It’s over – finally!

What seemed like the longest presidential election run ended this week, and thank goodness for that.

I don’t normally dive into politics with this column (or religion, for that matter), but since it’s been an “in-your-face” thing, it’s hard not to comment.

First, the election itself: for as long as I could recall, I never understood the Electoral College and why it’s in place. After all, every election in the country is based on the populous vote except the presidential election.

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Do you know there were five presidents that lost the populous vote but won the Electoral College vote? The last one is still fresh in my mind — the 2000 election between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush. Bush lost the populous vote by over a half million votes but won the electoral vote.

The three other presidents who lost the popular vote but won the election were: John Q. Adams (1824), Rutherford B. Hayes (1876) and Benjamin Harrison (1888). One would think after three controversial presidential elections in the 1800s, the Electoral College way of electing a president would be reviewed.

We’ve now elected 45 presidents. Is the Electoral College still the way to go, or do we, as a nation, look into abolishing it?

Enough history class for now — let’s get back to the 2016 election. I’ll be happy to have “election-free” commercials on TV now. I was getting tired of hearing who-approved-what-message.

I’m not sure why we have to have such a lengthy presidential campaign. Two years before the actual election is a bit much. Incumbent, first-term presidents are basically only on the job for 24 months before focusing on winning a second term.

There is no question social media played a large role in this election. Facebook should have changed its name to “Soundboard” because everyone had an opinion on a candidate. The same could be said about Twitter and, maybe to a lesser degree, Instagram.

Prior to social media, if someone wanted to sound off about politics, it was usually at the bar, the beauty or barbershop or during a weekly night of cards. That was it. There was no platform to express much of anything except to those gathering at places.

Now, anyone with a computer can throw in their two cents. I hear a lot of media and even politicians talk about division in our country. I really believe part of it is due to the role social media played.

Now that Donald Trump has been declared president-elect, there’s no doubt anti-Trump folks will bash him online daily. I’ve seen this happen with President Obama in Facebook posts. An acquaintance of mine has been counting down and posting the days until Obama will be out of office for over a year now. I have to admit, that got pretty annoying after the first few weeks.

I suppose, for many, expressing their political views publicly gives some sort of gratification. I’m not sure what they post would actually change other people’s minds about who to choose for president.

I’m all for the First Amendment, so if anyone wants to trash talk or bash anyone, I could choose not to read it. But all this negativity just deepens the wounds of division.

There is a lot of healing to do now that this nasty race is over. A lot of mud was slung, a lot of people were hurt or insulted and it may take a long time to repair that. Maybe we took two steps back during this presidential campaign, but we must move forward.

Will Trump make a good president? I hope so. I would never wish ill will to the leader of our country. Only time will tell. But I guarantee the first sign of trouble in the Oval Office, the naysayers will say, “I told you so,” and social media will be abuzz once again.

The method of electing a president has worked for 240 years. It’s time to unite and support and heal any wounds that has occurred through the 2016 election.

To all Trump supporters, congrats on electing your candidate. To all Clinton devotees, it’s time to stand down, dust off the animosity and see where the journey takes us.

I’m Tony Callaio, and I approve this message.

Quote of the week

“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” – Henry Van Dyke, American writer and poet.

Thought of the week

“Stop the habit of wishful thinking and start the habit of thoughtful wishes.” – Mary Martin, American actress.

Bumper sticker

“Whether or not you write well, write bravely.” – Bill Stout, American broadcaster.

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My Corner, Your Corner

Tony Callaio

Tony Callaio’s column My Corner, Your Corner runs weekly in the Sunday Dispatch. He can be reached at tonyc150@verizon.net.