LET'S LOWER THE TEMPERATURE.

When Barack Obama became president, I quoted Theodore White from The Making of the President: 1960.

Good or bad, whatever the decision, America will accept the decision -- and cut down any man who goes against it, even though for millions the decision runs contrary to their own votes. The general vote is an expression of national will, the only substitute for violence and blood. Its verdict is to be defended as one defends civilization itself.

So let it be with Donald Trump again becoming president.  The editorial board of our Northern Star offer a similar request.

Donald Trump was declared the 47th president of the United States in the early hours of the morning. With this historical race finally coming to a close, let America move into the new administration with grace.

They continue,

No matter their spot on the political spectrum, waiting for the results of such an impactful election created a stressful feeling of anticipation for many voters.

Now, it’s critical that all Americans find graceful ways to process the results of the election, whether that’s celebration or dismay.

Exactly. There will be more elections.

Then comes a pivot to that futile and stupid gesture at the Capitol.

Trump’s failure to completely condemn the actions of the Trump supporters that attacked the Capitol remains a cause of concern for Americans fearing history will repeat itself in the aftermath of the 2024 election.

These fears should not be so prevalent in a nation founded for democracy.

Voters must understand that to live in a democracy does not guarantee the name they select will win simply because they prefer a candidate.

Similarly, voters must understand that should their preferred candidate lose, America’s highly regulated election system has not suddenly gone corrupt, much as losing a board game doesn’t automatically mean someone cheated.

Indeed.  Let us also hope that the somewhat surprising Republican win up and down the ballot might bring an end to Democrat flummery in Republican primaries.  That's something else Ted White called attention to, voters crossing over to frustrate candidates they dislike.  One reason there were so few votes for Mr Biden in the 2024 party primaries was Democrats running their version of Operation Chaos, crossing over where permissible to elevate Mr Trump and knock first Governor DeSantis and then Ambassador Haley out of contention.

Oops.