It is over

The presidential election is over.

Donald Trump has been declared the winner against Hillary Clinton.

Early counts show a 50/50 voter split with Clinton gaining an infinitesimal lead in the popular vote. These unofficial numbers (early Wednesday morning) will change, but Trump has taken the electoral college count and will be the next president of the United States.

Half the country is celebrating. The other half is not.

Yet, we can hope that the vitriol and ugliness of the campaigns are over.

Now, it is time for the country to assimilate the news. When Trump started his campaign months ago, he was not considered a serious candidate. That all changed when he won the Republican nomination.

He will soon be president. Many thought it impossible. The election is a true upheaval in American politics.

“Stunning” is the word being used to describe his win, even though it may go down as one of the narrowest, if not the narrowest, in American history.

The task at hand for both halves of the country is to try to heal wounds and join together for the good of the nation. The Republicans will have to mend their internal differences first. The Democrats will have to look across the aisle and see fellow Americans, rather than political foes.

Not only did Trump win, both houses of Congress are in Republican hands as well. This concentration of power is far different than the split popular vote would indicate.

Neither of the candidates were looked upon favorably by the majority of voters. Nevertheless, the vote has been taken, and the victor has been named.

For the good of the country, all citizens, whether happy or not about the results, owe it to all the rest to try to overcome the problems plaguing the country and accommodate all the disparate parts of the population.

Trump expressed conciliatory sentiments in his victory speech. It is a start.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher