So as the media sat there slack jawed… amazed and agape… on Tuesday, November 8, I merely nodded my head.  I’m telling you.  I called this.

I’ve been talking about it since Donald Trump was named the Republican nominee.. Before that, I thought it was a joke…  Since then, I thought… “Well, I’ll be gobsmacked…  I think he could win this thing…”

No, not because I think America is a basket of deplorables… but because of the silent majority… No, no… I get it… Hillary still won the popular vote…  The majority didn’t vote for Trump, that’s not what I mean.  I’m taking about the silent majority of Trump supporters.

You see, the MAJORITY of Trump supporters are not sign waving, screaming, yelling, racist bigots and misogynists…  In fact, the majority of Trump supporters HATE that that’s the picture of him that he has presented and the media has perpetuated. (The same media who glibly told you he could never win, by the way…  the same media who now says our country is more divided than ever even though we’re exactly or LESS divided than we ever have been… don’t listen to them…).  The MAJORITY are good people who had their own reasons for voting for Trump.  They didn’t ignore what he said.  They HATED it.  They still hate it, and I hope they hold him accountable for it.

When they sat there watching the results on election night, they weren’t celebrating anything.  They sat there watching, waiting to see what was going to happen.  And, when it was over, they thought.. “Well, okay then, that’s done.  I hope I did the right thing.”  They didn’t turn to social media.  They didn’t gloat or cry out with pride.

They didn’t tell you that they were going to vote for him because they knew how you would react, and they didn’t want to lose you over it…Am I the silent majority?  I am not.  I really did vote for Johnson…  But here’s the thing… I couldn’t vote for Hillary Clinton because of what I believe.  Even if I’d RATHER she be the President than Trump… I did not want her to be President either… so, even though I actually like her.  I couldn’t vote for her… and here’s why some HAD to vote for Trump… and I hear you even though I disagree with you.

Pro-Life voter:  You love and respect America.  You know that Roe v. Wade has been upheld by the Supreme Court but your religion or your morals tell you to hate it.  You can’t continue to let the country make choices for the unborn.  You don’t know if it’s possible it can be overturned, but for the sake of the unborn children you had to try.  And you are so, so, so sorry for all of the HORRIBLE things Trump has said about women and about the gay community.. and immigrants… and this has been one of the most difficult decisions of your entire life….   but this was the ONLY candidate who supported your most important issue.. and whether he could do anything about it or not… you had to try… and you’ll still march in the pride parade, you will still fight for path to citizenship… but you just had to vote for people who couldn’t vote for themselves.

2nd amendment protector:  You couldn’t care less about any of this social issue stuff.  Let the gays be gays, let people decide on abortions for themselves…  but Clinton keeps SAYING she’s not going to do anything about guns, but you then hear her talking about more checks and limiting guns and you’re worried where it’s going to stop.  You don’t like Trump.  He’s not a nice guy..You don’t support what he’s saying, but you believe in your right to protect yourself AND to protect yourself against your government and your guns are your first line of defense.

Obamacare customer:  You watch as your insurance premiums are going to go up and your care is going to go down.  You want to be insured and follow the law but you simply don’t have the money it takes to do it.  You’ve got no problem with anyone… but you have to look out for yourself and your family… and if Trump is going to truly fix your situation, you have to vote for him. And you’re very sorry to your friends and family that might be hurt.

Blue collar worker:  You voted for Obama the last two times.  He promised to make sure that your job stayed here, but it didn’t.  You’ve been laid off time and time again.  You have gay friends, straight friends, Muslim friends… You’re a life long Democrat.  You are embarrassed at everything Trump has said… but in the end, after eight years where things were not made better for you, you voted to try something new… and you hope to God you didn’t do the wrong thing.

Bernie Sanders supporter:  To say you’re against everything that Trump has to say would be an understatement.  You are all Bernie all the way.  But you believe in supporting jobs for the Rust Belt and you also need to send a message to the DNC that you’re simply not going to take it anymore.  They took away your President.  You are not going to vote for their nominee.  You couldn’t stand Clinton and you just couldn’t stomach the idea of voting for her after your candidate was stolen from you.  You still support gays and  women and Muslims and Mexicans.  You just don’t support Hillary.

There are more… there are the people who are afraid of terrorism who think that there’s more that we could do.  There are people who are afraid that an atheist nation is trying to take over.  There are people who hate cronyism and want it to end.  There are people who want to avoid paying more in taxes.

There are all KINDS of good people who couldn’t say that they were voting for Trump because they can’t stand him and the things that he says… They didn’t ignore it.  They don’t condone it.  They speak out against it and are horrified by it.. But they, quietly, had to vote for him.

I understand all of them.

Now, the Trump voters who wear the hats and yell at Mexicans to pack up, and rip up marriage licenses, and burn down churches, and paint swastikas…  Yeah, I don’t understand them… and neither do the majority of Trump supporters.  Those ARE the basket of deplorables and they deserve to get shut down.

But as for the REST of you…  Yeah, I disagree with you.  I think you made the wrong choice.  I couldn’t do what you did.  I couldn’t put aside those other things even for a second.  Even if I could, I don’t agree with his policies. BUT I have hope.  I hope he does want you want him to for you.  I hope that you end up being happy in your decision. I hope I’m wrong about President-Elect Trump.

As for me, I’ll keep voting for what I believe is right… and in four years, I hope you’ll give me as much consideration as I’m giving you right now.