Speaking last Wednesday, Hillary Clinton conceded her defeat in the presidential election. She encouraged her supporters to recognize Donald Trump as president-elect, while not abandoning their values. It was a talk directed at the president-elect as well.
We hope everyone was listening carefully.
Clinton was graceful and dignified with a message that was spot on, saying “Last night I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country. I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans.”
Good stuff, so much so that some supporters wished the Hillary they saw that day had been more visible during the campaign. It got better.
“Donald Trump is going to be our president,” she said. “We owe him an open mind and a chance to lead.”
Her speech included an admonition to her backers that was also a warning of sorts for Trump.
“Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power,” she said, “and we don’t just respect that, we cherish it. It also enshrines other things: the rule of law, the principle that we are equal in rights and dignity, freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these values too and we must defend them.”
That could be paraphrased as “I’m telling my supporters to respect your election, but no Muslim bans or messing with press freedom.”
This election will be the subject of endless analysis, starting with how it happened that the media, the polls and the pundits all missed what was going on until the end. No one thought Trump had a chance, and that represents a serious disconnect.
Likewise, there will be a great deal of talk about what a Trump presidency might look like and whether he will stay true to his campaign rhetoric. The hope, of course, is that Trump knows the difference between dominating the news cycle in a campaign and actually governing.
But for now, listen to Hillary. For Trump that means be “president for all Americans.” For the disappointed half of the country, give “him an open mind and a chance to lead.”