, I remembered the joke George Carlin cut from his act after 9/11, where he says he likes huge disasters -- in a perverse way it's exciting when something really big happens -- a Trump win would truly be a huge disaster. Then I felt guilty. By the time it was over I thought, well, that's it for me, I'm throwing in the towel, why bother trying to have opinions if you never know what's really going on, austerity straight ahead, time to mend and darn and save all the pennies and cultivate my damn garden.

I'm now darkly pessimistic (took a nap today and dreamed I was in a car going up a winding mountain road in the snow when the driver fell asleep, the engine stalled, and the car began rolling backwards faster and faster toward inevitable doom but I was in the back seat and could do nothing to stop it -- Thanks, Trump!) but the recount is good news. Trump is unprecedented, so everything else should be unprecedented.

I suppose it's too much to ask that people stop blaming Democrats for everything, but it would be nice.

[barbtries]

55. you're way ahead of me.

though i've been keeping up with the news after isolation for at least as long as i did not have my DU.

i am careful about the news i keep up with much more than before. i will watch some Rachel, some O'Donnell, Keith Olbermann, most of late night hosts. this is all on my computer anyway, i have a roku but no cable. i also am a member of TYT and the David Pakman Show, donated to Mother Jones and Slate (and others - I realize my christmas presents this year will pretty much consist of "a donation was made to....&quot , and subscribed to the NYTimes and the LATimes, which i perceive as a commitment to support the 1st amendment.

I still listen to NPR and can report that their political reporting is as bad as it's ever been.

hope? I'm still hoping that we still have a 1st amendment come 2018. in some ways i think my greatest hope regarding the state of the country is that when Trump screws up, he will screw up so many people that they will wise up and realize they backed the wrong candidate, big time. and the pendulum will swing.

oh, yeah, and i got a prescription for klonopin. it seems to be helping.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

58. It is a good feeling to be able to have kindred spirits...

A place to get a hug, somewhere to lay your burdens down.

[catbyte]

59. I am still feeling hopeless. Nobody is going to do a goddamned thing.

My teevee is still on the classical music channel since it was late in the evening of November 8. I don't think I felt this bad when relatives died.

[Texin]

64. All due respect to you CatWoman

but I completely disagree. Until someone sacks this toxic waste d(tr)ump before he ever has an actual chance to touch even so much as the inauguration podium, this country isn't safe. This cretin can do more irreparable damage in one hour than this country, the rest of the free world and this planet can ever recover from, and with the Amen Rethug Congress and most of the state houses across the (formerly United States giving him their hell for leather approval and high-fives, there can never be a recovery.

This man must be stopped. Once he's sworn in and the rethugs truly take control, it's all over but the hallelujah angel chorus.