MARK HALPERIN: 5 truths Republicans and Democrats should know to be ready to accept the election results

America the Beautiful. 

The land of the free and the home of the brave. 

They’re playin’ my song. They know I’m gonna be okay (I’m gonna be okay). 

Yeah, it’s a party in the U.S.A.

For the last decade or so, it has not felt much like a party in the U.S.A. Perhaps as far back as the Bill Clinton era, the country has seemed unusually divided, uncommonly partisan. There have been fewer productive friendships across the aisle in Washington and a tangible lack of compassion and unity in communities from coast to coast.

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Now, as Election Day looms right in front of us, the nation appears not merely disjointed, but virtually torn in half. And an inexorable truth remains: on November 5, or shortly thereafter, either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will be declared the winner of the presidential election.

Many voters will receive the news calmly. They will be variously pleased, or disappointed, or anxious, or relieved. They will await the new chapter in our history with curiosity and hope.

But millions of Americans will feel dismayed, even traumatized. They will dread the new administration, condemn their fellow voters, feel betrayed by their country, and be gripped by stress and despair. 

Here, then, is a reminder that we are all fellow countrypeople. We all belong here. We are all connected. On some fundamental levels, we all are on the same side –- and the same ride.

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Plus, we do share some universal bonds. For example: 

Simone Biles. Pretty amazing, no? Inspirational, magical, and charming, she makes us all proud.

Travis and Taylor. Maybe you don’t care about football, maybe you aren’t a Swiftie or even a fan of Taylor Swift’s music, maybe you want your celebrity couples to be politics-free. But c’mon. TNT is a fabulous only-in-America show.

How about “Friends,” another fabulous show. Who doesn’t love “Friends”?

Hawaii and Alaska. Two of the most spectacular places on the whole planet. Both in America! Not to mention the Maine coast, the Oregon coast, the Florida Keys, the Great Lakes, the farmers around the country who feed us, the oceans that border and protect us, the home-grown musicians who lift us up, Hollywood, New Orleans, Big Sur, the Big Apple, the Grand Ole Opry, the Grand Canyon, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, the Boston Freedom Trail, Lin Manuel Miranda, Dolly Parton, Mel Brooks, Jackson Pollock, Nora Ephron, Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler, and Muhammad Ali. 

That’s America. The greatest country on earth. Can you believe how lucky we are to live here and vote here? Even with all our problems, our past afflictions, our present clashes, our future challenges. 

We don’t agree on everything. We never will. But we need to find room for nuance, sensitivity, and common ground.

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With the election outcome nearly upon us, there is still time for voters to prepare for the result, which might be crushing or exciting, and could provoke strong reactions from neighbors, co-workers, friends or family. Some citizens might be baffled, distraught, or face an existential crisis. On Election Day, there will be cheers and sobs, gloating and consolation, celebration and mourning. And after it all subsides, on January 20, 2025, there will be a new president in the White House and life will go on.

So, as a public service, here are the five truths each side should know in order to understand the other tribe and be ready to accept the result, reconcile, and move forward as a united country, no matter what.

WHAT THE BLUES SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE REDS

1. Some Reds currently consider voting for a Democrat for president to be untenable. Not necessarily because they deplore all progressive, left-leaning, or Democratic-style principles, but because they have systematically been driven away from the Democratic Party by a culture they deem unfair, unsafe, and even un-American: a media they perceive as so biased as to be untrustworthy; woke trends in schools, higher learning, and the workplace that can create more discrimination than equity; troubling rhetoric about Israel from Democratic leaders that they fear could jeopardize the American-Israel alliance, stability in the Middle East, and the safety of Jews in the United States; and aggressive machinations against Trump from Democrats such as Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., that they feel have cracked appropriate boundaries of political power. 

2. They don’t dismiss Trump’s failure to act on January 6, but his behavior that day isn’t a deal breaker. Many Reds remain deeply troubled by Trump’s conduct and attitude during the storming of the Capitol, but they file January 6th along with Trump’s other irrational and self-centered choices, as part of the egocentric, outsized package that is Donald Trump. Their grocery bills are high. Their kids need braces. Their parents are aging. They have other priorities.

3. Reds genuinely have been outraged by what they perceive as lawfare, a dubious use of the legal system to stymie and penalize Trump politically as well as legally. Throughout much of the 2024 presidential race, Trump has been wrestling with criminal indictments and civil actions, both state and federal, ranging from falsifying business transactions to mishandling classified documents to fallout from the 2020 election dispute. Some voters find the facts and timing of the indictments themselves to be worse than any Trump wrongdoing, and that the one way for them to send a clear message about their distaste for an abuse of the legal system is to vote for the former president.  

4. Some of the top issues that matter most to them and affect their daily lives are inflation and immigration and the price of the “forever wars.” Everything costs more these days, and it is tough to make ends meet. They may be sympathetic to individuals and families crossing the border to find a better life, but now their own kids don’t have a desk to sit at in a school that is newly crowded with illegal immigrants. Their hometown needs more money to fix its roads and parks and public buildings, yet they watch as billions in tax dollars are allocated to Ukraine and the Middle East. They think if Trump wins, he will do a better job as president addressing their own everyday concerns. And to be clear, they do in fact appreciate the complexities and ramifications of pregnancy and abortion, and the potential for agonizing choices and risks.

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5. Reds are not one mass voting bloc. They are not all MAGA-hat wearing, gun-toting, Trump disciples. Each Red voter is an individual with distinct needs, interests, and experiences. Some adore Donald Trump, and think he’s a hero and the greatest president who has ever lived. Some consider him a bit of a blowhard but prefer his administrative positions to those of Harris. Some think he’s an iconoclast who loves to push buttons and break the stateman’s mold, while still getting the job done. Some find him hilarious. Some find him maddening. Some find him downright unappealing, but think he will be better for their family’s long-term financial prospects, so will hold their noses and their wallets when they vote. Some are more comfortable with Trump, a person they know, the bad and the good, than with Harris, a candidate they feel they still haven’t gotten a chance to fully apprehend. Some have family members, children, spouses, best friends, bosses, and employees who will vote for the other candidate.

WHAT THE REDS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE BLUES

1. They are going to be really upset if Trump wins. Really, really upset. Devastated. Many Blues consider Donald Trump to be an utterly loathsome, irredeemable, crude, dangerous, despicable soul. Furthermore, they think he’s not intellectually, spiritually, or attitudinally prepared to do the job. They hate him personally, they are embarrassed to have him represent the nation, the thought of his success is a torment. This level of pure abhorrence may seem to the Reds to be hyperbolic, misguided, overblown. But it is the reality in which the Blues operate, and many could deliver an excellent and convincing Ted Talk on the topic. If Trump beats Harris, they will need compassion, space to grieve, maybe a reassuring pat on the shoulder or hug.

2. The events of January 6 caused them genuine psychic distress, a blow to their most patriotic sensibilities and love of country. To them, Donald Trump placed his own interests above the wellbeing of the nation, an unforgivable breach of his central duty as president. As former Vice President Mike Pence stated, “President Trump asked me to put himself over my oath to the Constitution. Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States.” To these Blues, this sentiment is neither a luxury nor a pretense. It is a core conviction, an existential urgency.

3. Blues weigh very seriously the reports from so many former Trump administration officials that their boss was unfit for the Oval Office. They view this intel as revelatory and frightening, and note that the sheer number of former Trump intimates who have spoken out on the record is unprecedented. To them, these insider insights are a vindication of their own personal fears and an urgent warning to the nation against a second Trump term.

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4. Blues are highly conscious of the trendlines and composition of the Supreme Court. The Dobbs decision in 2022 created a visceral and emotional earthquake in their views on the rights, protection, and quality of life for women in America. And to be clear, they do understand the complexities and ramifications of pregnancy and abortion, and the potential for agonizing choices and risks.

5. Blues are not one mass voting bloc. Some admire Kamala Harris for her accomplishments, her charisma, her empathy. They like her record and her resume. They want to vote for her as a political leader, not just as a woman and person of color. They don’t uniformly prioritize the rights of immigrants, transgender individuals, and foreign entities over the rights of all other American civilians. Some of them think Trump is fun and funny, a good showman. They are not all knee-jerk, bleeding heart, yellow dogs. Some of them own guns, love country music, and fly the American flag on their lawn. Some have family members, children, spouses, best friends, bosses, and employees who will vote for the other candidate.

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So hang in there, America. We are and will remain one nation. Please take comfort in that.

And if that doesn’t work, just remember that this too shall pass. Put your feet up and instruct Alexa or Siri to play the little ditty “For Now,” from the Tony Award-winning (albeit decidedly R-rated) musical comedy, “Avenue Q,” which debuted back in 2003, in the midst of the 2004 presidential campaign that ultimately saw George W. Bush reelected. (Note to readers: insert either “Donald Trump” or “Kamala Harris” into the “George Bush” line): 

Everyone’s a little bit unsatisfied.

Everyone goes ’round a little empty inside.

Take a breath,

Look around,

Swallow your pride,

For now…

Nothing lasts,

Life goes on,

Full of surprises.

You’ll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes.

You’re going to have to make a few compromises…

For now…

But only for now! 

For now we’re happy…

If not overjoyed.

And we’ll accept the things we cannot avoid, for now…

Only for now!

For now there’s life!

For now there’s love!

For now there’s work!

For now there’s happiness!

For now discomfort!

For now there’s friendship!

Is only for now! 

Your hair is only for now! 

George Bush is only for now!

Don’t stress,

Relax,

Let life roll off your backs

Except for death and paying taxes,

Everything in life is only for now!

Each time you smile…

It’ll only last a while.

Life may be scary…

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But it’s only temporary

Everything in life is only for now.

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