— by Michael Riordan —
Michael Riordan and Martha Farish exchange opinions at OPALCO annual meeting aboard state ferry
By any measure, the Pacific edge of the United States did not vote for Donald Trump in November 2016. We voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton — and thus for continuing the policies of President Barack Obama.
In the five states abutting the Pacific Ocean — Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington — Clinton clobbered Trump by more than 5.1 million votes and beat him by a massive electoral margin of 78 to 3. Including the Mountain States in the mix, she still won by more than 4.6 million votes and by 98 to 30 electoral votes. No matter how you count, this president (who lost nationally by 3 million popular votes) finished a distant second on our side of the Rockies.
The far western United States did not vote for the partisan train wreck gripping the nation’s capital. Nor did we vote for an authoritarian president ruling by decree who attempts to bar Muslims from entering the country and wants to waste billions of taxpayer dollars building a wall along our Mexican border.
(This article originally appeared in the Seattle Times February 6, titled “It’s up to Western states to rescue our democracy.” To read the full article, go to https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/its-up-to-western-states-to-rescue-our-democracy/)
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This is an interesting , if naïve, take on our “democracy.”
Regardless of how the left coast voted three is nothing to indicate any real “difference” in essential policies WOULD RESULT FROM A DIFFERERNT OUTCOME. As bad as Boss Tweet is he is fully a product of American id, Read Richard White (“and the Republic for Which IT Stands”) on the first gilded age and it becomes clear that violence and fear are part of our national DNA. Chattel slavery and wholesale land theft and slaughter are hard curse to expel .
If Hillary would have served as a continuation of Obama it would be through continual obeisance to generals and bankers. At least Trump is exemplary in the extremity of his fawning.
tHE MILITARY AND THE MPONETARY GET TOGETHER WHENEVER THEY THINK IT NECESSARY. until WE UNLINK THE TWO WE CAN EXPECT MORE PAIN FOR THE ENVIORNMENT, LABOR AND TRHE QUALITY OF LIFE.
“See the paid off local bottom feeders
Passing themselves off as leaders
Kiss the babies/Shake hands with the fellas
And it’s open for business like a cheap bordello
And they call it democracy.”
Bruce Cockburn
And, please, On the American side of the Vietnam war there were no heroes (certainly not John McCain) only victims.
Perhaps we need to consider these words:
“…one Nation indivisible, with Liberty
and Justice for all.” The Pledge of Allegiance.
And consider these words:
“elections have consequences”. President Obama
Is being totally device going to unit or divide us?