I have a lucky dog.  He survived a vicious dog attack that almost killed him at four months old.  He is a melanoma survivor. And he doesn’t know what happened last night.

He was sleeping during the simultaneous destruction of both current US political parties.  He did not hear Susan B. Anthony’s sigh emanating from her grave.   The anguish of many current and potential US immigrants fell on his sleeping ears.  He didn’t know why my daughters and wife were so sad.  He isn’t aware of the pending changes in how people treat each other in “civil” conversation.  He did not realize that his country was electing a president whose idea of political argument is to embrace innuendo, conspiracy theory and character attacks.  He didn’t care why we were all up until 2:30 AM and back up before 7:00.  He did care that we had comfort foods that involved cheese for dinner last night!  He always cares about cheese.

But Obie is also an optimistic dog!  He thinks that both parties needed a shaking up because they were too busy working on reelections and fund-raising to be aware of people’s real concerns.  They might get it now!  He thinks the president-elect is not a stupid man, in spite of his arguments, but only an opportunistic charlatan who will now adopt policies that are more practical.  If the newly elected president thinks he will get more accolades from governing effectively than from bombast, he might do that.  (Like I said, he’s an optimistic dog.)He is encouraged by the fact the transition seems to be starting on the right foot with a magnanimous speech and a gracious concession.  Some of the members of Congress are actually interested in governing and they may form a coalition with the president-elect who has no real political philosophy to solve some real problems.  Just as it t took Nixon to go to China, it might take a (nominal) Republican to fix some structural tax problems and repair governance items that need repairing.

We are both encouraged by fact that the US has withstood 240 years of messy elections and continued ticking and will get through this one too.  We believe it won’t be as bad as the election campaigns made it seem.  And we look forward, with hope, to reconciliation and change.