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LET'S GIVE UP ON A COUPLE OF IDEAS:


No, not the idea of liberty, despite the dramatic illustration above. I have seen three items repeatedly on social media that I want to debunk and argue against.

1. The idea that we can petition the electoral college to vote for HRC, presumably because Trump is a menace to democracy and because Hillary won the popular vote. First, can you imagine how the millions of Trump voters, already described as "angry," would react? Second, turn the tables: imagine if Trump had squeaked out the popular vote but HRC had trounced him in the electoral numbers. Would we not find it sour grapes for his supporters to be signing a petition? We either work within the Constitution and its traditions or we don't. Yes, Trump shattered so many norms by refusing to release his tax returns, by refusing to say he would concede a loss, by claiming that the system is rigged, and by trading in lies and personal attacks. All these are precisely the reasons that Trump's opponents must adhere rigorously to the rule of law and particularly the norms of political behavior. Keep in mind that non-violent protest, vigorous debate, and Senate filibusters all fall well within these norms. I am not saying roll over and play dead. I am saying fight the good fight. When they go low...

2. The idea that Obama can somehow force Garland onto the Supreme Court by exploiting potentially vague wording in the Constitution surrounding the Senate's role. Balderdash. Justices have been approved by the Senate for decades, period. Why would we want such a drastic change? What would prevent President Trump from doing the same, or any other future GOP leader? Even if Trump nominates a total stinker--which he will--and the Senate approves him (I am assuming it will be a "he")--which it will--the period of open debate and questioning will be a chance for Democrats and others opposed to Trump's agenda to have their views aired. We will probably in the short term end up with a court just like the one we had before Scalia died, for is there a jurist alive worse than he? Let's all send echinacea and yoga tips to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the rest of the aging liberal justices and hope they live lucidly into their 90s. Yes, the Republicans broke the established norms by refusing to even give Merrick Garland a hearing. Again, that is precisely the reason why our side should play by the rules. If everyone goes rogue, what kind of government will we have in the long run?

3. The idea that California should secede from the union, because its politics are so vastly different from the rest of the country, and that its economy is robust and large enough to sustain itself. First, wasn't the whole point of Lincoln's argument with the Confederacy that is was illegal in and of itself? How dare Californians, particularly those with relative education and status, presume to leave the rest of us behind? We are either all connected or we are not. Bi-coastal elitism and snobbery are the main reasons we are in this predicament in the first place. How about let's listen to and understand those angry rural and small-town voters and then let's craft a message that appeals to them without giving up our core values. Most Americans are not race-baiting xenophobic idiots. They just voted for one this cycle because they were fed up with being ignored. While we are on the subject, check out how California itself voted by county, and you have to conclude that there would be many regions of the state that would be unhappy with secession:
I am a former Californian who has familial, cultural, and emotional ties to the state. My eldest child was born there. America needs California now more than ever, but perhaps the reverse is true. Much has been made of how Silicon Valley bet big on Hillary, and how their interests are at total odds with the Trump machine. Hey Google and Facebook, how about work on some solutions to rural America's problems? Sell your shiny future not just to hipster urban elites, but to the rest of the country!

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