This brings us to the general election: Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton, which feels less like a presidential campaign but a winner-take-all prize fight. That’s great for media ratings but possibly terrible for the republic. Here is where Donald Trump the politician must emerge for the republic to remain whole. So far indications lead me to believe otherwise. Saying Hillary Clinton is the devil, while joking or sarcastic or whatever, it’s very hard to concede and congratulate the devil. At least that’s how many Trump supporters may feel. Which, once again, unlike business where Donald Trump leads for Donald Trump this is politics and Donald Trump leads for the Republican Party. Like any political party the rank and file members will echo the sentiments of those who lead. From Lincoln to Grant, Kennedy to Nixon, the opposites of Carter and Reagan. Political discourse is shaped from the top down in America politics no matter how much people would have you believe the bottom up drives discussion.
Picture November 9th, the election is over, after a tumultuous election season the first woman is elected to the highest office in the United States. This should be at least a moment of pride for all American citizens, a moment long overdue. But in this future scenario Donald Trump who lost has already, 99 days prior, claimed that the election was ‘rigged’ in her favor. The amorphous ‘something’ is afoot, ‘something’ is wrong, the nation will be torn.
I cannot assess the validity of the claim of ‘rigging’. By Donald Trump’s own words this has been ‘something’ he has heard from ‘people’. Until that is expounded upon the impending dread of ‘something’ will always be present. I do know that at the moment of this article’s publication polling indicates Donald Trump is poised for an electoral defeat. Remember those people replying to polls are no different than you or me, our neighbors, those we see at church. You may even have participated in one of those polls. (I have in the past)
It’s very difficult to rein ‘something’ in, partially because the ‘something’ is unknown or in this case only known to Donald Trump. However, for the republic to move forward it would be wise for Donald Trump to shed more light on this ‘something’ going forward it may even lead to the bridge that allows Donald Trump to concede to Hillary Clinton and then congratulate her on a spirited victory. Not only would a concession need to encompass truthfulness from the candidate but it would need to bring the Republican Party, and those supporting Donald Trump, along as well.
Very recent history shows conceding a political defeat is difficult and not all supporters may follow the candidate. Senator Sanders lost to Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Primary. A segment of his supporters at the convention boo’d him, continued to boo Hillary Clinton and Clinton supporters, and seem irreconcilable to joining with the Clinton campaign. This is OK for a primary; terrible for a general election. That segment of Sanders supporters still have other candidates to choose from whether it be Donald Trump, Gary Johnson or Jill Stein (assuming they are from a state where the Green Party is on the ballot). Their voices can still be heard in the ballots they cast, that equally goes for Republicans who will not vote for Donald Trump. But the general election is a different beast entirely. For a segment of the population to not follow the candidates lead of concede and congratulate, for a segment to outright reject the validity of the next President of the United States because of ‘something’- that grievance feeds into insurrection. I do not write those words lightly, any republic throughout the course of history can succeed or fail based on the general populations’ view of government validity. This is why floating the idea that the election is ‘rigged’ 99 days away from the actual election lays the groundwork for either an amazing concede and congratulate moment or a complete fracturing of American politics.
While that assessment may sound grim, I believe that Donald Trump has the ability to concede and congratulate. To use some Trumpisms ‘It’ll be the best post election endorsement, the best, never before seen’. Why? Because over and over again Donald Trump has proven a master rhetorician, from the primary season to general election campaigning, Donald Trump has proven that he can communicate like no other politician running for office today. It is safe to assume he can craft a message that will bring along his followers, even the most diehard, to move the republic forward. However, that is only if Donald Trump loses which may not happen. That is up to you, the American voter.