Thank you for sharing that very encouraging tidbit with us, obamanut2012! Sorta restores one's faith!

If it's ever appropriate to do so, please send her our/my appreciation as well.

Hey, it's HARD to get over a loss like this! It's damn HARD!!! I can totally sympathize with Bernie supporters for having come up short. When you have your whole heart set on something and you come up empty at the end, it's the bummer of all bummers! I take that heartbreak very seriously. It's worse than being jilted by your first love, because it involves something so much larger and over-arching. I'd say plenty of Hillary supporters know that feeling, personally, having gone through it themselves at one time or other. Especially in 2008.

And remember how most of us felt when dubya finally "triumphed" in Selection 2000? You wanna talk about feeling miserable? Sheesh...

So I try to keep that in mind. Those who are now finding their way toward supporting Hillary, especially knowing how earnestly they supported Bernie Sanders, I applaud. It's strong, committed, dedicated, and BIG people (and I don't mean their girth or bone structure, either) with their eyes on the prize and the big picture long-term (which also includes both Hillary AND Bernie) who can somehow make this transition successfully. I personally can't make that easier for any of them, much as I might like to. But I CAN appreciate the livin' daylights outta them and express tremendous gratitude.

If by any chance we're stuck with him, we are SCREWED.

Schwartz is the guy who ghost-wrote "The Art of the Deal." He's finally broken a 30-year silence, feeling motivated to start telling some truths about his take on Donald Trump, after months of struggling to work with the guy and get to know him, so he could write the book for him. He's CLEAR as can be about his fear, loathing, and dread of the very idea of a President Donald Trump.

He described Trump as a tremendously "damaged" human being. Called him a "black hole," who does nothing but suck up and seek out attention. A guy who needs attention like most people need breathable air.

This is totally subjective and unscientific.

But I noticed a couple of indicators that suggest something going on.

I saw just recently, a news item that included a line about how a substantial number of GOPers, especially at higher levels of the party or of political achievement (like advisors to former Presidents) were quietly supporting Hillary and intended to vote for her. They were characterized almost like stealth voters.

There was also an article in, I think, the NYTimes, back just after Hillary won New York. The writer reported having walked all over this one part of New York City. Noticed literally NOTHING but Bernie manifestations. Bernie yard signs. Bernie placards in the windows. Bernie bumper stickers. Surprisingly, after the New York primary where she won, the writer dug down into the weeds. Turns out that same district went resoundingly for Hillary. The writer confessed to being totally surprised and confused. Sure didn't look that way, leading into the primary. The writer assumed Bernie would take it. But Hillary did - and by a lot.

The only conclusion the reporter could draw was that - well, maybe Hillary supporters were out there in droves, but they were just a lot quieter and less showy than the Bernie supporters were. Totally didn't expect the outcome. I've noticed that myself, just scanning the field unscientifically. It's amazing. I tend to end transactions in local stores by smiling, exchanging the "have a good day" stuff, thanking them, and then saying "don't forget to vote!" The few times I've silently mouthed "Hillary!" the reaction is the same. The clerk invariably leans in, glances around, and either nods her (usually it's another woman) head enthusiastically "yes!" or she mouths "yes!" It's almost like a best-kept secret that far more of us share than we even realize.

BUT NEVER MIND THAT!!!! I'm sure as hell not taking ANYTHING for granted!!! Cuz we HAVE TO win this.

Very encouraged to see how little Jill Stein seems to be moving the needle. Show her the DOOR! Or change her last name to Nader, for the sake of truth in advertising.

I'd trade 'em for lice ANY time.

I should say I'm not surprised, but I am. That's certainly what I would want to see, but sometimes I'm driven to expect less, than more, from the viewing public.

Thank you for sharing your story!!!



I heard one of my new heroes, Steve Schwartz, talk about Trump last night on Lawrence O'Donnell's show. Steve Schwartz is the ghost-writer of "The Art of the Deal," and had months of up-close-'n'-personal exposure to Trump while struggling to put together the book he was paid to do for the guy. He gained a unique understanding of his subject, for sure. Described Trump as a very "damaged" human being. A "black hole," who lives only to get attention and then more attention, and then still MORE attention. Or as my husband puts it - "more ME, please!" Although in Trump's case, I'd probably have to adjust that to "more ME, DAMMIT!"

THANK YOU so much for sharing your story. I just so resonate with that, even though in my case, the "c" word never did come up. We're all damaged human beings, I think. To one extent or other. But the damage can come from anywhere else, as well as within one's own self, it seems. Those of us who are lucky enough NOT to have been damaged by our own damaged parental units will inevitably suffer some, elsewhere along the way, unfortunately. I don't think ANYBODY gets out of here undamaged.

I sometimes ponder my very strange character of a father. The people I refer to as my parents aren't my biological parents. So in some ways I'm quite grateful to them. They tried. I believe they really did try. But MAN they were damaged in their youth. My dad was quite the sexist but I now realize that he was really conflicted in my case. I guess having a daughter will do that to ya. He wanted me to be strong and independent, and in some ways a female version of himself. But it seriously perplexed and confused him the way I turned out because they raised me to be that way but he wasn't comfortable with the result. I think it's kinda like - "be careful what you wish for, because you might get it."

It used to infuriate me how he'd gape at women. In front of my MOTHER he'd gape at other women. Surrounded himself with - um - my mom referred to them as "beavers." (Took me awhile to realize what else that word meant...) He worked in a sales business that, at one point, employed models. And he'd ogle them shamelessly. I sometimes felt as though I should buy him some bibs for Christmas. Really embarrassing. A mini-Trump-type. A salesman. A smooth talker. VERY adept at manipulating people with words. When I first discovered Donald Trump, he reminded me of my own dad (although with RIDICULOUSLY more money than my dad had - they weren't even in the same proverbial galaxy). But as I'd listen to Trump, then AND especially now, I'd think - "SHIT. This is blowing my mind. I KNOW this guy." Hell, sometimes it feels like I grew up with him, albeit with exponentially less in the financial department.

That's about how long she's been dumped on, flamed, fricasseed, and flat-out PERSECUTED. I, for one, am just UP-TO-HERE sick and tired of it.

Great to see real-life real-people stories like this. That's the Hillary I know and believe in.

The baby, that is. Not the guy holding the babies.

Thank you for helping to educate a voter who obviously needed it.

Low-information voters, and those who vote because their gut tells them it feels good - they'll be the ruin of us yet.

I'm just worried that if Donald Trump somehow wins, we will see here the same phenomenon as the Brits saw, the morning after the Brexit vote. A large national "Oh Wait!!! Uh, wait a minute - uh, we didn't understand - uh, we didn't really think it'd happen - uh, can we have a do-over?"

And you don't get do-overs in elections like that. Or like ours.