Well, the decision night is over . . . and what a dilemma for everyone! I remember many of my students coming to school before the election and expressing the opinion that neither of the candidates was good, so it was going to be a poor result, no matter what happened. (Most likely the opinions of their parents, and one I happen to share.)

I knew New Mexico would go Democrat, so I felt free to vote my conscience. (i.e., Hillary didn’t need my vote if I wanted to give it to her, and voting for Trump “to try to stop Hillary” would be a wasted vote, because it wouldn’t work, anyway. So I voted for McMullin, who was someone I felt I could actually vote “for,” rather than casting my vote “against” someone else.) It was the only way I could really feel comfortable with my ballot. I did my part, and the rest was up to the rest of the country.

Honestly, at this point, I’m more focused on my local government. I’m glad that our county treasurer held on to his seat, because he was doing a good job. I’m glad that my representative maintained his seat–He’s a Republican in a Democrat state, so it’s something–because he really does a good job, and even the Democrats here know that.

I have confidence that even though the Republicans got a majority in both houses (by a tiny margin), Congress will work to block most things that Trump does. (Unlike how it might have been with Hillary . . .) One of the best things about our Constitution is that it is designed to make change difficult. Generally speaking, I do not think large changes are good for a country. (Witness Obamacare, which seemed like a good idea at the time to many people, but has been proving not nearly as good for the majority of Americans.) In other words, if the government gets little to nothing done, it is usually better than the government getting a lot done. And I think that will happen with a President Trump. (So I think Democrat voters can take heart . . . the country might not be progressing in the ways they want, but at least it will most likely be marking time . . .)

The one thing which really surprised me was that I didn’t realize how much difference it would make in my own self-respect and happiness to know I had made a choice with which I was really comfortable. Instead of feeling dirty and wanting to hide in a corner, which is how I would have felt if I’d cast a vote for either Hillary or Trump, it’s nice to be able to look myself in the eye.