The 2024 election, while still being tabulated in some states, has ended with former President Donald Trump as the projected winner.
The electoral count sits at 277 for Trump, and 224 for Harris at the time this article was written, with Trump as the projected winner.
We have a policy at The Sentinel that if you write an opinion article, then you cannot cover the same topic for news. As a hardened news journalist, I’ve avoided writing an opinion article for the past three years for that very reason.
To disappoint some, this article is not another “Harris failed us,” or yet another, “What to expect under another Trump term.” Instead, this is simply a message that Americans often don’t process well enough: we have to move forward and get past our politics.
It’s been said by many news analysts, commentators, opinion writers and pundits that Americans are deeply divided. According to polling from the Pew Research Center, 65% of Americans say they feel exhausted when talking about politics.
Our politics have us feeling drained, but as of Nov. 6, when scrolling through social media there have been messages shared by both sides that are counterproductive to American values. Some have shared messages stating that anyone who disagrees with their point of view or political candidate should unfollow them, while supporters of the former president are posting messages gloating and poking fun at supporters of the vice president.
As upsetting as it can be to those who hold fervently to their political views, people will always disagree with you, whether Republican, Democrat or third-party. This is the nature of democracy. And while I understand that there are strong passions on both sides, with both parties wanting to see their platform become the standard for the entire nation, it cannot be neglected that people in the area that you live, work and attend school will have differing viewpoints.
To supporters of Vice President Harris, you have every right to be upset, this election was unprecedented in many ways, and many of you worked hard to see your candidate make it to the finish line after a chaotic entrance. But, I would implore you not to feel hatred or disdain for anyone, including the vice president, fellow supporters, supporters of former President Trump and beyond.
I would instead ask that you turn your anger and disdain into motivation. I don’t advocate any political view or philosophy, but as a longtime observer of politics, this is the time that parties start to scout possible heirs to the candidacy. The Democratic Party has existed since 1828, and it is going nowhere.
But also understand that the same is said about the Republican Party, which has existed for a very long time and, as evidenced by last night, is still going strong. Be curious, try to find out why your neighbors, family and maybe your friends vote the way that they do. Seek to understand others, instead of siloing yourself away and hermetically sealing yourself off from half of the country. You are Americans, and that by virtue means that you will get another chance to see your vision in the highest office in the land.
To supporters of former President Trump, you’ve seen your candidate through to the end and your voice has been heard. He will return to the Oval Office as President of the United States on Jan. 20, 2025. This race was hard-fought, and saw your candidate face multiple assassination attempts; with one that could have very well ended his life, if not his candidacy.
I implore you to find grace in victory. Many people vote with the same convictions that you do on the other side, and while seeing the person you want to win succeed is an unmatched feeling, the work has just begun.
Your job is to now hold your candidate accountable, especially considering that your vote is an extension of yourself in that you have selected the former president to represent you and the rest of our nation on the global stage.
You voted with your convictions, and must now ensure that your priorities become his main focus. It is your job, more than anyone else’s, to make sure that he works for the “common person” and that his policies actually benefit the American people.
For everyone reading this, there are good people on both sides. People vote for different reasons. As a journalist, it is my job to see through the noise, find what the truth is and bring it back to the people who aren’t there in person. What I have seen is people on both sides working hard for two candidates with different views of what will help the “common person.”
There are supporters of the former president that believe he is focused on the economy solely, and do not believe that he will undo any social progress. Supporters of the vice president may disagree and believe he will undo more, and point to the Dobbs decision as proof.
Some supporters of Vice President Harris believe that she will make goods more affordable and will bring down the cost of housing. Some supporters of the former president believe her policies will do the opposite and cause irreparable harm to the economy.
No matter what, we have no choice but to move forward. As much as it may hurt for some, or how it may feel great for others. We have no choice, because time only moves forward.
