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Reaction To Trump's White House Victory: Voices from downtown Asheville

WCQS

On a blustery post election afternoon winds were loud and strong, much like the opinions among folks braving the breezy day in downtown Asheville.

“I was not surprised,” says Lisa Allen who was visiting from South Carolina,   “I really was happy about it, I think the other choice was not the best one,” said Allen.  “I don’t think he was the greatest, but I think he’s a better choice than her.”

Walt Ward of Asheville says he was shocked by Trump’s win. “We always favored Hillary and it didn’t work out,” says Ward. “I got an email from a friend from Ireland commiserating about the election, wondering what was going on. I said, we weren’t sure.”

Ward and his son Brad were walking to lunch. “I’m just more disappointed about the choices we had,” says Brad Ward, “I think there’s going to be all kinds of reasons put out there about why Hillary lost. I think the number one place supporters are going to look at is the Democratic party, who undercut vastly more popular candidates in the primaries because Hillary had already been rubber-stamped.  You reap what you sow, but we’re all going to pay a hell of a price for it.”

“I was shocked and a bit nervous, “ says Asheville’s Maria D’Paxxe,                                                                                    “ Early this morning, I  rationalized that maybe things will be okay.”                      

Credit WCQS
Maria D'Paxxe shares her post election thoughts.

D’Paxxe says she’s curious to see how things will go.

“I'm not too happy about it, it is what it is,” said Asheville resident Ryan Laffler, “ It’s kind of an understandable result when people are mad at the political process. Unfortunately the candidate that they chose to rebel against the political process just happened to be who it was and that's all my thoughts on that, we're kind of stuck with it now."

Credit WCQS
Ryan Laffler shares his post election thoughts.

I asked Laffler what he thought the country should do next and he actually had a few more thoughts to share.  “I think the best thing we can do now is unify, and understand whatever happens, we’re in this together, and that’s (really) all the thoughts I have about that.”

Ron Little of Asheville says he checked results on the web for a bit, but didn’t stay up to watch the results unfold. “I had to get up to go to work and I didn’t want to stay up watching something I couldn’t change, “ says Little, “but I wish Trump well and hopes he does the right thing.”

Credit WCQS
Ron Little shares his post election thoughts.

Diana Yewell of Greenville, South Carolina says she and her friends are taking it in stride.

“We’ve decided, it’s all good,” Yewell, “today will continue, life will go on.”

Just a few thoughts from the street, on a windy post election day.  For WCQS news, I’m Helen Chickering.  

Helen Chickering is a host and reporter on Blue Ridge Public Radio. She joined the station in November 2014.