Buckle Up. Again.

It’s amazing to me how the tenor of the conversation changed after the election.

People are wowed by the extent of Trump’s victory, as if the completeness of it is somehow vindication, and we should now think of Trump differently in light of this “mandate.”

That’s not gonna happen.

Turns out it was a one-issue election, and it revolved around doing a bang-up job of pinning economic pain on Democrats, along with the belief that Trump is going to make things better for everyone who feels like they’re just getting by. To that I ask, “And you believe him?”

Sure, the Dow did its typical Dow thing, jumping 1500 points on Wednesday—but then settled back to mixed on Thursday, after the world’s Trump-drunk billionaires made billions more. The world’s leaders are holding their breath and regrouping and plotting strategy because they know Trump will be Trump in matters of diplomacy and foreign affairs.

All the cases pending against him will go away, or at least back-burnered.

What remains are the threats—to the press and various pundits, to comedians and anyone else who badmouthed him, to anyone who he sees as getting in his way or making him sad.

Despite this post-election suspension of reality, we still are going to have to deal with an old man who’s getting older and probably lazier, but who’s still as vindictive as ever, still as inept as ever, who’s ready to steamroll, who has no intention of playing nice. We still all have to have eyes in the back of our heads and put up with the moral turpitude for another four fucking years.

I believe Trump may be only momentarily energized by this victory. But he will be endlessly emboldened by the dimensions of it, and this will be what should frighten us. The headwinds may not be as strong this time around– especially if Republicans end up winning both chambers– and we will soon see just how intent he is on carrying through with all the medieval mayhem.

He’s made a boatload of promises. But again, I wouldn’t hold my breath. These may well prove to be flights of fancy, and unworkable in practice.

Way to go, America. The “heartland” comes through again.