Science Fiction and American Reality - by Daniel W. Drezner

Like approximately half of the country, I was less than thrilled to see Donald Trump win this month’s presidential election. Trump was an objectively awful president during his first term and I see no reason to expect better results for his next go-around other than positive forces beyond his control. The hard-working staff here has already written at length about the illiberal policies to come. My expectations for the next four years are rather dim.

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A related issue is the depressing realization that I am going to have to spend much of the next 96 months analyzing, speaking, and writing about Donald Trump as someone to be taken seriously. The Foreign Affairs essay I wrote earlier this month? That is the harbinger of multiple musings to come. Over the last ten days I have been commissioned to write a few more essays on this topic, so buckle up. This does not count the half-dozen talks and roundtables this past month alone about the future of the United States. On top of all that are the casual and not-so-casual conversations with friends and family about what is to come. More than one person has asked me whether I am worried about being locked up because of my previous published work critical of Trump. 1

My point here is not to lament that my services are in such high demand, because that would be insufferable. Rather, it is to lament that Donald Trump is not even president again and he is already way too omnipresent in my life. At times the desire to tune out has been strong.

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