It is with civility and equanimity that the Obamas welcomed the Trumps to the White House. A smooth transition of power, where victors are magnanimous in victory and the defeated graciously defiant, are the hallmarks of a grown-up politics. The office of the president of the United States in some ways resembles an elective kingship in a democratic republic, which explains perhaps why it is afforded such a reverence in American society. It is a good thing that the spirit of shared commitment to the ideals of America has led to an outbreak of mutual respect between political rivals, who had traded lower and lower blows in the final days of a vicious campaign. Actions are important. President Barack Obama welcomed a man who spent years questioning his birthplace. Donald Trump accepted an invitation from a man who had declared him unfit for the presidency. Mr Trump was wise to say he would accept counsel from the current president, who he described as a good man. In setting aside stridency, politics gains stature.
But words carry weight. Mr Trump cast political opponents as criminals and accused them of treason. He threatened to investigate his rivals and sue his female accusers who claimed he had sexually assaulted them. As president he finds himself facing a slew of civil law suits. He wore his grudges and resentments like badges of honour. One wonders how such a figure will administer neutrally and fairly. Perhaps he might be tempted not to. This would be a grave mistake, imperilling a nation. Mr Trump campaigned in mendacity. He now needs to govern in moderation.
Democracies work on trust, dictatorships run on fear. In a democracy citizens accept the disappointment of defeat because they believe that their rights will be protected in a disinterested and impartial way. Voters know that they can make mistakes but there is always another chance to engage again in a fair fight for hearts and minds. Limit this and legitimacy drains away. There have been signs of such dissatisfaction. In recent decades popular discontent coupled with a deep mistrust of government marched hand-in-hand with falling voting turnout and declining party loyalties. The state and citizen were prised apart, and a deficit in democracy yawned open. Mr Obama bucked this trend. Like Mr Trump he too was an outsider who toppled a party establishment and beat Mrs Clinton to the presidency. Unlike Mr Trump he campaigned as a uniter not a divider of people. His appeal was he would attempt to reach out to his opponents. In the end he did not succeed and he left imperfect outcomes.
Mr Trump would do well to pick up where Mr Obama left off. There is an urgent need in the United States for politicians to re-occupy the middle ground of common sense. This means not resorting to the post-truthery that turned paranoia into a presidential campaign. Mr Trump exhorted voters to “forget the press; read the internet”. Yet the fake news industry he fuelled gave rise to a segregation that polarised and damaged society. Refashioning social and economic relations to preserve liberty and justice will rely on facts that a country can agree on.
The ideological approach of Republicans determined to win at all costs must be re-examined. The stoking of white anger should be consigned to history. A nation divided needs to be brought together.
