In a bitterly divided and polarized political environment, what are we to do to bring the country together on Nov. 8 and onward? How is anyone going to be able to lead us in this era of wrenching cultural, political and economic fissures?
The polls show today that Hillary Clinton, barring a last-minute political earthquake, will be elected president.
The difficulty for her is that she will win and a majority of the country in the aftermath won’t like her and doesn’t trust her.
I have full confidence she will make steps on election night to try and bring the country together and speak to our best instincts; regrettably, I am almost equally certain that her message will fall flat with partisans who opposed her.
So much of the healing of America will depend on the conduct of her Republican opposition.
I have little confidence that Donald Trump will do the appropriate and necessary thing on election night: Concede as a gentleman, congratulate Clinton and ask for his supporters to rally around the new president. He will likely continue to incite his most rabid supporters to continue fighting against her. That isn’t good for our politics and definitely isn’t good for our constitutional republic.
My advice to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) is to step up and be the adult in the room.
As the nation’s top-ranking Republican elected official (constitutionally, the House speaker is second in the presidential line of succession), Ryan should be the designated driver on election night and take the keys from Trump. Ryan should pre-empt whatever Trump has to say by conceding on his behalf.
Ryan would do a service for our country by coming forward on Nov. 8 and congratulate Clinton on her historic victory as first woman president, asking for the country to give her a chance and saying he is going to work with her to move America forward.
If Ryan, and other folks like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), really care about America and want to begin to rebuild their party, they need to step into the breach that will exist on election night, given the lack of leadership that, if current indications are any guide, Trump will likely show. Ryan and McConnell could say it is time to bring America together, and it is time to recapture what they believe is the essence of the Republican Party. They could begin to end the hostile takeover of their party by Trump, but they need to show principled leadership on the evening Clinton is elected.
I have many doubts that these two Republican leaders will step up to this moment and wrest control of the opposition from Trump, but I have hope they will see that is what America wants and needs at this time. It is what real leaders do in times of great disruption. They show humble servant leadership — the kind that could begin to heal this divided United States.
This article was originally published at BillMoyers.com