Drama, drama, drama.

2016, a year filled with endless protests, movements against police brutality, Brexit, general discontent across the globe and finally, the United States of America elected a real estate agent turned reality TV personality as their President.

Surprised? Absolutely not. Impressed? Definitely.

If you were following the election results on Twitter in the early hours of this morning, you would understand how Trump got elected. For a generation that places so much weight on ‘likes’ and ‘retweets’, it comes as no surprise that a media-savvy candidate that uses Twitter as his primary form of communication would win.

Politics had very little to do with this race. If we were measuring the potential winner by traditional campaigning methods alone, Clinton was a shoe-in. Not because we are saying she was the better candidate, that’s not our business, but simply because she did all the basics correct. She built up a strong support base, she hired a proven campaign manager in Robby Mook, worked on her failures from ‘08 and canvassed the country in its entirety. She assembled a wardrobe worthy of a winner, drew the backing of endless Congressman and beat the people’s champ Bernie Sanders into submission. After securing the Democratic nomination, an opponent with as little political experience as Trump seemed like an easy prey for Clinton, and, normally it would have been. Unfortunately, the climate has changed since ‘08 and ‘12. People still wanted a change but now it’s angrier, whiter and embodied by a slightly orange New Yorker. Hillary’s long history in public life might be what has undone her, not her gender.

I read an article this morning titled “An American Tragedy”, an emotional reaction to the “forces of xenophobia” that have overtaken the American people, the same people who ignored the more mainstream candidates like Bush, Rubio, Kasich, and Christie. It is these people who let Trump be the vehicle for their fears and voice for change. They held Hillary accountable for the last 8 years they had ‘endured’ under Obama. Trump was the last straw. Many saw Hillary as a repeat, another Barack or Bill. They piled on, ignored the status quo and backed the man who shouted the loudest.

We, on the outside, were made to believe that Clinton had this in the bag, she led in every poll, in every State. Trump was sabotaging himself, he didn’t really want to win, it was all a publicity stunt - a few of the headlines that gave Clinton supporters comfort going to bed each night. If Lebron James tells me to vote for Hillary, I’ll vote, right? Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, and Jay, the list goes on. This race fast became a media circus with even Jeb Bush poking fun at himself and his overspending on the Jimmy Kimmel show. And yet, many woke up this morning shocked at the result. Why?

The idea that a man who has made countless distasteful remarks about women, people of color and American democracy itself could win is puzzling. A man that is backed by Vladimir Putin is now the leader of the free world and this scares many. You only have to check Twitter to see that. If there is any comfort in this result, it is that at least now you know. Now you know that the land of the free may not be 'free' for so many. While Trump seems to reflect the ugly side of society that exists in the United States, at least there is no one pretending it’s no longer there. Trump won this election fair and square by capitalizing on the anxiety of some of the voters. It is now the time for his detractors to do the same. The rebuild and real campaigning starts now again for many. How will you organize?

If you are interested in learning more about Ecanvasser, why not sign up below: