Originally published 12/09/2016 on the Huffington Post

I am caught on the poles of a bitter dialectic. It’s every bit as bitter as the divide that separates us.

On the one side of dialectic, I desperately want President Elect Trump to succeed for our sake, not his. Unlike Senator Mitch McConnell who said when Obama was first elected, “We must do everything in our power to make this President fail,” I don’t wish Trump to fail, for if he fails, then we fail as a nation even more. I want to give him every chance to succeed.

I want President Elect Trump to display the qualities he did during his 60 Minutes interview. He was articulate, mostly sensible, and more coherent than I’ve ever seen him before. I want him to act as he did when he met with President Obama. He was not only respectful, but genuine in his praise for the President. He was clearly awed, if not overwhelmed by the job he was to undertake.

I’m heartened that he doesn’t necessarily want to do away with every aspect of Obama Care, or so he said during his interview. I want him to heal this bitterly divided nation. I want him to pass a jobs bill so that those who’ve been hurt most by the Great Recession can be put back to work. I hope fervently that he can help us to stop demonizing one another.

On the other side of the dialectic, I’m still smarting from Trump’s god-awful insults and rhetoric during the campaign. It was the worst that I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime. I’m appalled that he still wants to ban Muslims and build a wall with Mexico. But most of all, I’m deeply frightened that he’s chosen someone like Steve Bannon to be his Chief Strategist. Bannon is undeniably a racist. Rudi Giullani scares me no less. I’m left with the overpowering feeling that The Rats Are Coming Onboard The Ship of State. God-awful indeed!

So where does that leave me? I still want Trump to succeed, but I feel we have to monitor him closely every step of the way. Maybe he’ll resign or be impeached as some are prophesying, but that would leave us with the arguably even worse prospect of Mike Pence and his horribly restricted, punitive world-view.

Hope for the best but be extremely vigilant is the best with which I’m left. I am hopeful but afraid!