Dear Mr. President-elect:
You’ve concluded your “thank you” tour in those states you won while scoring a stunning victory in the presidential election.
In just 34 days, you’re going to raise your right hand and take an oath to the very first public office you ever sought. Congratulations on your victory.
But something was missing from your victory tour: that unity talk you said you’d deliver after you won the presidency. We could hear the chants way out here in places you didn’t visit about “Lock her up!” Didn’t you say you weren’t going to pursue criminal charges against Hillary Rodham Clinton, that the FBI had ruled correctly in declining to seek indictments over the e-mail matter?
What about your pledge to become “president of all the people”? None of us heard any high-minded rhetoric that sought to heal the wounds that tore the nation apart during this contentious election campaign. Where has the outreach been? Why didn’t you take your victory tour to places that Clinton actually won?
Why didn’t you reach out directly to those folks who voted against you? Surely I don’t need to remind you, Mr. President-elect, thatĀ more of usĀ voted against you than voted for you.
This phase of your victory lap has concluded. I presume you’ll take a break with your loved ones to celebrate Christmas.
After that, though, you’ve still got more time to bind the wounds. Oh, and you also have to start boning up on actual governing. You have inherited the complicated and very detail-oriented job. You’ll need to spend some time hearing from presidential briefers on all manner of things — even those silly old national security intelligence matters you seem so willing to blow off.
While you’re still prepping for this big new job of yours, some noble oratory would be good to hear from you. You ought to tell us how you intend to unify the country that — in case you haven’t noticed — is more divided than at any time since, oh, the Civil War.
We’re all ears, Mr. President-elect. Talk to us. All of us. Not just your loyal partisan base.
As president, you’ll be making decisions that affect every single American. It’s time to use that bully pulpit of yours to bring us together.