There is something almost mystical about the experience of voting in a Presidential election. I had to wait almost 15 minutes in line just to get in the building housing the polling place (one election official periodically came out to tell us no lines at an alternate location). [To a libertarian, the decision to vote more quickly is like telling a convict on death row his public execution has been expedited.] But not one person in line complained, and many parents brought their young children to share the experience (I saw a number of young boys).
I voted for Johnson (and other choices I discussed in my early post). Arizona also had a minimum wage increase on the ballot, which I, of course, voted against (I find standing in the way of people, including inexperienced young people, of negotiating for an acceptable wage is morally corrupt and hypocritical).
Whereas Trump's unexpected victory, given most polls showing Clinton with about a 3.5 point lead, was the story of the night, I was upbeat over stunning incumbent Senate wins in Wisconsin and Indiana over two past Democrat senators (Feingold and Bayh). Toomey (PA) won an uphill battle, and it looks like Ayotte (NH) may hang onto her seat, both up against stiff challenges [Ayotte's lead was flipped in late returns, and she lost the race [11/10/16]], not to mention tough elections in MO and NC. I saw some estimates that gave the GOP only about a 1/3 chance of hanging onto the Senate. Major disappointments: my former Congressman, Sen. Mark Kirk (IL), went to a crushing defeat, as did his successor, Dold. Not to mention the GOP lost a golden opportunity to finally pick up Minority Leader Reid's seat after blowing it in the 2010 election.
I wouldn't say I was shocked by the election results; after all, 3 straight party wins to the White House has been rare since the Depression, and Clinton was deeply unpopular. I repeatedly mentioned that few polls showed Clinton at the magic 50 point. After seeing Jeb Bush rejected by 2016 voters and Clinton barely able to stave off the challenge of a gadfly socialist, I couldn't shake the feeling Clinton was in trouble, no matter what the polls showed.
Still, I was in shock seeing states like WI, PA, and MI go into the Trump camp and FL and NC surge for Trump in come from behind fashion.
Make no mistake: I haven't changed my mind about Trump: his election is a tragedy. I will be one of the first to note that I didn't cast my vote for him: don't blame me. One thing is for sure: Trump will probably pick better SCOTUS justices than Clinton. But I will be a quick and persistent critic if and when he violates pro-liberty principles. Let's also point out Clinton was within 1.5 points of Trump (half a million votes from over 115M votes cast), and Clinton won at least 218 electoral votes.
But let me close by celebrating the end of the Clinton era:
