海角大神

Follow us on Twitter听@CSM_politics.听Review the previous nine installments, from guns to health care,听here.

In this week's edition:

1. Cover story:听After Trump's remarkable win, can national reconciliation follow?
2. Gallery: Voices from across political party lines: What can be done to heal America?
3. From Capitol Hill:听Trump's first step to effectiveness: uniting with GOP Congress听
4. By the numbers:听See the final election results
5. Global persepective: Dealt a surprise Trump card, the world tries to figure out a changed game
6. Decoder:听Trump rides rural rebellion to a stunning victory听
7. Our picks:听The full transcript of Donald Trump's victory speech 鈥� and more

* * *

After Trump's remarkable win, can national reconciliation follow?

By Linda Feldmann, Staff writer

On the eve of Election 2016, the signs of discord were everywhere.

Clinton supporters frantically warned of an American democracy in peril if Donald Trump won. Trump supporters warned against electing 鈥淐rooked Hillary,鈥� shouts of 鈥淟ock her up!鈥� ringing out at every rally.

Lawn signs were defaced or stolen. Friends were 鈥渦nfriended.鈥� Couples in 鈥渕ixed marriages鈥� had to negotiate truces.

And yet Americans are by nature a hopeful people, and for some, the epic election of 2016 has presented an opportunity for learning and growth.

鈥淚t鈥檚 given us a lens into how differently friends and neighbors see the nation and the issues we鈥檙e facing,鈥� says Parisa Parsa, executive director of Essential Partners, a dialogue group based in Cambridge, Mass. 鈥淭he opportunity in that is to come together, and ask what that means.鈥�

Not that the Clinton and Trump camps will be ready to link arms and sing听Kumbaya anytime soon. Or ever. Republicans and Democrats, too, face divisions within their own parties 鈥� especially the Republicans. Coming to national consensus on any big topics听 may be a bridge too far听for some time to come.

But the journey can be meaningful. Hashing out policy differences is what governing is all about.听All Americans ask for is civility.

Read more

* * *

GALLERY: What can be done to heal America?

View the entire gallery

* * *

Trump's first step to effectiveness: uniting with GOP Congress

By Francine Kiefer, Staff writer

WASHINGTON 鈥斕鼺or years, Americans have railed against dysfunction in Washington. Now that Republicans have stunned the nation and the world with a clean sweep of the White House and both chambers of Congress, the conventional wisdom is that this will help grease the gears and lead to a more smoothly running government.

鈥淭he best thing about Trump is, he鈥檚 likely to sign the bills that Congress passes,鈥� says GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak, speaking about a GOP victory in advance of the election.

But the question remains as to whether this celebrity president-elect can unite his own famously fractured party. In his campaign, he flung flaming arrows at the 鈥渆stablishment鈥� Republican leaders in the House and Senate, much to the delight of voters. Many of his ideas 鈥� about the border, trade, and preserving Social Security 鈥� are at odds with Republican positions in Congress, especially when it comes to spending.

鈥淗e鈥檚 neither tea party, nor is he establishment, and I think that鈥檚 really quite telling,鈥� says Ronald Rapoport, at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. 鈥淗e鈥檚 his own kind of guy and that鈥檚 really a challenge for the Republican Party.鈥�

Read more

* * *

BY THE NUMBERS

The 2016 presidential election results according to The New York Times. Red and blue states represent Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton votes, respectively.听

States where the winning margin was 5% or less:

* * *

Dealt a surprise Trump card, the world tries to figure out a changed game

By Peter Ford, Staff writer

PARIS 鈥斕齋uddenly, the world is flying blind.

Donald Trump鈥檚 election victory, after a campaign that offered only vague and often contradictory clues about his foreign policy, has left leaders around the globe in the dark about his intentions.

Much about them is indeed unclear. But enough of Mr. Trump鈥檚 priorities have emerged to spark sharply differing international reactions.

Among America鈥檚 friends, neighbors, and global allies, the mood is one of gloom and alarm. In Washington鈥檚 rivals and enemies, from China to Russia to Al Qaeda, there is remarkable jubilation.

鈥淲e have always worked with the United States as a partner,鈥� says a senior government official in Jordan, a key Mideast ally which relies on more than $1 billion a year in US aid. 鈥淣ow we no longer know who we are working with, and all our plans are on stand-by.鈥�

From Beijing, the view is different. 鈥淚f Hillary had won, China would have faced a tougher situation,鈥� commented one user of the Weibo social media site, echoing a widely held opinion among Chinese nationalists. 鈥淭rump is better. The US will decline faster under his leadership. China will dominate the world.鈥�

At stake is nothing less than the liberal international order that the United States has underpinned since World War II. Trump鈥檚 campaign threats to stop paying to defend allies such as European NATO partners; his promises to renege on international trade deals; and his 鈥淎merica First鈥� approach to the world risk turning international diplomacy on its head.

Read more

* * *

Trump rides rural rebellion to a stunning victory

By Peter Grier, Staff writer

Rural white America has staged a political rebellion unprecedented in recent American history, propelling billionaire developer Donald Trump to an astounding presidential victory.

The result is essentially a repudiation of Washington and overthrows a pundit class that, as late as Tuesday afternoon, thought Hillary Clinton was poised for a tight but clear victory. A Republican surge undetected by virtually all polling kept the party in solid control of the House and Senate as well.

鈥淭he polls underestimated two forces 鈥� one was voter discontent and the other was Republicans鈥� loyalty to their party鈥檚 nominee despite the ambivalence about Trump expressed by GOP leaders,鈥� says Columbia University political science professor Donald P. Green in an email.

The result will be at least four years of a Washington unified under the direction of one party, holding out the prospect of a sharp swerve in the nation鈥檚 direction on such core issues as foreign policy, trade, immigration, health care, and the environment.

More broadly for the nation, Trump's victory reverses the narrative of the past few years. Many conservative white voters have despaired at what they saw as America鈥檚 decline economically, militarily, and culturally, feeling the country was slipping away. Now they have emphatically turned the table on Democratic voters.

Read more

* * *

OUR PICKS: Recommended reading and viewing

1. "I will be president for all Americans,"听Donald Trump's victory speech

2. "We owe Trump an open mind and the chance to lead,"听Hillary Clinton's concession speech听

3. "We go forward with good faith in our fellow citizens,"听President Barack Obama's speech on Donald Trump's election

4. George H.W. Bush's letter to incoming President Bill Clinton

5. Al Gore concedes presidential elections of 2000, CNN video

6. "Americans Don't Need Reconciliation 鈥� They Need to Get Better at Arguing," (The Atlantic)