A small crowd of mostly American election watchers at the American Society of Guadalajara, all Clinton supporters, became more somber as the evening progressed, finally heading home about 11 p.m. when Hillary Clinton was still said to have a chance. But most seemed to have given up hope by then.
“I 
I don’t know how to feel,” said Eileen Lambert. “ I just don’t understand how so many people feel that Trump is the best choice. I did not expect this.
“None of Trump’s stuff is made in the United States. But he says he’s going to bring jobs back?” she scoffed.
“I voted for Clinton and donated money,” another said, “but I was more motivated by dislike of Trump than love of Hillary. It seems a lot of people were appalled at Trump but still couldn’t bring themselves to vote for Clinton. I’m talking about Hispanics and blacks and even women. I heard a Mexican woman call her a murderer. A friend in Florida is not hateful or that conservative but Clinton’s support of abortion really bothers her. I don’t know if she voted for Trump but I’m sure she didn’t vote for Hillary.”
“I’m desperate. I’m disillusioned, disappointed,” said Cam Esser. “I never thought this could happen. It’s a mistake.”
A Mexican in attendance, Hector Mendieta, eloquently expressed his surprise. “It amazes me how the common citizen’s capacity for analysis has diminished. I’m seeing this a lot. People believe anything they see on Facebook. This should be a big lesson – what can we do educationally to counterbalance this? It’s very worrying, here in Mexico too. We’re going down an idiotic path. We must all try to influence each other to be more in touch with reality.”
Margery Shannon said she couldn’t imagine Trump as president. “He knows how to make money but not how to run government. I don’t have much respect for him. Putin will be able to take advantage of him.
Over at the Hilton Hotel, staffers from the U.S. Consulate welcomed a largely Mexican crowd, including many students, for an “educational” event aimed mostly at explaining the electoral process.
