Looking back, now that we can breathe again.

[qwlauren35]

One month into Biden's presidency, we know we will recover, and in time, maybe we will look back and laugh at the last 4 years. But for now, take a minute and think back to 2016, Trump has won and you were thinking about how bad it was going to get. Did he live up to your expectations?

26 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	The last four years were not as bad as I expected, because I am a pessimist, a cynic, and capable of dark thoughts.
	2 (8%)
	The last four years were exactly as I expected.
	4 (15%)
	The last four years were worse than I expected.
	1 (4%)
	The last four years were way worse than I expected.
	4 (15%)
	The last four years were magnitudes worse than I expected.
	1 (4%)
	The last four years were unimaginably worse than I expected.
	14 (54%)
	I was handling it up until January 6th.
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[Eko]

1. I guess I am a pessimist, a cynic, and capable of dark thoughts.

Knowing that we came one step and sometimes even just feet from disaster its no wonder that I am having problems getting conservatives and non-political people to understand this when progressives dont.

[unblock]

2. I said not as bad as I thought for several reasons

First, I certainly thought he would be horrible in many ways. I spent enough time in and around Manhattan to know him as a mobster with deep-seated psychological issues, a scammer, and a fraudster. So I knew he'd be abysmal as president.

What I didn't expect was that someone as image-obsessed as Donnie could manage to break the image-obsessed Republican machine. He was so utterly incompetent that he couldn't manage to get a majority to support him for more than a day or two during his entire four years.

I expected the cloud, but not the silver lining.

I'm thrilled that he managed to galvanize the Democratic Party.
I'm thrilled we won the trifecta, if only barely.
I'm thrilled he handed us "democracy" as a partisan issue.
And I'm thrilled he managed to make everyone aware of just how deeply bigoted the whole Republican Party is.

[Eko]

3. Interesting that we both had the same anwser

but came at it from totally different directions. for choosing what was was characterized as a negative and unpopular poll anwser and then defending it.
Eko.

[unblock]

4. Gmta

[Arkansas Granny]

5. I knew it was going to be bad, but I had never dreamed that each day

would bring a fresh outrage or controversy, culminating in 500K citizens dead due to lack of leadership.

The last 4 years have been exhausting.

[mucifer]

6. I'm not kidding when I say I feared a nuclear war. I remember it was a fear lots of people had

in 2016.

I felt it could happen until President Biden was inaugurated.

Now I feel much better.

[Hoyt]

7. Worse than expected, but we survived with some exceptions like CV19.

Don’t know about laughing about trump’s regime, but Democrats fought taking House in 2018 and Senate and Presidency in 2020. The concern is that it shouldn’t have been close in 2020 and the people hurt directly over past 4 years.

[MyMission]

8. I took a pass, for several reasons

I couldn't decide on one answer. At various points I might have chosen each response.

The 4 years were way worse than I expected, yet not as bad as I feared they could be.
And we survived, barely, and voted him out. Can we survive for 4 years was a question I asked myself regularly. Fox in the henhouse was a common thought. Criminals in control was another. Each year brought more horror and degradation.

When he was elected I had a severe meltdown, aware and fearful of what damage he would do and what chaos he would bring. I knew he would destroy this country and our government if he could. Some of his policies were not surprising, others were to be expected, and many were unacceptable, irresponsible and cruel. Families and kids in cages, deportations, dismantling important agencies and protocols, embracing white nationalists, self-serving behaviors, nepotism, favoritism, lawlessness, environmental rollbacks, mob mentality, hate crimes, embracing dictators, and so much more bombarded my existence and wounded my spirit.

The last year stands out, in contrast and crescendo to the first three. The first impeachment was a travesty. The pandemic with the inept, dishonest, politicized behavior and lack of response was a new level of horror. The big lie about the election was not surprising. He hinted of having paramilitary support over the years and I was concerned about him declaring marshall law and ordering the military to keep him in office. That didn't happen. But it almost did. Insurrection and a second impeachment with a January exception was the culmination.

So some of my worst fears were not realized, while many were, and many things were as bad or worse than I expected or feared. His cult personality and followers continue to astound me. 45 was both a problem and a symptom of a damaged society and political party.

It was a 4 year waking nightmare. I am relieved it's over, and yet it could have been worse, and it could happen again if we aren't vigilant.

[qwlauren35]

9. That's what scares me now.

That it could happen again.

I am worried about March 4th, I am worried about 2022, I am worried about 2024.

Some very angry white people want to "Take Back Their Country", and we have to have a strategy to prevent that.

[Corgigal]

10. When SARS Covid 2 hit,

and we couldn’t be tested, then I knew he factored in Americans dying and didn’t give a damn. He was worried over his businesses.

Then I knew, while he wasnt actually staving us, but close enough. We locked down early and bought plenty of supplies because we were lucky. 20 years earlier, with young kids to raise and jobs we needed to work at, I don’t really know our ending.