Getting over and getting on
By Dale Landrith Sr.
In 2008, Americans voted for “hope and change.” We got the change but the hope seems to have been lost in the change. I have not seen it written anywhere but Americans on November 8th again voted for hope and change, but this time it was called “Make America Great Again.” The reaction by the American people has been simply amazing.
Favorability ratings for President-elect Donald Trump have risen dramatically since the election. The stock market which was supposed to plummet if Trump were elected has hit all-time highs numerous times since his election. Polls which reflect optimism of the American people have spiked upwards since the election. America seems to be embracing the idea of being “Great Again.”
Those who opposed President-elect Trump were so sure of the election of Hillary Clinton that they have literally been shocked into disbelief. The news both televised and written has overly documented every protest that can be imagined. Huge amounts of money have been donated to enable recounts that even the leaders of those opposed to President-elect Trump call futile. There have been many anecdotes of college students who need all kinds of “security blankets” to help with their “despair.” Even members of his own party plot to throw the election into the House of Representatives so that a different person can be selected.
Shockingly people need to take the advice of President Obama. Shortly after his election in 2008 in a meeting with leaders of the opposition he told them, “Get over it, I won, you lost.” Those who are so demoralized by this current election need to take the same advice.
However, some even still seek to delegitimize President-elect Trump’s election. Yes, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, but that is not how we elect presidents. For over 200 years we have abided by the rules set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Those rules dictate an Electoral College system that balances population with the rights of low population states such as Maine. These rules ensure that a person seeking the office of president, reach out to all the states, not just the ones with huge population. Maine would never have been visited by either candidate if the election were dependent solely upon a popular vote. I do not believe that much of the rest of the country would favor using the popular vote if they realized only the votes of those who live in California, New York, or Texas would matter.
Why did President-elect Trump win this election? The national Democratic Party has been working hard for decades to divide America. They want the black vote, the Hispanic vote, the LGBT vote, the women’s vote, the millennial vote, and so on. President-elect Trump wanted the vote of all the American people. As a result he won a larger percentage of the black vote, the Hispanic vote, and the women’s vote than previous Republican candidates in the past two elections. The difference is striking. Clinton won the West Coast, the Northeast coast, and Chicago. The rest of the country was won by President-elect Trump. To understand this, look at the distribution of counties won by each candidate (Google 2016 county election results map).
What does the future hold? Those on the liberal left should take heart. Ultra-liberal organizations such as the Center for American Progress, and their “media action arm, Think Progress, and others are busily raising money to fight President-elect Trump’s leadership every step of the way. They will do everything in their power to keep America divided and in turmoil. If they are successful and President-elect Trump is not successful at stopping illegal immigration, reigniting the economy, and defeating foreign terrorism, he will be a one-term president. On the other hand, if President-elect Trump is successful at leading the country to solve these huge problems, then he will be a two-term president and will deservedly have overwhelming support of the American people.
Maybe we can look back in eight years and see “America Great Again” and not just blacks, Hispanics, women, LGBT, and millennials, but all Americans. By the way, this was written by someone who was adamantly opposed to Donald J. Trump as a candidate one year ago. The President-elect deserves to have the opportunity to be successful.
Dale Landrith Sr. of Camden is a member of a group of concerned Midcoast citizens who meet to discuss issues of public interest. Their weekly column “Another View” has been awarded by the Maine Press Association.
