At last, the election is finally over. Although it may not have been what we expected, it is what it is. When the dust settled, we found a Republican-controlled Congress, a Republican president, and probably a new conservative Supreme Court Justice, fitting of being Scalia's replacement. Things couldn't be better for the Republicans. Personally, I feel empowered by a Republican-controlled Congress and a new conservative Supreme Court judge. Citizen's United will stand, affirmative action will continue to be chipped at, and conservative values will continue to prevail. I do, however, have reservations about certain topics such as abortion. President-elect Trump has indicated that he would like Roe v. Wade to be challenged and overturned. A majority of Americans support a woman's right to choose to a certain extent and overturning this decision would be turning the clock backward.

Would a President Trump be really as bad as everyone thinks? Will Trump really be the dictator that pundits warn us about? Probably not. Trump will not deport millions of illegal immigrants, he will not be able to build his wall, he will not stop Muslims from entering the country. He will not launch nuclear weapons at will, he will not bring back torture, he will not be making back door deals with Vladimir Putin. Although our institutions of government are now controlled by the Republican Party, even the Republican Party repudiates un-American values and ideals. It is unlikely that we will be set back into the Dark Ages; it is just as unlikely that we will lose our stature as a world power. Even as a reluctant Clinton supporter, I do not feel fear in my heart like so many others. Trump, like every other leader before him, is bound by the United States Constitution. Half the things he said on the campaign trail were to stir up the disenfranchised, forgotten electorate that feels lost and frustrated with the status quo. Few, if any of his plans will ever come to fruition.

Something I found very ironic minutes after the Clinton conceded the election was the reaction of some of her supporters here at Berkeley. As of this writing, riots have begun and protesters have marched onto nearby freeways. It's very hypocritical that liberals loved to bash Trump because he said he wasn't sure he would accept the results of the election, but when the results come out, those same liberals can't seem to accept the results and instead choose to riot and protest a legitimate election. It's as if they believe the election was "rigged'. I can't help but smirk.

In the end, the process was fair and all parties should be proud of what they have accomplished. Voter turnout was quite immense and it was a long, tough battle that tested the American resolve. The best thing that Clinton supporters can do now is lick their wounds, accept the outcome, and pray that the next four years aren't as bad as they fear.