I voted for Barack Obama twice. The first time because I believed that he would be a positive change in leadership. The second time because the Republicans had not only no one I wanted to vote for, but I was actively afraid of what they might do in office, so I voted for Obama as the lesser evil. I’d wanted to vote for Gary Johnson the Libertarian candidate, but let all the talk of throwing away my vote scare me into not voting my conscience, but my fears. I vowed to follow my beliefs in politics and never let my fears rule me again, because unlike the majority of my friends that voted for Obama a second time I wasn’t happy with my choice. I’ll give you one example of why.
One of the main reasons I voted for Obama the first time was his promise to close Guantanamo Bay[i]. Gitmo maybe absolutely necessary for safety and even survival, but it is still morally wrong. I believe that imprisoning a human being without legal representation starts us down a slippery slope towards the same type of tyranny that we fought a revolution against. But Obama didn’t close Gitmo, even though he had both congress and the house as democratic majority for the first two years of his presidency. I believe that he was shown top secret information that convinced him he could not close Gitmo without endangering too much, or too many. Whatever the reason something made him back off on it, but just last week he contacted a now Republican majority and asked that Gitmo be closed, after he was only hours away from no longer being president. He knew the answer would be, no. He had to know they would not cooperate with him. Obama is too intelligent a man to not understand that the answer would be negative. So, why did he do it? Because now he can say, I tried to close to Gitmo, but the big bad Republicans wouldn’t let me[ii]. Now, instead of it being his fault that he didn’t keep his promise its someone else’s fault. It was a good political move, but morally questionable. Its a way of avoiding responsibility for something he gave his word on, and that it is a pattern of behavior for him to place blame for any failures on others. He takes responsibility only for his victories, but never for his losses. Or so it seemed to me.
I also had an issue with him getting the Nobel Peace Prize when he was responsible for bombs being dropped on more countries than any of his immediate predecessor[iii][iv]. There was never a day of his presidency when we did not have soldiers in harm’s way on foreign soil[v]. How did he earn a Nobel Peace Prize? If you think I’m wrong about either of those statements look it up, but I’ve provided links to sources. Don’t believe the press, dig for the facts, please. We must stop accepting the surface information we are given, because it is always biased on either side.
I had hoped that President Obama would bring our country closer together. That we would come out of his term, his two terms, more united as a people, but the opposite has happened[vi]. We are more divided racially, religiously, sexually, etc . . . Pick something and I have never seen such vitriol spouted on both sides. The President that I thought would bring us together has managed to give us eight years that drove us apart. I’m not sure what happened and certainly one man doesn’t take full responsibility for it, but Obama lacked one thing that all great presidents have and that is an ability to work with both sides of an issue. He not only didn’t know how to reach across the aisle, but he didn’t try. It was all about us versus them over and over, until the entire country believed that. Most of the major news outlets and major cities believed Obama was great! They thought that it was a cinch for Hilary Clinton, Obama’s heir apparent to be the next president. Everyone was so happy with the democrats being in charge that, of course, she would win. Besides, the first woman president, just like the first black president – how could they lose?
I wanted a female president. I’ve wanted one for decades. I didn’t want Hilary Clinton, because I saw her as a continuation of the Obama presidency and the old school political power brokers doing business as usual. I agreed whole-heartedly with the Democrats and the major power brokers in the country, Hilary Clinton would have been a continuation of the last eight years. That was the problem. I, like so many Americans, didn’t want a continuation of the last eight years. We were unhappy with it, and no one in power seemed to be listening, or to even care. It was a very, “Yes, Socrates,” moment.
I voted Libertarian this time, and don’t tell me I threw my vote away. Its my vote, I get to decide how I use it. That’s the entire point of our system of government that we have a choice and a voice in an election, even if its just that one vote. I know people who voted for Trump. I know women, people of ethnic and every color we come in that voted for him. You can tell yourself its just racist bigots misogynists that voted for Donald J. Trump but that’s not the truth. A lot more liberals voted for him than you think, but they are literally afraid to admit it. They’re afraid of being attacked, they are afraid it will endanger their jobs, their families, because people have lost their minds that Trump won. (And yes, people are afraid that Trump being president will give rise to more violence from the far right, but that’s being covered in the media. What I haven’t seen being covered is the balancing side of those fears.)
I have intelligent, educated, sane friends who have literally looked me in the eye and called Trump the antichrist. I thought they were exaggerating, but they seem to mean it. He is not the antichrist. He is not Lucifer. He is not Hitler. (Remember before Hitler started shipping anyone off to death camps first he had to disarm them. Until someone comes to take the guns away from private citizens, they usually behave themselves better. If a president wants your guns, then worry about genocide and dictatorships. Sorry if the anti-gun crowd doesn’t like that statement. I wish we lived in a world where faith, good vibes, and safe spaces would actually keep us safe, but until that fantasy world becomes reality I’ll keep my ability to protect myself and my family.) Am I thrilled that Trump is our president? No, but I’m not sure anyone running would have thrilled me. I admit that when Donald J. Trump threw his hat in the ring I thought it was a publicity stunt for a future reality TV show. I don’t think even Trump thought he would win. I think he saw it as a chance to speak his mind and say things that the other politicians seemed afraid to say, so he said it, and weirdly he began to win. I think we were all shocked at first, even Trump.
If you want to know how Trump won there are great articles explaining it in mostly British media[vii] [viii]. Our own American media was almost completely blindsided. I hope that teaches our media to take the blinders off and see what’s really happening in our country, not what they want it to be, but the reality.
The president actually has much more limited powers than most people think. Yes, he signed an executive order that said that foreign aid or federal funding cannot be used to promote or provide abortions[ix]. It is something every republican since Reagan has signed into being. Just like there are things that every Democrat signs. Am I happy about it? No, but I’m not panicking either, and that’s my point. Take a deep breath, and let go of your fear. Work for what you believe, but please stop being terrified. If you are reacting to fear then you don’t think well, and reacting is not the same as acting. Act because you want to, not because you’re so scared you’re lashing out.
One thing I didn’t foresee is that so many people are terrified, enraged that Trump won – How did this happen? They keep asking themselves – that it seems to be bringing people together, even if it is a togetherness based on hating that Donald J. Trump is our new president. Obama was supposed to bring us closer together, but somehow his eight years divided us more. Wouldn’t it be weird if the Trump presidency brought us more together? Even if its just to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
[i] http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/promise/177/close-the-guantanamo-bay-detention-center/
[ii] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/president-barack-obama-guantanamo-bay-gitmo-open-letter-congress-republicans-donald-trump-inmates-a7536346.html
[iii] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/peace-president-how-obama-came-to-bomb-seven-countries-in-six-years-9753131.html
[iv] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-president-barack-obama-bomb-map-drone-wars-strikes-20000-pakistan-middle-east-afghanistan-a7534851.html
[v] https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/us/politics/obama-as-wartime-president-has-wrestled-with-protecting-nation-and-troops.html?_r=0
[vi] http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/11/21/poll-americans-feel-divided/94224968/
[vii] http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37918303
[viii] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/09/how-did-donald-trump-win-analysis
[ix] http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-01-23/donald-trump-reinstates-mexico-city-policy-banning-international-abortion-funding
127 comments
Kristin
I am sad to read this and the crap posts it emboldened. I have been a fan from the beginning. Even when Anita’s story lagged, and people said you focused too much on the sex. I stayed with you. I loved how Anita grew. Even when I heard people say that you were kind of rude, I gave you the benefit of the doubt; your just human. However, I can’t ignore this. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You are what you are; rich, white, female, who lives in the Midwest. I am just saddened that you are not more. Goodbye, Laurell. And, goodbye Anita. 🙁 Your company was deeply appreciated but there more important things at stake now.
rae lee
So in other words you only promote hate. She didn’t support Trump of Hillary. She only supported FREE CHOICE! The problem with this country now is everyone thinks other people should think exactly like them and if they don’t they are bad. People are ridiculed, beaten, and murdered because of who they voted for. This is supposed to be a FREE democracy! Comments like yours only support narrow mindedness and leads to the extremists out there killing.
rae lee
Thank you for a rational, intelligent essay complete with valid sources. I am sad to say yours is the first I have seen lacking some sort of hate propaganda. I am sharing this with others so they may see what it looks like to state and opinion logically.
Syncline
Wow. That was some wall of text there.
Take a breath occasionally.
Also you might rant less and document your position more.
On an unrelated note!
Dear LKH, have some writing fuel…
Was thinking about the upcoming nuptuals for Jean Claude while driving down the road today, and realized that I was listening to a song on CD that I believed captured JC’s feelings for Anita perfectly, and in my mind there Jean Claude was at the reception, trying his hand at Karaoke to surprise his new wife…
It’s not your usual hard rock choice, but imagine a masculine French-accented voice singing ‘Fugitive’ instead of the Indigo Girls….
“I’m harboring a fugitive, a defector of a kind
And she lives in my soul and drinks of my wine
And I’d give my last breath to keep us alive…
Are they coming for us with cameras or guns?
We don’t know which but we gotta run
And you say, “This is not what I bargained for”….
So hide yourself for me,
All for me.
We swore to ourselves we’d go to the end of the world
But I got caught up in the whirl and the twirl of it all
A day in the sun dancing alone….
Baby, I’m so sorry….
Now it’s coming to you the lessons I’ve learned
Won’t do you any good you’ve got to get burned
Well our curse and our blessing they’re one in the same
Baby, it’s all such a treacherous gain
Hide yourself from me
You can hide yourself from me
All for me
I stood without clothes danced in the sand
I was aching with freedom kissing the damned
I said remember this as how it should be…
Oh baby, I said it’s all in our hands
Got to learn to respect what we don’t understand
We are fortunate ones, fortunate ones, I swear….’
SO looking forward to the big event!
Happy writing.
Love, Syn
AJ Johnson
Intellectually dishonest articles like this make my head hurt. First of all regarding Guantanamo, just because you have a majority in Congress doesn’t mean you automatically get what you want. Who thinks like this? You had “blue dog” democrats in red states who wanted the prison to stay open because they were concerned about their own political careers and Republicans weren’t going to give Obama a “victory” and fund closing the prison. And to top it off you don’t mention that when Obama couldn’t close the prison he at least relocated many of the prisoners out of that facility throughout his two terms. Details matter. Not everything is as easy and black and white as you make it to be. To make it even worse you contradict yourself about Obama not closing Guantanamo when he had a majority in Congress but then turn around and mention what limited powers Trump has while he has a majority in Congress!! You can’t have it both ways lol.
And how is it that you expected Obama to wave his magic wand and make the country unite? Was he supposed to be nice to Republicans that opposed his every move and demonized him every chance they got from the very start? Was he supposed to somehow block the cable news media outlets from fueling “us vs them” segments in their nightly news shows? Was he supposed to block technology of HD camera phones so people couldn’t capture videos of black men getting shot, beaten, or choked to death by cops? Was he supposed to stop these videos from going viral on social media sparking the division in this country? This technology didn’t exist in the era of prior presidents. If a man got shot “accidentally” or in the back 5 times while running away it would have been covered up or buried on the back of page 10 of some newspaper but once again you gloss over these factors and go on with your black and white view of the world. And you’re supposed to be a writer? Give me a break.
An no, Trump isn’t Lucifer or the anti-Christ but he is a crook and a con man. He’s the guy who’s been stepping on the working man stiffing businesses and contractors the majority of his adult life. He’s the guy who created a fake university to scam Americans in all walks of life out of their money so he could maintain his 1% lifestyle. What kind of true “billionaire” does that? He’s the guy who won’t release his taxes (even the ones that aren’t under audit) because I believe they’ll show what a failure as a businessman that he truly is. This is the guy who’s never served a day in his life in the military, that ridiculed a man because he was captured as a POW (spitting in the faces of all POWs) but somehow “loves the troops”. This is the guy that called for a Muslim ban in this country…not once thinking there are Muslims (a few which I happen to know) serving our armed forces this very day fighting for values that don’t include demonizing and banning people of their religion. This is the guy who went on a 16 month insult tour of America where no one was off limits, not even the disabled. A large segment of the country ate up his reality TV show shtick which shows how far we’ve fallen as a society that we’d put aside basic human decency to elect that immature dullard for President.
I wasn’t shocked when Trump won because I’ve seen the undercurrent of stupidity in this country. I see it every day. Everywhere you look on social media the half-truths, memes and lazy articles (much like this one) are right in your face. You can’t avoid it. No one researches anything. No one cares about substance or nuance anymore. Americans see horrific videos on TV and circulating on the net in a microsecond and make snap judgments about the perpetrator or the victim based on their own bias. They read tripe, take it at face value because the narrative fits what they want to hear. That’s what sows division between your family member, neighbor, and co-worker. It’s not the ONE man you’re trying to blame in this asinine article.
Sonta
Here, here fellow citizen!
Anya
Too many people in this country base their views on what is portrayed in the media. I wonder how many would defend Trump if they did their homework. I am a disabled vet, who has lived in many of the states in this country and am tired of hearing people open their mouth, only to here the latest media hype come spilling out. The media is only out to make money.
Anya
Too many people in this country base their views on what is portrayed in the media. I wonder how many would defend Trump if they did their homework.
Syncline
I hope it was understood that I was responding to A.J. Johnson’s wall of text, not LKH’s comments. Oh, well.
Chris A.
You could try debating his points but you really can’t because everything he wrote was true. This was an ignorant, shoddily written piece that didn’t have much thought behind it except “blame Obama”.
Sylvia
Thank you very much for saving me money.
I won’t bother with purchasing any more of your books.
With the current POTUS, I won’t be able to afford it anyway, and with the medical insurance situation may not last to read.
You are very welcome to give your two cents, and I am going to respond by using my dollars elsewhere.
Michael Ewing
Pres Obama’s election shown how racist america really is, as for some of his accomplishment, I’m disappointed of him being partly responsible by allowing covert assassination of Quadiffi, he was no angel but his demise wasn’t because he this “evil dictator” but for economic reasons, check out rt.org news and other articles (Quadiffi apologists to natives of Libya and his plans) plus Pres Obama could have focused more on economy of this country, I really could say more but space doesn’t permit. I voted for Clinton but I think Bernie Sanders would have been a better candidate. Thank you for listening.
S. Nak
Thank you so much for writing an intelligent article that speaks to under-heard “vote wasters.” I was a Johnson fan, of the possible choices, and I was sad that even when our D and R choices were so poor, we still didn’t vote in a libertarian. Johnson may have had the public speaking acumen of a high schooler, but at least he wasn’t objectionable on the levels of his running mates. I thought he’d do better as a nice neutral candidate (relatively speaking). It says a lot about where our country is today, and I think you’re spot on in your assessment of Obama’s contribution to it. I had high hopes for him as well. Here’s to learning!
Meredith Putvin
I fear I was not for the Libertarian party because I remember the years that William Weld was the republican governor of Massachusetts and feel it is shameful the people forget the monstrosity known as the “Big Dig.” We haven’t forgotten as we are still paying for it in terms of taxpayer dollars and stalled infrastructure improvements throughout the state.
Desiree
Thank you for speaking a truth that so many individuals need to hear. I have been afraid to voice my opinions as so many of my friends are highly anti-Trump. They have started calling anyone not against Trump a racist, woman hater, fascist pig so I’ve kept silent on it. Its sad to see the extremes that some have taken over this presidency.
Orion Blastar
Good article, you use citations and everything. Obama did a lot of the same things Trump did, but suddenly they were alright even if the liberals wanted to impeach Bush for the same things.
Did you notice how the Flint lead water problem was handled by Obama by just ignoring it and hoping it would go away? Since 2014 nothing was done about it by the EPA or any other federal branch. People were dying and the water was pure yellow, can’t bathe, drink, or cook with it. News media refused to report on Obama not doing anything about it.
Katy
Laurell, I love your books! And you are certainly right about taking a breath! I happen to be a Christian conservative (go figure) and more of a Clinton adversary than a Trump supporter. That said, as much as I want to help people you have to do it within your budget and as a country we aren’t doing that. I didn’t dislike Obama. I found him intelligent and charming. His policies were a different subject because they didn’t make fiscal sense. The national debt DOUBLED in the last 8 years. And discrimination runs both ways. Black people can be as racist as white ones. We tend to be “racist” against people we fear. I personally don’t have an issue with black people. I DO have a continuing struggle with Muslims, even though I have some work friends who are moderate Muslims, but the fear of terrorists drives my struggle. Perhaps if we get to know and understand each other better the fear will dissipate and that can end discrimination.
Rae
I appreciate your post and perspective, though my opinion differs pretty seriously. Obama did not divide us as a country. We did that. Having out first black President brought out a lot of intolerance and vitriol that escalated every year. People did and said things about him and his family that were deplorable. Trump just put the icing on the top. Everyone tip toes around race like it’s the big bad bogeyman in the room…as if it plays no role here. Having someone who was “other” in the White House enraged lot of people so that this idea of “taking back” our country gained traction. On hand you talk about Obama not trying to reach across the aisle and not doing enough…then talk about the limited powers that the President (Trump) will have. Which is it? There’s also no mention of the dysfunction of Congress or the tea party’s complete unwillingness to play ball. Do I think that Obama was perfect…absolutely not. But he tried to do a lot of good for a lot of people and was at most too liberal for the conservatives and too moderate for the liberals. Do I believe that everyone should vote their conscience…yes. But telling people to calm down is trying to deny us the right to our very really feelings. Just as you want to protect your family we want to protect ours…if the disregard for ethics, censorship of federal agencies, and broken promises (Mexico will pay for the wall) are any indication we should be concerned.
Mgon ♥
Great article. Once again your intelligence and wisdom is why I think you are amazing, not just for your incredible books. You are a wonderful person. ? ? ♥
Rene
On the day of Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2008 Senator Mitch McConnell is recorded saying that the Republicans will do everything in their power to make Barack Obama a one term president from that quote Secret meeting the Republicans did everything in their power to stagnate filibuster block refused to confirm bastardize affordable care act and disrespect him at every turn within the first 90 days of Barack Obama’s first term the tea party was born this group along with the alt right and the constant attack which I believe was racially motivated it’s really amazing that President Obama got done what he did
FrownSmile
https://mobile.twitter.com/ScribblingSandy/status/824286591761924096
Raquel
If you want to blame Obama for the division in this country go ahead. You believe that 8 years of the majority of Republicans in the senate and congress didn’t force him to not close Gitmo before his last hours? You don’t think that it was his last try at closing it? Of course not, he was one of the best presidents and he could have sone so much more for the country if the Republican Party cooperated with him and the Democratic Party but of course he gets the blame. Now we are fighting for our rights and to not see or believe this man in office won’t be the worst thing this country has ever had is being delusional. Believing this “alternative facts” when we hear things from the horses mouth is delusional. Now I respect your vote and I don’t believe you threw away your vote because it was your choice and decision. I believe those who voted for him believing the lie about the emails etc accusing Hillary, not only threw out their cotes but gave us this chaos. Less than a week in office and many rallies have formed and they (we) are just starting because if we don’t speak up now, they will screw us later when it is too late.
Andi
I will not lie, I hesitated to read this post because I was afraid of what you would say. Over the past few months celebrities have lost their mind, spewed hate and venom and because of that I’ve lost respect for so many that I can’t stomach watching them anymore. I don’t mind opinions that differ than mine when those opinions are backed with logical and facts. You did that. And I should have known from the beginning that a writer with the talent that you have would be able to put into words how many (obviously not all) feel. Thank you for your voice of reason, for using whole facts, and for being brave enough to post your opinions publicly knowing that there will be backlash. I have been a proud Laural K. Hamilton fan for years and even more proud today. Thank you for all the books you’ve written and for sharing your thoughts during this tumultuous time.
river eno
Hmm . . . interesting. Let me post a fact. 40% of eligible voters didn’t vote. 60% voted. Of that 60%, 63 million voted for Trump and almost 66 million for Hillary. That is the popular vote you say. Okay . . .
Look into voter suppression. Not fraud, as claimed by the “alternate facts,” but suppression. Hillary lost by about 10,000 votes in Michigan. 75,000 votes from Michigan weren’t counted. Why? Michigan refuses to answer for it. As does PA. The recount was called off. An American right to a recount was “called off.”
It seems wildly inaccurate of you to state Obama’s eight years drove people apart. Wildly. He had flaws for sure. But if the only thing his presidency did was keep the hate mongers in their homes and quiet, I applaud it. If he didn’t put a gag order on the press. I applaud it. If he didn’t waste more time with fossil fuels and drive us backward into a horrid 1950’s nightmare. I applaud it. If he didn’t have ties with the companies he had to regulate, then I applaud what Obama did.
No one can seriously think Trump’s “alternative facts” and white nationalist cabinet is anything to be optimistic about. And if you do, I have to really wonder where you stand.
Savannah
This is the reason given by the Nobel peace prize for Obama prize: https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/press.html
The leader of the Nobel committee at the time was Torbjørn Jagland former prime minister of Norways Labour party. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorbj%C3%B8rn_Jagland
The prize was mostly given to Obama for out hope he would do great things and for our countries general dislike of Bush I believe. Under Bush it was a very tense situation the was felt in Europe war wise. If the President after Trump is on the more friendly road towards the world peace and tries to calm down the war situation in the world and changes the course that is now in the making I would not be surprised if you get a new Nobel prize. Trump scares the living daylights out of most people in Europe. The lying, the way he talks and the way human rights gets turned back is frightening, also the inauguration speech was a black day in Europe. The situation with Russia is extremely scary, over here it has not been as close to a cold war since the 80s. Since we share a border with Russia this is very close to us. Trumps views on Nato makes it even worse.
This was mean to explain the Nobel peace prize to Obama from the Norwegian point of view. Under Obama the world was less tense than under Bush in general. It is building up again now as I tried to explain above.
I hope that this gave you some explanation to why. I am Norwegian so I am just giving you the view from my part of the world. The Nobel peace prize is given by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
What it is like inside the US in a day to day life I do not know as I only and there on holidays from time to time. But here the Press here has to tell the truth, there is a Ethical Code of Practice and if the overstep and gets judged the have to show and read the sentence on TV or print it in the newspaper that gets the sentence. I believe the press in the UK has similar practice and why you feel you get better news from UK.
I do not know the Press code of ethics in the US.
Kind regards from Norway.
Babbi Dilbeck, DVM
This man is not sane. I can’t see him bringing about positive change when all he can concern himself with is building a wall, the popular vote, and inauguration numbers. He repeatedly quotes lies and then doubles down on them. There is no way I will ever support this individual. He is not normal. I will not normalize his words nor his actions. His handlers are having a difficult time keeping pace with his irrational behavior. Yes, I’m terrified…everyone should be.
Titanna Charron
From the Day that I first picked up a copy of Guilty Pleasures I have been a fan of yours Laurel. This just says it all to me. I also voted Libertarian, because I did not like Hillary or Trump. I did not agree with all of Johnson’s Policies, but he had enough I felt comfortable with him becoming president, and because of that, he took the highest independent vote percentage EVER. I worry over the things Trump says Not because I think he’s the anticrist, or because he’s a bigot but because I am a disabled, Gay, woman. The things he says, about those three issues, being Disabled, and on Social Security, Being a Lesbian, and being a woman, terrify me. We are raising daughters who will see women being treated poorly by their husbands and will think it’s ok. Then again they see 50 shades of Grey which is also a book about an abusive relationship and how it sucks you in and keeps you. I’m terrified that all the striving we’ve made all the effort to be equal is going to be taken away and we will wind up in burka’s and not allowed to leave the house with a *Man* watching over us.
Charles Hendricks Jr
Problem 1-the creature is a mysoginist. Problem 2-the republican party has been intent on destroying the social safety net as long as I have been alive, have you ever had to rely on medicaid or foodstamps?
Problem 3-every piece of evidence indicates that our elections were tampered with via misinformation programs ordered by the highest levels of Russian government
My intention is to fight harder than ever for the things I believe in. One of those things is a strong government, that protects citizens, resources, and peace.
We should all also understand Robert ‘ Rules of Order, as well as whatever the current rules in Congress are. Each party is responsible for modifying those rules to serve their purposes when they have the majority.
Next point – The constitution established the Electoral College as a way to prevent the kind of tyrants we have now from being elected, they failed their constitutional duties. See th Federalist letters. These same men gave us the ability to make up for their heir shortsightedness by being able to alter the Constitution.
One of those shortcomings was a failure to provide checks and balances between the popular vote and the electoral college.
The President has and ready signed executive orders that will allow for the continued abuses of native Americans, destruction of our environment rather than it’s protection. We live in a nation that couldn’t even pass the ERA because of people like him. We don’t have equal rights in this nation, we are being ruled over by coporate stoolies, traitors, and moralistic one faith fools. I want to be free from having Evangelicals telling me how to live. I’m tired of living in a quasi police state. Finally I’m tired of excuses! You excuse a bad vote by saying it’s your choice, but when I researched Gary Johnson, I found him to be more anti regulatory than republicans. We have returned to a time of robber barons like J.P. Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller who gained their wealth on the backs of the people doing the work that earned the money and not being compensated fairly. A time when the regular person is held down, denied opportunity and financial security. I could go on but it would become a series of books.
Lanie Anderson
Agree with a lot of what you say, here, Laurell. I agree 100%, it’s our vote and I really, really don’t like being bullied into voting for the lesser evil. The lesser evil is still evil, is it not? I’m not scared, Laurell, I’m sickened. Gag orders on the EPA, Natl Parks Service, & the EPA??? WTF? Nope, he hasn’t come for the guns. He can’t. His own party would impeach him so fast, his head would spin. On the plus side? He is making Saturday night Live great again
Maxine Ryon
This is the very thing I have been trying to say. You put it together so well. This is why I continue to read your books. Your not fake like most of the celebs out there. I knew that when I met you at a book signing on my birthday in St. Louis.
Dwayne Baird
I wish I had never read this!!
steve
you wasted your vote, regardless of whether it was yours to waste or not. i didn’t particularly enjoy either option this election either, but hilary was clearly the lesser of the 2 evils. you talk about looking beyond the facts presented by the media at face value all the while raising your nose at obama for bombing other countries and keeping guantanamo bay open. did it ever occur to you that this was done for a reason? not just a reason, but a good reason, one that helps shape the world we know in a better light?
not wanting a continuation of the last 8 years is a good reason not to vote for hilary. that being said, there are a lot more than 1 reason trump was and still is going to be a terrible leader.
homer
first… obama did not have democratic support to close gitmo, what he did was reduce the number of prisoners there…that was what he could do on his own. secondly trump is now talking about sending federal troops to disarm chicago .
Tamara Barile
This is why you’re my favorite author. Well said. We are All Americans we all bleed the same color and we need to unite. I pray President Trump does a great job for our country and I pray those who didn’t vote for him will give him a chance as we all gave obama a chance.
Dwayne Baird
I m a huge LK Hamilton fan. With all due respect, I dont understand how its Obamas fault that the country is divided and its not fair that anyone would blame him. I certainly dont understand why anyone would tell us to just accept it and be quiet. Even thou everyone knows that the republicans sid all they vould to obstruct him, they even admitted such, he is the blame. This country will never come together noone with a brain will just shut up and accept Trump.
Terri
Love your books. That being said, I have to respectfully disagree with much of your statement. I believe that President Obama was a statesman, a fine man and father. He was given a rough time as he inherited a war and a country that still is divided by race, religion, gender, sexuality, etc. There is no way to fight these if you are curtailed at every turn. The Republicans stated verbally that they would fight him on everything he did, and they did. When a president nominates a Supreme Court Justice, and the legislature refuses to even have hearings over him, something in our system is broken. We can only hope it is not broken irretrievably.
Brooks Wolfe
Thank you for voting your conscience! I also proudly voted for Johnson, and I’m hopeful that in four years, more Americans will opt out of the two-party system. Voting for the “lesser of two evils” is really just a subjective evaluation of degree, and the results are still evil.
Tim riggle
Wow.. I love your books too.. and am thankful for those very rational thoughts.. you just impressed me .. ?
John
Thank you for your thoughts. I think you made interesting points about your hope for President Obama to be able to help unite the country. I agree that those things didn’t happen on as large of a scale as I hoped. However, what I discounted, and you did as well (in your thoughts), is the overwhelming amount of disrespect, vitriol, and hate leveled against President Obama from those who refused to work together. You mentioned that President Obama didn’t reach across the aisle, but you didn’t mention Mitch McConnell’s stated intention to make President Obama a one-term president. The GOP was in lock step with that sentiment. Not only did the GOP fight Pres. Obama at every turn, but they fought amongst themselves if they weren’t actively obstructionist enough (ask John Boehner). That doesn’t sound like a good start for collaboration. I don’t think that you mentioned that the obstruction was not only political, but it also had other, non-political causes. Why else would you see so many traditional symbols of racial animus at “political” protests. I think you may have also underestimated the amount racial discord/anger that was fomented during the time of President Obama (as noted by the spike in racial hate groups that were born or grew during the last 8yrs). Do you think that President Obama CAUSED that, or was that simply a deeply held belief that blossomed due to a significant catalyst (like a Black President)?
I appreciate and agree with a reasoned, rational approach with Trump. However, that shouldn’t mean that we forget the lessons that have been learned, around the world, when people like Trump have ascended to power (and guns won’t always be enough to protect us). There are too many people without the privilege of being able to ignore the signs.
Anna
Best comment here. Thank you.
David Salazar
I disagree. Do you want to know what led to the divide in the US? The internet. The internet has given everyone a voice. And they use that voice to not have open communication, but to be ugly with one another. People dont learn peace on the internet. They learn how to effectively hate on the internet. Obama had nothing to do with that! Now, the reason i am going to stop reading your books is pretty simple. Your books have evolved from incredible monster/action stories to constant sex. Dont get me wrong, i love some sex but it is now the core of the stories. I get that she has to eat or people die but when i buy this thick book i am hoping for a great story with some action and comedy and revelations! But what i get is chapters of sexy time. If you ever go back to the old good days i will be back. Thanks. Oh….and the electoral system was created to give slave owners a fair shake. Slavery isnt a thing anymore here so we should probably go to an every votw counts system to ensure the person the majority wants in office makes it there. Your vote was wasted.
Donna
Abolish the Electorial College? So that the majority opinion can crush the minority opinion every time? Without EC, that is what would happen. It would not be every vote counts or one person-one vote.
D. Hanley
Very well written. Thank you for publically and eloquently stating your opinion.
Sheri
I have been told for years that I throw my vote away because I am Libertarian. I am hoping this last election and all its controversy, on both the red and the blue side, will help more people realize that voting for the lesser evil doesn’t work. Too many people voted against Hillary or against Trump instead of voting for a candidate they thought would be good for this country.
I will continue to vote my conscious and not let fear decide.
As for Obama and his presidency…oh don’t even get me started on him.
Amy
i have to say that as a member of the lgbtq community i’m terrified. not of the president himself, but of the people who see his election as legitimizing violence against us. Still, I also voted libertarian. Not because I thought Johnson was the greatest thing since scrambled eggs but because I thought he was better than either of the other choices.
Eve
Hi Laurell,
Thank you sharing your personal views with us on politics as I know it opens you up to personal attacks.
I initially read the comments on your Facebook page before throughly reading what you wrote and see that some commenters have accused you of saying things you haven’t actually said. As all you’re really saying is “take a breath, think, do not immediately panick.” So I wanted to ask if you’re willing to share your personal opinions on Trump’s recent executive orders or comment more on why you’re not panicking and why we shouldn’t be either?
Mary
Thank you for posting this. I’m one of those who did not vote for Obama nor did I vote for Hillary. I was afraid to waste my vote on a third party in both elections. I agree with most everything you said and I really appreciate how well thought out it is. I know we don’t all agree on how this country should be run but I am hoping that this presidency does bring us together and repair the divide.
Melanie Dahlstrom
I too am a fan of your books. I have been watching and investigating whats going on. When we 1st heard that Trump was running, i didnt know if it was a publicity stunt or real. If Hillary had won, she would have followed Obamas blueprint. What no one realizes is the protestors(majority of them) are being funded from Soros. He was the hate monger. I dont agree with everything Trump is doing but which Presidential candidate is 100% what we want. We need to give him a chance. Why is this election so much worse than any other? Because people didnt want ISIS here. Because cops were being targeted. Because Obama started racial divide and kept throwing wood on the fire. When have the Universities ever has a playdough room because their students cant handle reality? We need to look at it as a whole, not just 1 thing. Trump got it and we need to come together as a nation and try to help fix it. It’s not going to be easy. Not by a long shot. But maybe, just maybe if we do this? We will be helping ourselves and our country. We are all scared of what is and what will happen. If we talk and not scream, I think we can do this.
Samantha Mullins
I’m sorry, I marched in the women’s march. I was not paid or coerced into doing it. I want to see non-propaganda facts on this please.
Corey
Why did you march?
Sonia Taylor Brock
Whew! I thought I was alone here! So glad we share so many points. So many of my fans and fellow authors are terrified and vilifying Pres. Trump it causes me concern. I am being very cautious how I post right now because I don’t want to lose fans and readers, so I was very glad to see your point of view. BTW, I’ve been a fan a since your first book. I know…shhhh too long to talk about! Take care.
Jamila
I respect you thoughts and opinion on this subject. However there are a few things I disagree with. President Obama tried his best to work with republicans and bring our country together, but it’s difficult to have unity when the other sides only objective is to oppose everything you do, even at the cost of the American people, and it did cost us dearly. I also wanted that prison closed, but please note he tried his best, and as you noted, he only had so much power. Trump scares me. Pence scares me more. We are not walking in love. We are not respecting or honoring each other’s rights. Trump to me appears to only has his and his peers best interest in mind. But I recognize that no matter what the future brings, we will get through. FYI you are one of my favorite authors and I admire the way you live your life in love unapologetically. You are an inspiration.
VickiLF
The reason there was divisiveness during President Obama’s term in office was because the people on the right vowed to see him fail. In spite of that, he still managed to accomplish great things. We now have a man in office who is issuing gag orders, talking about “alternative facts” and making decisions that will further imperil our planet, not to mention, women’s lives. To vote for a third party candidate in our system of government is to, not only waste you vote, but usually elect the most horrible option. To vote for Gary Johnson, who was a complete boob, is to show ignorance about the intelligence needed to run the country. So, the whiny Bernie Sanders people who didn’t vote, and those who voted third party, gave us Donald Trump. So, as he’s undoing all the arts programs, EPA, public schools, equal voting rights, free speech and women’s rights, to name a few, I hope you are pleased with what you have wrought.
JeremyC
These things go in cycles. When a candidate can not bring out the expected voters, or worse, drive expected voters to vote out of party, this is a teachable moment. This time around the democrats got their teachable moment. For the last 4 years I have seen political blogs (both left & right) acknowledge the fact that when youth voters don’t come out to the polls, the democrats lose. Amateur armchair politicians know this. The leaders of the DNC should know this. When they chose to run Hillary over Bernie, knowing full well that they could be casting aside the youth vote, they are the ones that handed Trump the election.
Terra
This
Raquel
This ??
Samantha Mullins
This
Brenda Lee
I love you, but the president does scare the hell out of me for many reasons.
Amber
Ma’am, I love your books, but I wish you did as much research on your political views as you do when writing novels. Several things you said are demonstrably false. If you read down further in the first link you posted, you will read that Obama tried to close Gitmo on his third day in office. Congress blocked him. His letter to them was a last Hail Mary, not so he could say he kept his promise. He has already done that.
I’m not going to address the more complicated issues of throwing away votes and the Nobel Prize. I will skip right to Hitler and guns. The Nazis inherited a strong gun control law, and in fact loosened gun control laws. They had to take them from their enemies but they did not use laws to do it. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/oct/26/ben-carson/fact-checking-ben-carson-nazi-guns/
I know this probably won’t penetrate your confirmation bias, and that you will continue to think that you are correct in all your beliefs and were correct to vote as you did. I can only urge you to seek out the truth instead of burying your head in the sand, and to donate to, and advocate for, voting reform so that ranked choice voting becomes the system we use. It would allow you and any other voter who doesn’t want to throw away their vote to vote their conscience instead of worrying about unconsciously supporting the lesser evil.
Cwistraffe
Laurell, Thank you for such a Heart felt , well written statement. its neither, left, right, or middle. It just is, and that’s what we have all been lacking for so long. just plain pure facts that can be backed up and cross checked.
Paul King
Thanks for your frank reply Mrs. Hamilton. I’m happy to read your opinions and I’m thankful for your insight. I’ve never been much of an Obama supporter myself. The skyrocketed cost of my health insurance alone was enough for me to want him out of office. I am however a Trump supporter, but my reasons are specific. He’s flawed and he admits it. He’s not been perfect and he admits it. He’s made bad decisions and he admits it. But on point he is not a politician and he admits that too. I think it’s about time we took politicians out of DC and we replace them with people who say, on a daily basis…I want to make America Great again. Is he going to do this in a way that makes everyone happy…I know he’s not going to, but I certainly can’t see a problem with what he’s done in the first 6 days. Love your books honey…I had to stop for a while so I could catch up again, but I really am a huge fan and I’m not going to stop being a fan because we have slightly different political beliefs.
Lin
I’m terribly disappointed in your views. Try being a married lesbian in trumpys world!!!!!
Dream
What exactly in your marriage has changed from 1/19/2017 and today 1/26/2017?
Rae
Actually, Texas has already started the process which will lead to a challenge of marriage equality before the Supreme Court, to which Trump gets to add a justice. Since the views of the right have been pretty consistent on this topic, it is assumed that the new Justice will be much more conservative. This provides the possiblility of overturning the marriage equality act, and returning that power to the states. My state has already tried to defy the act twice since it was implemented, so if the power goes back to the states, the LGBT community will lose the right to marry here. So yes, something that has affected her rights is in the pipeline since Trump’s inauguration.
Sue
Your writing always speaks to me. This more than most. The deterioration of civility in America under Obama has been shocking. The past couple of years specifically have just appalled me. I don’t hold out much hope for the next 4 years, but maybe something will change. We can dream I guess
Jennifer
I voted for Trump. Why? Because we have more Americans on food stamps than ever. Because our work force participation rate is lower than it had been in a long time (if not ever). Because every SSA and SSI dollar is worth less for the many Americans receiving them. Because America first means just that, not America only, but first. Because immigration is broken, and we can’t fix it until we secuure the boarder.
Now, how do I feel about being called every -ist and -phobe in the book? Disappointed, disheartened, disgusted, ashamed that we let this happen. That we let Americans get away with calling us nasty things. That the media applauds and celebrates the bad behavior and nastiness. The democrats picked Trump. Then forced us to vote for him by calling us vile names. I don’t hate them. I feel sorry for them. I know how great this country is for those who believe it is. If you want a good life for your self, in America, no one can stop you from achieving your goal.