Editorial: A deeply unsettling election still provided glimmers of hope

Two years ago, after the “red wave” failed to materialize during the 2022 midterms, we wrote that the election “showed us that fear and grievance politics are not viable methods of leadership.”

In the wake of Tuesday, we would be hard-pressed to make that argument again. Still, after a sweeping, decisive victory for former President Donald Trump, it would be naive to write off 73 million voters as fearful and aggrieved. Many, of course, are — afraid of a porous border and crime and rising costs and resentful of a government led by coastal elites that seems to have left them behind. 

But even more than that, it seems relatively simple that America was desperate for change. A strong 401K is no balm for stagnating wages, soaring rents and wallet-emptying grocery receipts. For all Vice President Kamala Harris offered as a stalwart of the Democratic Party, for tens of millions of Americans, she was the candidate of a broken status quo. Americans, then, resoundingly chose change. 

Despite all the danger inherent in this particular change. 

To be absolutely clear, Trump is a uniquely unqualified person to lead our country. Looking only at the final weeks of his campaign, it would be fair to call him racist, sexist, vindictive and willfully ignorant of the value and purpose of our Constitution and political norms. To list his disqualifying traits would take the whole of this editorial. 

Yet, he has been handed the keys to our country. And, unlike 2016 when Democrats (and everyone who saw Trump as a crass and disreputable leader) could take solace in the fact that he lost the popular vote, this year his victory has no caveats. He appears to have been handed a mandate in the House and Senate to fulfill the ugly and violent promises he has made. 

So, what now? 

The answer is complicated. It starts with a measure of acceptance. While we hesitate to say that Trump really does reflect who we are as a country now, we cannot take issue with the results. By all appearances, Trump won a free and fair election. 

Acceptance, though, does not mean complacency. It means acknowledging this new reality and then learning from it. It means being willing to look honestly into the mirror and ask the tough questions about what brought us here (again). It means being willing to learn from the answers. And to grow from what we learn. 

Trump’s victory should also push us to recognize our priorities — what we here in Colorado and Boulder can do to create a state, a city and a community that protect and embrace our values. 

This brings us to the bright spots in Tuesday’s election: local results. 

(All results were as of Friday.)

Here in Boulder, voters emphatically approved ballot measures 2C and 2D. Measure 2C will raise City Council pay and provide more opportunities for more diverse local representation. Measure 2D, while admittedly more complicated, will hopefully help our Council function more efficiently by allowing councilmembers to convene executive sessions to discuss certain confidential topics. Both of these measures are victories for the governance of our community. A more representative and efficient Council will better serve Boulder. 

Voters appear to have narrowly rejected 2E, an administrative measure that would have made it easier for councilmembers to get boards and commissions up and running. If results hold, it’s an unfortunate loss, but not a costly one. 

Our community also continued our trend of electing strong leaders to Congress and the state Capitol. Rep. Joe Neguse cruised to re-election in District 2, state Rep. Judy Amabile won her race for the state Senate in District 18, incumbent state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis held her seat in District 17, Rep. Junie Joseph will stay on in House District 10, and Lesley Smith will take Amabile’s seat in House District 49. 

Boulder — and Colorado more generally — is in good hands with these leaders. 

At the state level, some of the most important issues on the ballot passed decisively. Coloradans enshrined abortion access into our constitution, removed an antiquated same-sex marriage ban, created a tax on firearms for a bevy of vital services, extended a vital TABOR extension for RTD, and struck down a disingenuous school choice measure and a new voting system that could have wrought havoc on our elections. 

With an uncertain future before us, the best thing we can do is fortify the rights of all Coloradans. Each of these issues shows our state’s commitment to our values of bodily autonomy, equality and safety. 

That said, it was unfortunate to see Proposition 127, an effort to ban the horrifically cruel trophy hunting of big cats, fail. Similarly, seeing voters conclusively approving an effort to make it harder for those convicted of certain violent crimes to earn parole — and thus removing an incentive for the betterment of these inmates — was dispiriting. 

For many in Boulder, a community that went for Harris by an astounding 78%, it may be hard to feel anything other than disappointment — and maybe even dread — about the state of national affairs. These feelings are not displaced. Trump is a unique threat to our democracy — and to the rights of individuals of nearly every community, especially the most marginalized among us. 

But we cannot let our disappointment become despondency. As a community and as a state we’ve already put a good foot forward with the leaders and measures we’ve elected and enacted. But we also must remember that our civic duty is not over. As laws are implemented and taxes are collected and leaders are sworn in, it will be the duty of voters and engaged citizens and the media to make sure we live up to our values.

Put simply, civic citizenship doesn’t end at the ballot box. The election is over, but our work isn’t.

This election showed us a lot of things — many that are deeply unsettling, but others that should offer us a glimmer of hope. We may not be the country we want to be and we may be headed down a long and dark path, but locally, we are continuing to build a good community and we are continuing to prioritize equality and inclusiveness, and that should be reason enough to remain hopeful. 

— Gary Garrison for the Editorial Board