Healing, unity needed at S.C. grassroots as well as in Washington

The campaign of 2016 is over. Donald Trump carried Horry and Georgetown counties, South Carolina and enough other states to win the presidency.

In January, he will become become our 45th president.

Now the challenge is for the Trump transition team – and divided Congressional Republicans – to put together government that truly serves the nation by doing what’s best for all people and creating unity that America sorely needs.

Hillary Clinton was the choice of half the voters – she may have won the popular vote – and has 248 of the 538 electoral votes. The Constitution of the United States established the Electoral College, which formally elects presidents and vice presidents. The closeness illustrates the nation’s division: by urban-rural populations, racially, socioeconomic and sociopolitical lines. Unity will not come easily, certainly not by the president-elect if his advisors and legislators are acting like they are still campaigning. Trump did not create the division – but he did tap it to his political benefit and his campaign conduct fostered division.

Locally, Tuesday’s results included good news for Horry County in the strong approval of the roads referendum called RIDE 3, which adds a penny of sales tax effective in May 2017, replacing the tax that expired in May of this year.

Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Libertarians all should accept the results and do their parts in bringing unity to a divided nation. The president-elect, in perhaps the most gracious speech he has made in his entire campaign, talked about being the president for all and the need for unity. That’s a good start.

The Trump victory shows that a majority of Americans are fed up with partisan politics that puts party first, before nation, and contributes to dysfunction. This message is for the S.C. congressional delegation, including U.S. Rep. Tom Rice and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, each re-elected last week. U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham, no fan of Trump, called for unity, as did Gov. Nikki Haley. Unity should be the goal of everyone.

Trump referred to his victory as the result of a movement, not a campaign. Clearly, Americans want change and are frustrated with the inability of Congress to pass meaningful legislation on lingering issues such as immigration reform, infrastructure upgrading, tax reforms and a host of other important matters. In few of these is there full consensus. That’s illustrated in the presidential vote. On any big issue, proponents and opponents – in Washington, on Main Street and in Grand Strand neighborhoods – must realize the necessity of give and take. Part of the dysfunction has been caused by the refusal of right-wing House Republicans to compromise.

Has Congress received the voters’ message? Republicans will control the White House (executive branch) as well as both houses of Congress. An important test for House Republicans is if they can come together to re-elect Speaker Paul Ryan –then work with the Trump White House, and perhaps congressional Democrats.

It is a valid concern that the president-elect has made some promises he cannot keep. He and all those in his administration will need to remember that more than half of the U.S. electorate favored Clinton or other candidates, that there are differences in what people want, or don’t want, and that fundamental rights of all must be protected.

The president-elect is correct that it's time to heal the political wounds. All citizens have a role in nurturing healing that ultimately will restore a degree of unity. On a personal level, Trump and Clinton supporters might reach out to one another to say “no hard feelings” – and mean it. From the president-elect, the U.S. Capitol, down to S.C. neighborhoods, we should all remember a motto of the United States: E pluribus unum – out of many, one.

This story was originally published November 12, 2016 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Healing, unity needed at S.C. grassroots as well as in Washington."