As Hillary Clinton said in her graceful concession speech, we must accept and support Donald Trump as president.
IN her concession speech, Hillary Clinton showed the grace, thoughtfulness and steadfast commitment to American values that could have made her a great president.
Clinton acknowledged that she underestimated how deeply the nation is divided but said it remains “hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted.”
Noting that our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power and we cherish that, Clinton said Americans owe Donald Trump “an open mind and the chance to lead.”
Trump’s election seems impossible to members of this editorial board and to many in Washington state, as if we’re in a dystopian novel come to life. But Clinton rightly notes that our civic life goes on.
All Americans can thank Trump for one thing. His successful campaign highlighted the overlooked reality that much of the population was left behind by the economic recovery and is suffering from an uncertain future.”
Americans must continue participating “to keep advancing the causes and values we all hold dear” and we should “never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.”
We must accept that Trump won the election, make the most of it and hold him to his promise of making the country better for all citizens.
All Americans can thank Trump for one thing. His successful campaign highlighted the overlooked reality that much of the population was left behind by the economic recovery and is suffering from an uncertain future.
The plight of these fellow citizens was ignored for too long by media, which are dwindled and concentrated in a few big cities, and by both the Democratic and Republican establishments.
In his victory speech, Trump offered reassurances that he’ll be a president for all citizens and said it’s time for the nation to “bind the wounds of division.”
Let’s hope so.
Trump missed an early opportunity to show principled leadership and start the healing. That chance came midway through the speech, when Trump failed to rebuke a supporter in the room who could be heard shouting for him to “kill Obama.”
We could read into the signs of an apocalypse. Or we could take the high road urged by President Obama, who listened to the same speech, focused on the good things that Trump said and wished him the best.
“We are now all rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country,” Obama said later on Wednesday.
“Everybody is sad when their side loses an election but the day after we have to remember that we’re actually all on one team … we’re Americans first, we’re patriots first,” Obama continued. “We all want what’s best for this country. That’s what I heard in Mr. Trump’s remarks last night.”
Obama is a hard act to follow, and the next four years are daunting.
Trump’s inexperience and unknown qualities will test our nation and demand extraordinary vigilance and civic engagement. But if we don’t give up, America will continue to be great.