+8
So, let's talk some people off the ledge. There are silver linings here for Never Trump conservatives, and maybe even a few for liberals (though fewer for them, I admit).
So, for Never Trump conservatives, here are some good things to take away from the election:
1. No more Clintons. No more Hillary, no more Bill, and no Chelsea Clinton in 2032. Total repudiation of her, and, I think, an implied repudiation of their general style of politics.
2. The Supreme Court. Because this is what likely convinced many people who dislike Trump to vote for him anyway, it's one of the few things he gave people in writing, by submitting a list of judges he would consider appointing. This could be bad in the long run, because I think we may be in need of judicial reform, and this certainly slows that movement, but we'll get genuine textualists on the bench now (not that they always stay that way once appointed).
3. The Evolution of Media. The media is more decentralized, and this result suggests that the remaining centralized heights of it matter less and less. That's good, if a little tumultuous during the transition. Many of these outlets have been in slow decline for decades, and frankly, they deserve to be supplanted. And individual personalities, writing editorials and columns and the like, are going to have to take a good look in the mirror. And it's going to be very hard for even the remotely thoughtful ones to see this result and not conclude that they really are out of touch. Some will rationalize, but others will self-reflect and learn, and that's good.
4. Anti-Dynasty Sentiment. It's entirely possible that a lot of this was fueled by anti-dynastic sentiment at the thought of another Clinton in the White House. We'll never know, but it's possible the same thing would've happened in reverse if Jeb Bush were the nominee. Trump's a pretty awful vehicle for this sentiment, because he's at the "outsider" extreme, but it's something.
5. Progressives Rediscovering Checks and Balances. Republicans have been saying for eight years that Presidential power (and Federal power in general) needs to be reigned in. It'll be pretty gratifying watching Democrats come around to that line of thinking now that they've lost the Presidency. It's pretty depressing that it took someone unhinged to get them to come around on this, but I'll take what I can get.