Last night you won, this morning you serve.
In the immediate afterglow of victory, flush with the spirit of conquest and vindication, embraced by those who supported you, you must turn to the care of those who opposed you.
That may not be your instinct, but it is your duty.
As an elected official, you must reject the tribalism and partisanship that has you pay off your backers and brush off your opponents. Every electoral victory must be a victory for all the people, not just those who voted a certain way.
To send those who had a different view or a different candidate into the wilderness of social isolation and political marginalization is to be small and petty. It is also to defy the premise of our Republic – that we are equal before the law and in our liberties.
American politics have always been bareknuckled and hard, but they have not often been as personally divisive as they are now. We’ve always disliked the other fellow’s politics, now, unfortunately, we’ve come to dislike the other fellow himself. And some of our politicians exploit and inflame that dislike. They actively mock and reject the views of Americans who aren’t their political supporters.
We can’t take any more of that.
And you would not want to besmirch your honor and reputation by engaging in such pettiness. It would diminish you in every way, and delegitimize your claim to being a “public servant.”
Rather, in victory, you must be magnanimous.
And the outreach must come from you. To sit like a monarch upon a throne and wait for the defeated to come and pay you court is the picture of conceit and immaturity.
But to go to those you have defeated – the candidates and their supporters – and kindly and sincerely offer the hand of friendship and service, that is the higher road and the moral obligation.
People opposed you because they believed in things, things that were important to them. You may not share those beliefs, but you should not disrespect them. You may not be willing to implement them, but you must always be willing to hear them, and where possible find a way to advance them.
In your opponents, you must see opportunity. Opportunity to better communicate who you are and what you want to do. Opportunity to zig when they expect you to zag. Opportunity to listen closer and understand better.Opportunity to make friendships where there may be cold feelings.
If Jesus left the sheepfold and its ninety and nine to search out the one lamb which had strayed – if serving and saving everyone was that important to him – then the 40 percent of your constituents who voted for your opponent are worthy of your concern, effort and care. They will feel lost, isolated and even abandoned. You must immediately and consistently show them that they are loved and wanted, even in disagreement.
Because you must be, in the best traditions of American governance and the Judeo-Christian ethic, a servant leader. That same Jesus said that he – or she – who would be master of all, must be servant of all.
If you want to lead everyone, you must serve everyone.
It is a true and eternal principle. Tyrants and bullies ignore it, but leaders do not.
Congratulations. You won last night. You know the full-throated roar of victory.
But that was last night. This is the morning after.
And this morning you go to work. And your duty today, and every day you hold office, is to serve the people.
All the people.
The people who voted for you, and the people who voted against you.