Dan Rather: Secretary Clinton has conceded. It is now official

Well the polls were wrong - very wrong, most journalists were wrong - and the earth has been shaken with an earthquake of a magnitude many didn't see coming. This is Brexit on steroids. We are entering into uncharted territory as a nation with a now president-elect who has run roughshod over the norms of American presidential campaigns. Clearly a silent but vocal majority has poured forth and pulled down the status quo in Washington with an energy that is echoing not just across the United States but around the world.

America is divided, not along geography as it used to be, but within states between races, educational levels, and urban vs. rural. This is a county by county map and clearly there were many voters who felt overlooked by a new world order who have roared with vengeance. They will not be by forgotten any longer.

No doubt many will disagree but I do not believe Hillary Clinton lost because she is a woman. My analysis is that a majority of voting Americans ached for change, especially structural changes in the economic system. They believe the American middle economic class has been mostly lost and they want it back.

There is sure to be deep despair amongst Clinton supporters who seemed to be tasting the sweetness of victory for most of the campaign. I have heard from many who feel like they are staring into an abyss. Many of you have posted on this page, there is palpable fear about the future of the nation, of the world. But this is the verdict of the American people and we must accept it. We also must work on the process of hope, healing and a re-dedication to unity.

It may be unbelievable to think now, but we cannot fogo our values. Flush with victory, will Trump change his tune at all? He has always been a mercurial man who has shown very little of a policy compass. His supporters will allow him to do anything. And perhaps he can build a bridge we never saw coming. Hope is father to the thought, I grant you. But it is a hope.

I have seen dark days - after Pearl Harbor, during Vietnam, in the depths of the Civil Rights Movement. I still believe that most Americans are kind and decent people, including--overwhelmingly--those who voted for Trump.

I still believe we can work together. If Donald Trump does indeed win, I pray for him tonight to be a wise and magnanimous leader. I pray that he is not bound by the limits of party. I pray that he can prove his critics wrong. I pray for my country. I pray for its leaders of all political parties. I pray for my country and my countrymen. I pray for the future.

Dan Rather
7 hrs ·

Hillary Clinton has spoken - with graciousness and pathos. It was a speech she never wanted to make, probably never expected to make. But that is where we are today. This is our new reality.

The dawn moves east to west this morning across an Earth that seems drastically different from the one just yesterday. We speak of a rising sun, but of course that is a mirage, it is us on Earth who are spinning - about our axis and across space and time. We are spinning and spinning - through dark and forbidding fathoms protected only by the miracle of our thin little atmosphere. According to the law of averages, our odds do not look good. But our planet somehow created life and has sustained it for billions of years.

It is a fitting metaphor for this moment. Will our own Constitutional atmosphere protect us from all that darkness? How fragile are the safeguards of our nation and the larger world?

For some, there is happiness and a sense of redemption in the headlines of the day. But for others there are ominous and even terrifying headlines, written by men and women far wiser than myself. This is a moment when there is evidence to support your darkest fears. As the aftershocks of incredulity shift into bewilderment and panic, it is easy to feel a certain paralysis begin to grip your mind and soul.

One thing I have learned, however, is never to bet against the resilience of men and women in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. I have seen it on battlefields, in natural disasters, and in the toil of disease, poverty, and persecution. We can summon resilience here. If you seek the beginnings of an antidote to the venom that has seemingly been unleashed, I suggest we think of actions. Doing something always made me feel better. Please hug your loved ones and offer support. And then we can start by simple acts - like reaching out to help someone who needs help, in your family, your community, or the larger world. This is how it begins.

And then there is our political system. No matter your policy beliefs, the system itself needs fixing. It needs different modes of engagement. And that takes work - on city councils, school boards, local, regional, and state governments. These are places we can look to act as well. Regardless of the results last night, I still believe that there is far more that binds us a nation than separates us, once we get beyond the slogans and politicking. My team and I are thinking hard about how to use the tools of technology to create a greater social cohesion in our nation and our world. I hope to have some early efforts to share with you soon.

In the meantime, gently and respectfully, I suggest that you allow yourself to feel whatever you need to feel today and in the days ahead. But as I wrote last night, if you "opt out" then the forces you see arrayed against you will have won. I too feel all the dread and uncertainty, but I swallow hard, breathe deeply and pledge to my family and friends that I will go forward with all of the optimism and courage I can muster. I hope they, and you, will join me because I could use the help.

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