In 2015-2016 I wrote a few diaries here warning that there was a very real possibility that Donald Trump could win the Presidency. A lot of people here hooted at the suggestion.
After HRC was nominated, I wrote a few more diaries stressing the urgent need for unity if we were going to defeat Trump. Some of the same people hooted at this as well. Some even sneeringly dismissed the need for any fence mending, confident that they didn’t need the support of anyone who hadn’t been in the bag for HRC from the get go.
Well we all know how things turned out.
What I never did, then or since, is write an entire diary around the theme of “I told you so.” Much less one that attempted to lay the blame for the myriad disasters of the Trump Presidency at the door those who blithely dismissed the danger he posed.
Not because I’m such an admirable, stand up guy. I make no such pretense.
I didn’t do it because it seemed to me it would be a pointless, politically destructive exercise in self righteous self gratification.
If I thought that rhetorically pointing the finger and figuratively shouting “I told you so!” were an effective approach I wouldn’t have hesitated for a second.
It isn’t though. It’s the sort of thing that only succeeds in getting applause from those who enjoy having their biases stroked and their sense of their own supposed superiority affirmed. Everyone else sees it for what it is, an outburst of wounded vanity.
So for those who are in need of such spurious dudgeon, I hope you realize what your little thrill of Amour propre will cost. It does nothing but sow division and foment rancor.
Things we can ill afford given our present challenges.