The protests against Donald Trump’s election victory are a waste of time. The protesters must realize that elections have consequences, and the way to influence those consequences is to vote.

Democrats did not turn out, so they lost.

Now, they will simply have to live with Trump’s racist, xenophobic, bigoted presidency. They probably will also have to live with economic disaster. Trump’s trickle-down approach has been tried and tried before, and it does not work.

With Trump’s selection of Michael Flynn as his national security advisor, we might even have to face catastrophic wars. Flynn is such a hothead he was kicked out of the Pentagon. Pray that he doesn’t plunge the world into a nuclear conflict.

Instead of blocking traffic, the protesters should be planning for the next election. In just two years, we will have an opportunity to regain control of Congress. And that will be the best defense against Trump’s excesses.

For example, we can put enough Democrats in the Senate to block his extreme Supreme Court choices. With a Republican Congress, Trump will stack the court with justices he can count on to repeal legalized abortion and turn back the clock on civil rights. If you don’t believe me, look at the people he has picked for his cabinet so far. Jefferson Davis Beauregard Sessions, for one.

With Alt Right apostle Steve Bannon whispering in his ear, Trump will trample civil rights, pander to the NRA, antagonize America’s global allies and increase income inequality. There will be no consideration for the LGBT community. Their right to marry the person they love will probably be taken away.

As for us seniors, we are in danger of losing Medicare and Social Security. If Trump gets his way, these life saving social programs will be turned over to his corporate cronies, who will rob us blind.

But Trump is assured of a Republican Congress for only the next two years. Democrats should be figuring out how to turn Congress blue in 2018. Wandering about in the streets won’t do any good.