However you feel about Donald Trump, you have to acknowledge he pulled off one of the greatest, if not the greatest political comeback in American history.
Now, the crystal balls are coming out. What might it mean for us here in the county and across the Golden State?
“In retrospect, it shouldn’t have been a surprise," said Mesa College political science professor emeritus Carl Luna.
Luna has lived and breathed politics for decades. He said what happened yesterday is nothing short of monumental.
“What this does represent, though, is a wave election and a fundamental shifting in what America is, both domestically and in the world. It's at least the most consequential election since 1980, and possibly since 1940, when FDR defeated isolationism," he said.
Luna said it’s likely to be deja vu when it comes to how California interacts with the Trump Administration. At the very least, Luna said the new administration could use the power of the purse as a cudgel against the state, and he said it could conceivably get a lot more serious than that — for example, if protests break out in California that lead to violence on the streets.
“This President-elect candidate has said that he would invoke the Insurrection Act. And now you have the question of what happens if National Guard from Arizona show up in the streets of San Diego. A likely scenario in any regular universe? No. And the universe we're currently in? It's possible," he said.
But what about those of us who are not political science professionals?
- Most of the country shifted right in the 2024 presidential election
- California voters reject measure that would have raised minimum wage to nation-high $18 per hour
- After leading Trump impeachment, Adam Schiff heads to Senate with Dems out of power
- Measure G failure shows urban-suburban divide over funding for public transit
- It's the divisions that bring some together in a county in Washington state
KPBS went to Balboa Park to gauge what in Latin is known as vox populi, the voice of the people. Those voices were literally all over the map.
“It’s what the country picked so we just have to accept it and move on. Personally I’m not super stoked about it but I think it’s in everyone’s best interest to move forward as best they can," said Max Vargas, who just moved to San Diego a few days ago.
“I really don’t care. I mean, it doesn’t affect my everyday. I mean, I woke up, still went to the gym, still have to go to work, still have to take care of my child, still have to take care of my bills," said San Diegan Gregory C. Jackson, Jr.
We ran into several people visiting San Diego from outside the country.
Andrea Faccetta, visiting from Italy, said: “I think they should vote Kamala (Harris), but it’s too late. You guys have Trump again and we’ll see what happens. I don’t think he did so many great things.”
When asked what she thought about Trump's election, Rosa Benavides, visiting from Chicago said, "(I think it's) cool, cool, now children I hope they go back to normal.”
For those upset about the election’s outcome, Carl Luna said, just remember what you might call the political pendulum.
“You win elections, you lose elections, and there'll be another one in two years, another one after that in two years," he said.
