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| I took this photo of the White House last month. |
I've loved the political process and the art of governing since I was a young child. Some of my first memories are of my dad railing against then Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and his elation (yes, elation) when Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis died in office in 1959. I learned early on that crushing electoral defeats were eventually followed by a shift in attitudes and "victory". One of these victories -- the first I remember for sure -- was that of Jean Lesage, who led Quebec during a turbulent but exciting time in its history.
Last night, Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. He was not my candidate and we turned off the TV as the evening wore on, when stations darkly analyzed the electoral map, pointing out Hillary Clinton's slim chances in battleground states.
The victory was decisive. As of 6:25 a.m. CST: Electoral College: Trump 289; Clinton 218. In Congress, Republicans have control of both the House (235-191) and the Senate (51-47). Minnesota voted for Clinton, as expected, but not really by much (46%-43%). In the State Legislature, Republicans retained control of the House; the Senate is still too close to call, but the the slim DFL majority in the Senate seems to be threatened. I was almost surprised that Democrat Rick Nolan retained his seat in Congressional District 8, against second time challenger Stuart Mills.
Trump was gracious in his speech after Hillary Clinton called him to concede the election. There are a few protests around the country, but for the most part, the nation is calm. Families divided over the election, including mine, can now get back to some kind of normalcy.
Governing is not easy, and President-Elect Trump faces many challenges as a Washington "outsider". He is a dealmaker but he will learn that compromise isn't easy and one can't always succeed by insulting and disparaging one's enemies.
I heard this morning that Canada's immigration website crashed as Trump's victory seemed certain. I am a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, but although I love Canada, I will not be returning to my native country anytime soon. I've lived in the United States for over half my life now, and Minnesota is definitely home.
It's time to put this ugly election in the rear view mirror. Many who seemed to feel disenfranchised only a few days ago now have the responsibilities that come with leading a new administration. While we face challenging but interesting years, our beloved republic will survive and prosper.
Our country has always been great and the state of our union is still strong.
