At breakfast tables and coffee shops around Hampshire County Wednesday morning, citizens pondered a nation in which a bitterly contested presidential race ended with a businessman, reality TV star and political novice winning the nation’s highest office.
When Kokyo Shields checked her Facebook in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, she thought a news article on Donald Trump’s victory was a joke — a bad one.
“I thought I was reading The Onion,” Shields, 60, of Northampton, said while talking with a friend at the Cup & Top Cafe in Florence.
Florence retiree Margaret Laselle said she, too, was shocked to see that Trump had prevailed over Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.
“I’m 70 years old and I’ll never see a woman elected president,” she said Wednesday morning over coffee at the Bluebonnet Diner in Northampton. “I’m so sad I’m going to cry.”
Joseph Tarantino, chairman of the Northampton Republican City Committee, said he was not shocked by the election results.
“The Northampton City Committee may not be in touch with what Northampton is thinking,” Tarantino said. “But we represent what the nation is thinking … Those are our fellow Americans.”
Lily Lawrence, 27, was eating breakfast at the Bluebonnet. She said she is expecting a daughter and wanted Hillary Clinton to win for her future.
“I was hoping to bring her into the world with the first woman president,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence works to prevent child abuse at the nonprofit Stop It Now in Northampton. She said oftentimes a story, such as the release of an old audio recording of Trump making lewd comments about women, can help move a conversation forward and spark discussions on prevention. But she thinks the election represents a “discouraging turn,” and Trump as president is a “step backward.”
Kristin Bumiller, a political science professor at Amherst College, is worried about changes to America’s government.
“I’m still in shock,” she said at Esselon restaurant in Hadley. “I think I’ve been mostly assessing the potential harm that Donald Trump can do to democratic governance.”
As a professor, Bumiller said the election could influence her to focus more on civil liberties in the classroom, making sure students understand the Constitution and fundamentals of democracy.
Bill Clements, 61, co-owner of Broadside Bookshop in Northampton and an “avid” Clinton supporter, said he’s shocked but not surprised at the results.
“Policy didn’t get talked about at all,” Clements said about the debates. And as for the future, Clements said, “We’re in trouble.”
Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, who supported Clinton, said the lack of policy details in Trump’s campaign is one of his major concerns as he steps into the presidency.
“He spoke mostly in generalities,” Narkewicz said. “Even during the debates, he was able not to be pinned down. What exactly are his policy proposals?”
Narkewicz described the results of the presidential election as a “stunning victory” for Trump and said the country will now have to move forward with the results.
“I was disappointed in the results for sure, and I will say I was stunned by the breadth of President-elect Trump’s victory,” Narkewicz said.
Some residents who voted for Clinton said that doesn’t mean they wholeheartedly supported her.
Steve Theberge, 35, an artist in Northampton, said during an interview at the Cup & Top that he voted for Clinton to prevent Trump from winning. He said he was a Bernie Sanders supporter in the primaries.
Tarantino said he believes people will start feeling better about Trump’s leadership. In the same way that many underestimated Trump’s electoral chances, Tarantino said, many people are now underestimating his potential as a political leader.
“The spirit of what made America a great country is still here,” he said.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.