Election 2016: After the mocking stops

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If we have one thing to thank Donald Trump for it has been for an endless array of laughs. Saturday Night Live is enjoying their highest ratings ever in large part due to their hilarious skits aimed at skewering Trump and his movement. Beyond SNL, Jimmy, Kimmel, Steven Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and countless others have thrived since Trump declared his candidacy for the White House last year.

For those wondering what will become of Barrack Obama after he leaves the White House, he may have to choose between becoming a regular on SNL or hosting his own late night show because even the leader of the free world cannot help himself from poking fun at Mr. Trump. He’s not alone at the dinner table because his wife, Michelle, must also run by one-liners with Barrack before she hits the campaign trail on behalf of Hillary Clinton.

Alex Moffat and Cecily Strong played moderators Anderson Cooper and Martha Raddatz in the SNL skit. They had to drink a shot before the debate started.
Alex Moffat and Cecily Strong played moderators Anderson Cooper and Martha Raddatz in the SNL skit. They had to drink a shot before the debate started.

Vice President Biden has also shown himself to be quite adept at making fun of Trump and if you listened to Hillary at the Al Smith dinner, she managed to toss in her share on great one-liners as well.

Supporters of Clinton have had a field day the last few months in large part to Trump’s inability to stop providing them with fodder while Trump supporters have been reduced to relying on the same old jokes about Clinton that have now grown stale primarily because she has managed to keep from sticking her foot in her mouth since winning her party’s nomination.

This is all going to culminate in one giant laugh off when Hillary is elected, but then what? In 2008, it was all about hope and possibility as Americans celebrated the election of the first African American president. There was nothing about jokes at the expense of John McCain, just celebration of the idea of anything being possible. Today, the focus is on the downfall of Trump, the billionaire bully, and not nearly as much on the election of the first female president in our history.

Is this because we have grown as a nation and no longer have a gender war? Not at all. Is this because we have simply grown use to Hillary Clinton in the national political light that it seems natural? Maybe a bit, but there are plenty still out there who are not and never will be use to her. Or is this because she just so happens to not be Trump and most voters will accept anyone but him? More likely, especially when you look at Hillary’s negatives.

At any rate, barring an epic disaster, Hillary Clinton will be our next president and Donald Trump will be left to deal with the rebuilding of his once financially successful name. And then what?

SNL, late night talk shows, and even MSNBC cannot survive on Trump once the election is over. Clinton will have the shortest honeymoon any president ever has, even if Democrats take control of both houses of Congress. Republicans are already working on their plan to make sure this is the case.

Clinton will still have the mess in the Middle East, ISIS, Russia, North Korea, and God knows what else to deal with abroad while facing the pressure to deliver on every promise she made to every special interest group whether it be the LGBT community, Black Lives Matter, Seniors, Veterans, Teachers, Unions, and even Wall Street.

The American voter clearly has not liked who their choices were for president this year and as a result, they will be less patient than ever.   There will no longer be a Donald Trump to mock her way out of getting things done.

Undecided voter Ken Bone made an impression on America when he asked the candidates about energy policy. He was cast in the SNL opening skit that spoofed the presidential debate.
Undecided voter Ken Bone made an impression on America when he asked the candidates about energy policy. He was cast in the SNL opening skit that spoofed the presidential debate.

How long will Black Lives Matter wait before turning on her if Hillary fails to deliver on their demands? What about Bernie Sanders and his supporters? Will they be happy to see more military involvement at the expense of our economic woes? Gun control advocates want real legislation that makes owning a gun more difficult than ever. Will she deliver on that? And how long will the unemployed and the under employed wait for the creation of more jobs and an improved infrastructure?

Hillary’s strength is in making plans. Just go to her website and she has an endless array of plans to solve all our problems only there is just one problem; she cannot possibly deliver on all of them. In fact, there are many who feel she cannot deliver on much more than a small fraction. If so, what does she do?

There will no longer be a Donald Trump to blame and mock. This means she will have to go after Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell. But again, what if they are both leading the minority party? It will be the job of Clinton and the rest of the Democrats to push her agenda through in this case or there is certain to be a major break within the Democratic ranks as well as the ranks of the more independent voter. This will spell more than just trouble should Clinton seek reelection in 2020.

So right now, enjoy the laughs. Enjoy seeing the fall of Donald Trump. However, Democrats should keep in mind, once the election is over, the real work begins. How long will you remain in support of a leader if she is unable to deliver on her promises, even if her last name is not Trump?

All photos are screen shots from YouTube
Top photo: Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton