Clive Bibby: A time for healing - then anything is possible

At the time of writing, Donald Trump has been called the winner of the US Presidential election although by how much is as yet undecided. The final count may not be announced for another day or so.

Whatever - we know enough now from the votes that have been counted to surmise that the final vote will look like a landslide with Trump doing what no Republican candidate has done for decades - win the popular vote by a sizeable margin.

We can read a number of things from this incredible victory.

The first must be to give most of the credit to a man who has been vilified (some from his own party say justifiably) by all and sundry as a destroyer of democracy, a convicted felon and amongst other things an inciter of an insurrection - an enemy of the state!

Thankfully, a majority of American voters has looked beyond that grotesque impression promoted by those with Trump derangement syndrome and found a man prepared to fight on their behalf for a return to the good times they enjoyed when he was in office four years ago.

For his part, given the decisive nature of his victory, Trump can afford to be magnanimous.

There is no need for recriminations of those who have relentlessly pursued him ever since he entered the political arena - by trying to destroy something they saw as a real threat to their own survival. It has been an exercise in hatred never seen since the Klu Klux clan went on a rampage of murder in the Deep South and this time they almost succeeded.

But that was yesterday and now is a time to reset the history books It is a great opportunity to show that Trump recognises he is now in a position to make American great again for all its inhabitants - not just those who have voted overwhelmingly for him.

I personally believe we will see a new side of Trump during this term.

He has achieved all he needed to do to silence his critics - he has beaten the odds like no other in US political history. That in itself is a legacy second to none.

His job now is to heal a nation deliberately divided by those who have opposed his every move.

Now that the people have spoken so emphatically, the world is his oyster.

It will be fascinating to watch what he makes of the opportunity.

It will be an interesting and hopefully enjoyable ride.

And boy, do we need it.

Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.