Once we cross the bridge, it will be very difficult to come back...

[kentuck]

Some people are worried that the country will change if Donald Trump is elected President. Some say they want "change".

But, in my opinion, the country has changed already.

We can now see how close we are to the precipice. If we can defeat the demagogue, then we should count ourselves lucky.

There has already been "change". The country has become more divided. There is more anger and hatred than in a very long time - it seems to me. Most of it stirred up by the demagogue, I might add.

If we were to put Trump in the White House, the "change" would be dramatic. However, it would be for the worse.

The stock market might crash? The economy would probably slow down a lot? It would be a mistake to put him in the White House, in my opinion.

If we were to cross that bridge, it would be very difficult to stop the urges of civil war, in my opinion.

Trump has changed this country already. We can see the division of the tribes. A citizen's vote should never be minimized or taken lightly.

[lonestarnot]

1. Yep. I have no intention of being lorded over by a dumb ass or a crook. Not again.

[world wide wally]

2. There is no good that could come out of a Trump Presidency

Only hate and strife

[lonestarnot]

3. Or even a squeaker with a 4/4 SCOTUS.

[PeteSelman]

4. I don't see a whole lot of this in every day life.

I see it on social media all the time but in my daily interactions with people I don't see all this anger and division.

[kentuck]

5. I think there is a lot on social media.

Of course, we see it on the boob tube all the time.

Hopefully, it is not as widespread as some of us might think? Trump is not even close to winning the election. Self-delusion and doubt is not something that gives encouragement to the race.

It is troublesome to a lot of people that we are so close to electing Donald J. Trump as President and it's downright scary for our country.

We need a ninth Justice sitting on the Court. We need justice.

[PeteSelman]

9. I concur. I just think the Republicans would vote for anyone with an (R)

Trump is a grotesque, a vulgar boor and completely unsuited for the job. But 42% of the country is going to vote for him no matter what. I honestly don't think it matters who they run, they'll get at least that much support. Trump isn't even a conservative but they don't care, he's wearing the (R).

So yeah, it's disconcerting that Trump has the kind of support he does but a banana or Dwight Eisenhower would enjoy the same support. Again, it doesn't matter who they run.

[regnaD kciN]

6. You're right…this has been going on for a very long time…

People here have very short memories, it seems. Yes, Trump is a horror, but wasn't that also true of Bush/Cheney? (Remember massive surveillance and proposals to let the president imprison anyone for life with no judicial oversight?) Remember Reagan? Nixon?

In fact, I'm pretty sure this whole contagion can be traced back to the Nixon administration, where Republicans discovered the advantages of dividing the country into two hostile groups, as long as they made sure they were left with at least 51% in their share. Not that politicians hadn't encouraged demagoguery before, but, when you got the president publicly honoring construction workers for attacking and beating nonviolent antiwar marchers, a certain line was crossed forever. What we've seen since then has been the political equivalent of global warming, with the pollution growing in the atmosphere unchecked for decades, until it has possibly passed the point of no return.

[Albertoo]

8. Based on Pew Research, the polarization dates back only to GW

https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*NFXUhgwfXC_vf6LYUiGIqg.png

[Agnosticsherbet]

10. Since 2008 the country moved left in its attitude towards gender and elected a Black President

Trump is a reflection of people who are afraid of the changes in society that took some of their power. Trump doesn't champion change, he champions a jog back to when only white men were Presidents and small town religious attitudes defined family. The people supporting him do not want change, they want to go back.

[LWolf]

11. I want change.

Quite passionately.

I want positive change. Donald Trump doesn't represent that. He represents the negative changes you list.

I don't want Trump. I do want change. I don't have to want Trump, or his kind of change, to support change. And I honestly don't think trying to spin change as bad is the way to reach people who are looking at third parties because they want change, but not Trump. The Democratic Party has waged a mighty campaign to put down their own ranks who've clamored for change. I don't think that was the right strategy, but the establishment will always fight to maintain power.

Just because we're not stupid or unprincipled enough to vote for Trump, doesn't mean that a whole lot of the rest of the nation doesn't want change.

[Shankapotomus]

12. First part is good

but I think you got the civil war part wrong. If Trump is elected, the crazies will be placated and start to tone down and "civilize" the message, even while enacting terrible policy.

If he is not elected (and I still prefer this to granting them any legal power), I expect them to double down on the crazy and select an even worse candidate...possibly giving up on elections and voting altogether and backing a tyrant hell-bent on the seizure of government by force.

We have to be ready to stand with the forces for democracy in our government if that happens.