A sad night for America, a sad night for the world

30 Rock.

Boy, did the polling get it wrong.  How did it happen?  Four years ago, Fivethirtyeight predicted the election right down to the electoral map.  I have to hope that there has been some kind of election tampering, and after Bush v. Gore I wouldn't be surprised if the Republican Party financed all of it.  Any organization that would stretch democracy to the limits it already has certainly wouldn't be above the treasonous offense of tampering with our elections.

Donald John Trump is a menace to society.  He has no principles other than winning for the sake of winning.  He also has no ideology, either.  Think he cares about your guns?  He doesn't.  Think he cares about abortions?  He doesn't.  He used to be a Democrat.  He's on record saying Hillary's alright.

There are many things I worry about this oncoming presidency, but here are the top 3:

Security is tight at Democracy Plaza.

1. Nuclear war with North Korea.  You have a power-hungry egomaniac dictator who needs his ego stroked constantly.  And you also have Kim Jong-un.  I told my friend that if nuclear war does not break out between our two nations, my bar would have been surpassed.
2. He bankrupts this country.  This border wall boondoggle is expensive and will prove itself to be useless if it ever comes to fruition.  But that alone, is not enough to bankrupt us.  I worry about another financial crisis, à la 2008.  But instead of putting together a financial package that puts people back to work, Trump and Republicans use it as an opportunity to drastically reduce taxes (on the rich, at least), gut entitlement programs, and cut all kinds of social safety nets.
3. One or more scandals rock the White House.  For a man famous for not paying his debts, paying off people, and marital infidelity, something is bound to come out in these next four years that would rock his administration.  Now, I would happily take any scandal that prevents him from putting together a disastrous agenda for the United States, or removes him from power (even though I know that would mean a President Pence).  But what I worry is that he will rip apart the fabric of our country to save himself, stretching the law, lying, setting all kinds of precedents other presidents have dared not cross in his attempt to obstruct justice or silence his critics.

A boom camera setup to photograph

sweeping views of the Rockefeller rink.

Hey, he's not inaugurated for a few more months.  And maybe he'll surprise us and become a good president.  But in the meantime, I will lament the loss of Hillary.  She's a victim of character assassination (four years of "Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi" and zero indictments), and between her husband and the Congressman from New York's 9th district, she's been screwed by two weiners.

It is a beautiful place to be.  In a few

weeks, this space will play host to the

Rockefeller Center tree lighting.

I've scattered this post with pictures from Democracy Plaza, AKA Rockefeller Center in New York, which NBC networks use every four years for their election coverage.  The last time I was here was in 2004, when John Kerry lost to George W. Bush for a second time.  In 2008, I was at an IBEW hall, drowning my sorrows at the loss of my House candidate, whom I worked tirelessly for, while Barack Obama won.  (I don't remember where I was in 2012!  Probably at a client's site somewhere.)

When I came here in 2004, all 50

states were turned blue or red by
people, skating out onto the ice and
physically changing out the tiles.  

I came here tonight expecting to cheer with my fellow New Yorkers, but left an agitated, angry mess.  I couldn't even stay until the end.  They haven't even called it yet; I imagine it will happen after midnight, but it's clear what's going to happen.

Most people on the subway in New York don't know each other, but there's always some kind of chatter.  On tonight's subway ride home to my apartment, you could hear a pin drop were it not for the clickety-clack of the 6 train.  I think we were all in the same haze of thought, and all wondering, "How could this happen?"

Here are the rest of the photos.  I've run out of things to say.

Khizr and Ghazala Khan are waiting behind the set tonight.
I assume they will be interviewed at some point. 

Back when the night was young.

When I left Democracy Plaza.

A crowd of spectators awaits further news.
The mood was quite subdued when I left.