After doing a couple of politically themed posts the last couple of weeks, I’m ready to move on and transition back to other stuff. So (watch this) let’s talk about moving on and transitioning gracefully. Living in the limelight is tough, I’m sure, and moving on from a highly visible public position in any profession or enterprise is tough, too, whether one transitions by choice or by compulsion. Let’s talk about some positive role models that show us how it’s done. And let’s start with Alex Trebek.
Alex Trebek hosted the game show Jeopardy! for 34 years before passing away from pancreatic cancer two days ago. He went public with his cancer a couple of years ago, and received an outpouring of public support. Many people would acquire a sense of ownership and control over a show they ran for 34 years and attempt to control what happened after their departure. Not Alex. Always warm and friendly, always graceful and dignified, here is what he said about who would succeed him:
Don’t ask me who’s going to replace me, because I have no say in that whatsoever. It’s not a decision that would be up to me. And I would not make myself available to presenting an opinion. … I would leave it up to the people in charge.
Here’s another example. Dan Quinn was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons for several years. The team initially enjoyed great success under his watch, making the Super Bowl in the 2016 season. But the team declined after that and started off with a bad record this year. Quinn was fired on October 11, 2020. Here is the first paragraph of the statement he released shortly after being terminated:
To the city of Atlanta: How fortunate am I that I close this chapter the very same way I opened it — with gratitude. Being the Head Coach of your Atlanta Falcons has been the privilege of a lifetime. I can’t express my appreciation enough to Arthur Blank [owner of the Falcons] for the opportunity to represent this organization for the past six seasons. It truly has been my family. My wife Stacey and I will forever be grateful for every single person in this organization who made our lives better and fuller.
I’m in no rush, so let’s look at a couple more public figures who show how a transition is done. How about George H. W. Bush, who was a decorated U.S. Navy pilot in World War Two, flying a Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber. On one mission he was shot down but was recovered by a Navy rescue crew. Other downed pilots on that mission who were captured by the Japanese rather than rescued were subsequently executed. Bush was also director of the CIA before being elected President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 1989. But he lost a bid for a second term to Democrat Bill Clinton. Here is an excerpt from his concession speech.
Here’s the way we see it and the country should see it — that the people have spoken, and we respect the majesty of the democratic system. I just called Governor Clinton over in Little Rock and offered my congratulations. He did run a strong campaign. I wish him well in the White House.
And I want the country to know that our entire administration will work closely with his team to ensure the smooth transition of power. There is important work to be done, and America must always come first, so we will get behind this new president and wish him well.
Let’s do one more. Hillary Clinton gave a concession speech in 2016 after being defeated by Donald Trump. I’ve heard some rumors that some people don’t think she actually conceded, so it’s worth quoting her words. She opened with this:
Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country. I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans. This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for and I’m sorry that we did not win this election for the values we share and the vision we hold for our country.
Not quite the sweet spot, maybe, but hey, she conceded. She followed up later with this:
We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.
Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power and we don’t just respect that, we cherish it. It also enshrines other things; the rule of law, the principle that we are all equal in rights and dignity, freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these values too and we must defend them.
These are great examples. In America, it’s not just men and women in high office who know how to say farewell to kings with grace and poise — even football coaches and talk show hosts can do it. And let’s throw in a Mo app here. LDS bishops serve faithfully and work hard at their second job, without pay … and when the time comes to be released and move on, they invariably do so willingly and with a vote of support for their successor in office.
So yeah, it’s tough, but it seems like most Americans can rise to the occasion and exit gracefully. Let’s appreciate those I have cited (and there are many more I could have cited) and hope that those presently in high office can learn from their fine examples. All the world’s a stage. History is watching. In some future year, perhaps 2112, people will still look back with some admiration on these good examples, I think. So this was your positive, uplifting, non-partisan, non-political post for the day. Seventy-one days to Inauguration Day, 2021. I think we’ll make it. I hope we’ll make it. God bless America.
Well, I think the message of your post is loud and clear. Trump needs to gracefully accept loss, wish his opponent the best of luck, and work toward a peaceful and successful transition of power. That Trump continues to claim victory, allege that there was fraud in the election on no evidence, and act like a big crybaby is disgraceful behavior and reinforces what an absolute disgrace he and his presidency were. That the overwhelming majority of elected Republican officials refuse to concede that Joe Biden has won the election only reveals what cowards they are. They have a responsibility to speak up and out against Trumpism and not feel beholden to Trump’s supporters. We know what you guys thought of Trump on his campaign trail in 2016. We have every reason to believe that you continue to loathe Trump but are scared of the reaction of his supporters. Grow a backbone like Mitt Romney and Ben Sasse and a small handful of other respectable Republicans. The widespread denial is truly unconscionable.
Your example of LDS bishops is not all that relevant, since it’s a job nobody asks for in the first place (the outgoing bishop is usually burned out and happy to give the job to someone else). And bishops are not chosen by a majority vote of the ward members; they are hand-picked by the stake president and confirmed by a perfunctory, non-binding congregational sustaining vote. If anything, it’s the reverse of a presidential transfer of power–entering office reluctantly, leaving office enthusiastically.
It is hard to imagine a less sincere sentence than the first one from the Hillary quote you cite, based upon what we have learned and experienced since.
There is plenty of evidence of election fraud, and some clear examples have been cited widely in the news media. What I am not sure exists is enough evidence of election fraud on a scale that would actually overturn the substantial vote leads that VP Biden has accumulated in several key states. To go back to the Clintons again, the Clinton administration did not authorize the transition for more than 7 weeks after the election was called by the media for Bush in 2000. Plenty of time for Trump to concede and work to move the country forward based upon that precedent.
Thanks for the comments, everyone.
John W. said, “Well, I think the message of your post is loud and clear. Trump needs to gracefully accept loss, wish his opponent the best of luck, and work toward a peaceful and successful transition of power.” Yes, that’s a simple message that all previous losing presidential candidates seem to have had no trouble accepting. Even Al Gore, who actually had a factual basis for pursuing a recount in Florida (the physical ballots were hard to determine because of incomplete punching, in some cases), conceded after recounts and challenges were resolved.
Jack Hughes, thanks for the details. The appointment procedure for bishops is certainly different from senators and presidents.
el oso, even if Hillary’s statements were not totally sincere (and who can determine this?) she made them! No candidate is happy to concede, BUT SHE DID! She brought closure to the formal election process and signaled her followers and those who voted for her to support the process, support the outcome of the election, and give the incoming president a chance to govern. I’m not generally a fan of Hillary, but hers is a shining example compared to Trump’s antics. You said, “There is plenty of evidence of election fraud.” You are delusional. No court has found any merit to such claims when Trump lawyers have brought their weak and unsupported cases to court. The continuing claims of election fraud are a study in President Trump’s psychology and the gullibility of his followers. It has nothing to do with actual facts or actual election fraud.
“There is plenty of evidence of election fraud, and some clear examples have been cited widely in the news media”
Headline from yesterday’s New York Times: “The Times Called Officials in Every State: No Evidence of Voter Fraud.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/us/politics/voting-fraud.html
Even Fox News host Neal Cavuto cut away from Kayleigh McEnany’s press conference in which she alleged fraud saying that he couldn’t air that since it was an unproved claim: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/10/whoa-fox-news-cuts-off-kayleigh-mcenany-for-votes-spiel
I second Dave B: you are delusional.
Not to pile on oso, but I don’t know what you mean when you say “Clinton administration did not authorize the transition for more than 7 weeks after the election was called by the media for Bush in 2000”
First off, the main difference between the elections is that the 2000 election was actually close. It could have gone either way, and was eventually decided by the courts.
Second, as far as I know, media didn’t call that election at all. There were several outlets that projected winners on election night and then retracted their projections, which can hardly be said to be calling the election.
In the case of the current election it would be journalistically irresponsible for media outlets to report that Trump has a chance to win unless they really see a way for him to do it. I think that there is pretty much a consensus that ain’t happening. Which isn’t to say Trump can’t pursue and exhaust his legal avenues.
For me, however there is one more big difference between this election and the 2000 election. In the 2000 election, I honestly believed that both candidates and the outgoing president were committed to a peaceful transition and wanted what’s best for America. I don’t have that assurance about Trump, who seems to care only for his personal wealth and power. That is my perception.
Oso’s comments are concerning to me because they illustrate the two realities that we have in our country. If you consume primarily right wing news media you see oso’s reality. If you limit exposure to the likes of Breitbart, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity, then you see a different reality. Somehow we need to get on the same page about what is real.
More on voter fraud claims being, well, fraudulent. A postal worker recants allegations of ballot tampering: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/postal-worker-fabricated-ballot-pennsylvania/2020/11/10/99269a7c-2364-11eb-8599-406466ad1b8e_story.html
Stop trolling, el oso.
Latest report. This definitely was not a fraudulent election. The current president and his supporters have been working a disinformation campaign to get him elected.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/the-2020-disinformation-war/605530/?fbclid=IwAR2275M3Wylex0DzWWiD-KibvWhDbw8WXLr-z8S7YCDLgMyj9PfNYGSriCk
Also, reference the JOINT STATEMENT FROM ELECTIONS INFRASTRUCTURE GOVERNMENT COORDINATING COUNCIL & THE ELECTION INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR COORDINATING EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES:
https://www.cisa.gov/news/2020/11/12/joint-statement-elections-infrastructure-government-coordinating-council-election?fbclid=IwAR26vaS4eKyoZtymw7eV9gF-Xe-7GvZs2rBGDHCxo9ahwnAGxRxifb-ATVw