Revenge of the comment section: Trump supporters push back
Some Canadians are celebrating Trump's stunning victory
CBC opinion columnists have called president-elect Donald Trump a bigot, a misogynist, a "narcissistic reality television star who once misspelled 'dumber' on Twitter." Neil Macdonald characterized his historic win as "sweet redemption for men who believe groping women is a birthright privilege."
But not everyone thinks Trump's stunning victory will at once undo all of the social and economic progress that the United States has seen over the last several centuries. In fact, some Canadian Trump supporters think his election is a good thing. Here's what some of them had to say:
Take note, Canada
Donald Trump was elected by the Rust Belt states, where people lost their livelihoods when unfettered free-market global capitalism sent their jobs overseas. Trump won by promising to rein in globalization such that American business would once again benefit American workers.
Canada should take note: Justin Trudeau's globalization push, high immigration and trade deals with China might well create the same backlash in Canada's "rust belt" state — Ontario.
Trump cares
The real reasons Donald Trump won — overcoming all of the odds — are actually quite simple: Trump is a nationalist. Trump cares about his country. Trump said 30 years ago he would run if America got to this point.
It seems like every day, we read about collusion and corruption. Every day we read about another bank fraud. Every day, a U.S. policeman seems to use deadly force against the people he swore an oath to protect. Every day, more is revealed about the crooked dealings of corrupt politicians. What happens as a result of these misdeeds? Nothing.
But guess what? Something did happen. And, now crooked politicians and their criminal corrupt puppet-masters are in a full blown panic. Good.
Hard-hitting issues
Donald Trump had a message. He hammered away at the internationalist order that pitted blue collar America against coastal elites, against immigrants competing for jobs, against trade practices that leave locals unemployed.
What did the Democrats offer as a solution? Nothing.
Hillary Clinton was silent on those issues. She campaigned on the status quo, while Trump campaigned on divisive but hard-hitting and poignant issues. He spoke about concerns that Clinton did not address.
This was Trump's win more than it was Clinton's loss. He spoke to the people about what the people wanted and deserved to hear.
Breaking the system
The biggest issue here was that people were frustrated that they weren't being listened to. They were frustrated with a government that's been ramming policies down their throats for years. When you aren't being listened to, you raise your voice. And you continue to raise your voice until you're heard.
The choice was between continuing down the same path, or breaking the system. Americans voted to break the system. In a lot of ways, this election was won months ago, when Donald Trump successfully tapped into people's anger. Hillary Clinton staked her entire candidacy on more of the same, and people rejected it in big numbers.
Clinton's entitlement
It's simple. In Hillary Clinton, Americans saw someone who thought she should be president years ago, who worked 30 years in politics towards becoming president and pretty much expected to become president on Tuesday night. And then they told her "no" with their votes.
President-elect Donald Trump didn't have that entitled attitude. He simply went in front of Americans and asked if they wanted him. They said "yes."
Reader comments have been edited for length and clarity.