Trump and Harris call for bridging political divide

OAKLAND, Calif. - President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris both spoke of national unity in their post-election speeches. Finding a path forward, however, could prove to be difficult, following an election that showed Americans continue to be sharply divided.

"I think this divide that's there now, it's from two different outlooks of what America should be," said Gregory Henderson, an Alameda resident who stood along Central Avenue the day after the presidential election, selling pecan pies to raise money for meals for homeless people.

Henderson's political outlook was like his purple suit. He says he's hoping for compromise as the nation moves forward after another close presidential contest.

"People have to give a little bit, from each side to make something that everybody can be happy with," Henderson said.

His customers across the political spectrum shared their thoughts.

"I hope people get closer to each other, the country is so divided," Mohammad Parandian of Fresno said.

"I'm honestly in the middle, on the fence, because I didn't know who I really wanted to win. But Trump came out on top and maybe that's what the nation needs, maybe it's not what it needs, so we just need to see how it works out," Eduardo Rivera of Alameda said.

"I grew up in the Midwest where half the people were blue and half the people were red, and I always felt that, you know, that discussion and working out and coming to a compromise usually came up with the best solution," Marcy Weiss-Martin of Alameda said.

"I think what's unusual is that we've had just election after election that are quite close and intensely polarized or divided where both sides see the stakes as existential," U.C. Berkeley political science professor Eric Schickler said. "Even though Trump is winning by a bigger electoral vote margin, it still is a very close election...close to 50-50 situation once again, and so that suggests this longer term period where the parties are roughly equal in strength and yet very far apart from each other."

Data from the website 270towin.com shows the United States' historical presidential races. Some years show overwhelming consensus, when American voters have come together and coalesced around a candidate. Those include decisive wins from both parties: Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964; Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980; Republican George W. Bush in 1988; and Democrat Barack Obama in 1996.

On Wednesday, Harris conceded, saying "We all have so much more in common than what separates us."

President-elect Trump in his election night speech also alluded to national unity, saying "Every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future."

"There's sort of an extreme polarization right now, but I think Donald Trump is going to be soothing on that," said John Dennis, chair of the San Francisco Republican Party.

"I suspect a little bit of a softer approach from Donald Trump going forward," Dennis said. "I think that he's looking at a lasting legacy, he wants to make some structural changes that will put the American people on a better footing in relation to their government."

Trump could enter his second term with Republicans holding the Senate and the House.

Schickler says bridging the divide could be difficult, but necessary in Trump's second term.

"You can pass tax cuts with just a majority in the Senate, you don't need Democratic votes," Schickler said. "If Republicans want to do more legislatively, then they would need to build 60-vote coalitions in the Senate and that would require some compromise."

Dennis says Republicans also might need to find ways to mend the divisions within the GOP.

"The bigger issue I think we have with the Republican Party, is that Donald Trump had the House and Senate with a fairly firm mandate in his first term, and couldn't advance his agenda because of obstructionism by Republicans in the House," Dennis said.