President Donald Trump. Let it sink in

The election of Donald Trump as president of the United States has stunned the world and shown how different that world is perceived from much of America.

We can only hope that a President Trump is more thoughtful, inclusive and respectful of the Constitution than Candidate Trump, who was dismissive of the concerns of minorities, disrespectful of women and scornful of those who disagreed with him. We admit we are worried.

But the nation’s voters have spoken. A deep disaffection with the status quo runs not only through the heartland but much of America. We need to understand it better. So do leaders of both the Democratic and Republican parties, many of whom did not see this coming.

Hillary Clinton could not escape the email scandal of her own making or overcome the chants of “lock her up” that became the mantra of Trump crowds. It is a humbling lesson for the Democratic Party, a crushing blow to President Obama and a victory for Wikileaks and the Russian hackers who helped undermine Clinton’s campaign. Books will be written about the effects of FBI Director James Comey’s reopening of the email investigation at a time when Clinton was soaring in the polls.

Now we wait — and listen. The conciliatory tone of Trump’s victory speech overnight may signal that having achieved power, the presidentelect will adopt a more statesmanlike behavior commensurate with the power voters have given him.

It’s a new day. We need to hold true to our values and hope for the best. This is, after all, still America.