On Tuesday, November 8, 2016, around 11 p.m. PST, I stood outside my friend’s apartment in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. I was drinking a Parliament Light and had consumed about a bottle and a half of wine trying to understand the reality that, to everyone’s surprise, even his own, Donald Trump had beaten Hillary Clinton wins the presidency.
At the time, I was a Director of Global Sales Development for a B2B SaaS marketing company, living in San Francisco and about a month away from moving to Brooklyn, with no thought of political or media work as a possible career change .
Yet even though I didn’t know much about politics and hadn’t devoted my money, time, or energy to a single election, I was devastated. I know I was gutted because I can still go back and read my 800 word Facebook essay I wrote in response (reminder that the internet is forever) where my dramatic ending includes a proclamation about my motivation: “Do more than I have done.” .”
Eight years later, a different role and another victory for Trump
Fast forward to November 5, around 11 p.m. CST: I had just finished covering election night on WTMJ 620AM where every time we updated the election results nationwide, he not only watched worse for Kamala Harris but Democrats across the country. I went home to my husband, had a glass of bourbon (and zero cigarettes) before asking him to stop the election coverage so we could watch an episode of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and laugh a little before going to bed and dealing with the inevitable morning feelings.
I share these two plot points in my life because the second doesn’t happen without the first. Trump’s election in 2016 changed the trajectory of my life. If he hadn’t won, I wouldn’t have stopped working in tech, I would never have returned to Wisconsin, and I certainly wouldn’t be as knowledgeable and involved in politics and government as I am today. today.
If he hadn’t won, I wouldn’t have this column or a daily radio show. I wouldn’t have met my husband, which means I wouldn’t be a mother to my daughter either.
If he hadn’t won, I wouldn’t be surrounded, both professionally and personally, by people who didn’t care. I wouldn’t work with journalists who do the painstaking work of local and state reporting in a swing state. I would not have several elected friends, candidates or other officials. I wouldn’t have a community of people who share my values and my commitments.
I’m not sharing this anecdote because I’m trying to say “my life is better because Donald Trump was president and maybe that will happen this time!”
Good things happen when we choose to be active and involved
I share this to remind you that good things can happen when you choose to be active and involved in moving the world closer to the one you hope to live in.
These good things can be personal and professional, but they can also be attributes like “perseverance.” Because, when I compare my reaction in 2016 to 2024, I think the reason I was less distraught this time is because I don’t feel helpless. or desperate.
Mail:Republicans can’t have it both ways when it comes to electoral fairness. Remember this.
I woke up Wednesday incredibly sad but also knowing that my role is to continue to share accurate information that provides context and humor. I also woke up knowing that I have a ton of people in my life who believe that just because we can’t save everything doesn’t mean we aren’t working to save anything.
It is also worth remembering that there will be back-to-back Wisconsin Supreme Court elections in six months and the midterm elections will be in two years. Everyone can play a role if they choose to accept it.
There are countless ways to show up and make a difference
And I woke up knowing this advice from Howard Zinn: “Don’t look for a moment of total triumph. Think of it as a continuous struggle, with victories and defeats, but in the long run, people’s consciousness grows. So you need patience, perseverance and understanding that even if you don’t “win”, there is pleasure and fulfillment in having been involved, with other good people, in something something valuable.
Notice:A tribute to a dedicated public servant and dear friend, Jonathan Brostoff
So whether you celebrate or lament the results of last week’s elections, remember that national elections are just one place where we express our values and exercise our political power. There are countless ways to show up, help, and make a difference: at PTO meetings, school boards, city council, volunteering, etc.
Maybe this election will be your reason to leave the bench like it was for me eight years ago. Maybe you’ve been involved and engaged for longer than you can remember. No matter where you fall on this spectrum, we all need to remember that the only way forward is through positive action.
Kristin Brey is the “My Take” columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.