I think I am starting to get it....

I am referring to the dogged intent by Trump supporters to see him as some kind of answer or solution to my view of domestic and world problems that need solutions.  In order to "get it", self reflection and examination are required.  Brutally so!

I am part of the population that to a significant extent believes that part of the Obama appeal was his being payback for Bush Jr.  I believe he was somewhat of a natural response to the Bush/Cheney travesty because appearances were that Obama was the opposite in may regards.  And I believe that there are a lot of Americans who regard Trump to be much the same where Obama is concerned.  But there is much more to this than just that.

When I climbed on the Obama wagon in 2007 (and I will reveal I was never on the Hillary bandwagon during their primary season) part of my thinking was that I knew I did not want to see a redux of Bush/Cheney.  The other part was equally directive for me.  I wanted to believe that all the promises and stated intentions Obama put out were doable and he would get them done or die trying.  If I had viewed this more objectively, I would have tempered this belief with the question, "When in the history of this country did any president actually ever come close to doing that?"  The correct answer is "never" if you need help.  But I was prepared to give Obama support and the benefit of doubt for clearly trying hard regardless of actual outcome.  I had black friends tell me back then they did not believe Obama was who I thought he was, but I was not about to listen to any of that.  How or why would they know that?  Because they and he were black?  I still don't know the answer to that, but that doesn't matter now, either.

I could make my own personal list here of the frustrations that I heaped upon Obama during his first term, but that is not relevant for the current purpose either.  These frustrations affected the level of my support in 2012.  In 2008, I donated to his campaign several times, something I had never done before.  I also volunteered at the KC headquarter office on election day, also a first for me.  I was  one of those "dialing for votes" callers.  In 2012 I voted for him, and that was all.  The good feelings about him were long gone, never to return.  I like the man a lot as a person, but today I do not believe he was probably the president America really needed.  Just my own take on that, nothing more.

So, to finish this point, I clothed Obama heavily, and probably unreasonably, in the mantle of my own desires, intentions, pet issues and concerns, etc.  He could not possibly have completed my agenda for him, even if he agreed with all of it.  And I think in that regard, I am probably not very unique as an Obama voter.  I have had enough conversations over the last 7 years with kindred souls to come to that conclusion.

I do not think the election of Obama led to over the top gloating on the part of those of us who were relieved that Bush ideals and policies were going to shoved out the door, but maybe some of my own bias is showing through in that respect.  However, I can say I was feeling very satisfied early on.  And I was dismayed at the attitude of the anti-Obama crowd.  To my observation, they had no reason to feel about him as their attitudes and words displayed.  I could not understand how blindly and easily they accused Obama of doing or planning actions that were never on the agenda.  Obama was never going to take away their guns.  He did not raise their taxes.  Their accusations about the Obama administration regarding any increases in the national debt were wrong when subtracting all spendings related to the wars Bush and Cheney started.  The anti-Obama crowd was just plain committed to hating him for any reason the could invent.

And now we appear to have Trump on the horizon, and I see the process starting all over again.  Where Obama was the anti-Bush, Trump will be the anti-Obama.  The difference is that I am now on the other side of the ledger.  I do not harbor the attitude of hatred, because that never moves the needle in any positive direction.  Never has, never will.  But I get it now.  I can better understand the experience, even the trap, of allowing myself to get caught up in the act of predicting, imagining, believing a host of future events and outcomes led by Trump that hopefully will never happen.  I admit I have no desire to yield to or move into the Trump camp. Where I liked Obama the man regardless of my perspectives on his efficacy as president, Trump is a man I do not like or respect, and have little if no faith in his capacity to lead this nation where it needs to go.  I stated earlier that I questioned whether Obama was the right person for the job at hand.  I feel certain that Trump definitely is not, and he has not ever been sworn in yet.  Only sworn at.

The only positive note I can add to this is, if I turn out to be totally wrong about him, we all win.