Democracy is messy.
The “sausage making” that serves as the core of our democratic process can be brutal to watch. Divisive and ugly and emotional the path toward consensus and equal representation in governing is difficult at best.
Perhaps nothing sheds light on the difficulties of that process like the election of our next president. I think we can agree that this recent campaign season was one of the most contentious in our history. It is the divisiveness of that democratic electoral process that makes what transpired less than twelve hours after the results were in all the more remarkable.
Within minutes of the final result Hillary Clinton called Donald Trump to congratulate him on his victory and offer her support going forward.
President-Elect Trump immediately reached out to the leadership of both parties to seek their support in heeling the political divide.
And in a time honored tradition, President Obama invited the President-Elect to the White House to begin the seamless transition of the most powerful position in the world.
Finally, in one of the most moving and significant moments in this process; an emotional Hillary Clinton thanked all of those who supported her and encouraged them, for the good of the country to support the new President-elec.
We take this peaceful, seamless transition of power for granted. We should not.
For it lies at the core of what makes our democracy…for all of it faults…the greatest in the world.
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