The Trump Effect: Unleashing the Fury of the Northeast Elites
A few weeks before the election, I attended a gathering at a close friend’s home. When I arrived, a woman whom I will refer to as Liane was there with her husband. Liane is ideologically to the left and divides people into categories. Last summer, she referred to Republicans as “rabid.” When my friend’s cousin, a Democrat strategist, made her entrance, Liane immediately stated, “I want to hear all about Clinton vs. Trump.” Knowing I was the only one in the room supporting Trump, I suggested we keep divisive politics out of the discussion. That did not happen. Everyone, including my friend, who is a moderate, made it clear they viewed Mr. Trump as an impulsive megalomaniac who was going to destroy the world. Later the conversation veered to Bill Clinton and his proclivities. Everyone except Liane agreed his actions were unsavory to say the least. When I mentioned something which had been widely reported, Liane responded angrily, “Just like Obama is a birther and a Muslim?” She immediately stormed away. The episode shook me to the core. As we got ready to go to a restaurant, she shouted out that she removed herself from the discussion because “there would have been blood.” Now I am no wilting flower, but I did not wish to embarrass our mutual friend. This occasion, however, was a preview of the Northeast elites’ hysteria following the victory of Donald Trump.
The Wednesday morning after the election, like many, I went to work exhausted but elated avoiding my colleagues. Like many on the right, relief, not gloating, was the order of the day. Clients from both sides of the political aisle kept their appointments. Surprisingly, with a few exceptions, most on the left were resigned and accepted the decision rendered by the majority of the electorate and conversation moved to their therapeutic needs of the day. This was not the case for my colleagues and liberal friends. One liberal but fair-minded colleague who is our current chair mildly indicated her distress when I asked how she was doing. She informed me she would have been less upset if it had been Jeb. I told her only Trump could effectively defend against the aggressive attacks from the corrupt MSM. She went on to thank me for making a decision to recuse myself from Thursday's business meeting so my colleagues could express their rancor and grief over the results of the election.
My professional colleagues outside the practice were also not as conciliatory. They used email to express their shock and dismay about the coming apocalypse as a result of Mr. Trump’s victory. A small but vocal group began expressing their fears for women, homosexuals, and any and every other minority who could be identified. These highly educated and reputedly open-minded professionals vowed to push ahead with their message of “love” over “hate” and claimed they would assist their clients in navigating the treacherous waters of a Trump presidency.
The night after the election, another close friend messaged me expressing “heartbreak.” Because her nephew is gay, she bemoaned the fact that same-sex marriage would be overturned not only because of Trump but Pence. When we used to disagree about our current president, whom she admires, she would close the conversation with “...but Elizabeth, what do I know?” Following our spirited discussion regarding Mr. Trump, she refuted her past declaration and let me know she was well read even though her sources were different than mine. Consequently, we had a testy exchange over text until we decided our thirty-three-year-old friendship was too important to so readily discard which it was on the verge of doing.
This keening and mourning has not subsided. Two weeks ago, a client whom I have seen for about two years decided to chime in her opinion about Mr. Trump. On this particular day, she made a false accusation regarding our president-elect, maintained fake news was usurping the real news of the New York Times and Washington Post and emphasized her need to work forever because Mr. Trump will ruin Mr. Obama’s economy. The finale of her discourse was about vilifying anyone who voted for Mr. Trump and proceeded to glare at me. After unsuccessfully trying to circumvent her, I realized it was futile and allowed her to express her venom. Several minutes later as the conversation meandered, she wondered why people were not willing to engage in friendly banter about politics. The day after her virulent outburst, this woman texted me her decision to end therapy. Because of her surprise tantrum, I was not sad to see her go which is most uncharacteristic of me regarding my clients.
Finally, last week, at my business meeting, I bore witness to the true hypocrisy of the Northeast elites who have become increasingly emboldened during this pre- and postelection season. We were reviewing samples for our new brochure, and after examining many options, we already agreed that images of nature rather than people would be a better option. One of our colleagues wanted to give us one more example before we made our final decision. Pictures of families were passed around. Allow me to explain that the towns we serve are about ninety-five percent white, upper-middle-class to wealthy families, and most are comprised of heterosexual couples. It would be most lovely to see the upward mobility of all minorities, and hopefully, this will eventually happen when they turn their back on the political party of nowhere. For now, however, the demographics of our population is not much different from other wealthy enclaves in the Northeast. After looking at the pictures, two of my colleagues proclaimed that these people are “too white,” and one of them said “too heterosexual.” A particularly brave soul among the group said, “but this is…” She was drowned out. No one else attempted to rebut these claims in fear of being accused of some “ism” or “phobia.” Having taken the risk of expressing my disapproval of similar behavior in the past, I too declined to take a position. The healthier approach going forward is to attend fewer meetings and invest my energies in more constructive endeavors.
Rush Limbaugh is correct. This attempted annihilation of Donald Trump is relentless and will not stop. Hell hath no fury like a Democrat scorned! Mr. Trump committed a mortal sin by beating someone who was to be coronated as the first woman president. Believe me, it is echoed throughout my neck of the woods every day. Thank God Mr. Trump is who he is. Our president-elect is going need every muscle it takes to withstand the onslaught as he “Makes America Great Again.” In the meantime, I will remain optimistic as I am forced to listen to false narratives and exclamations by people who are often clueless and see the world through a different lens. Listening attentively to these stalwart believers of the Leftist ideology, I often say to myself: The truth really is stranger than fiction.
The author is using a pen name fo reasons she epxlains here.