President-elect Trump: The election wasn’t a mandate.

It doesn’t mean a majority of American citizens agree with all your policies, behavior or feel you’re the best person in the country for the job. Remember over 65% of voters didn’t like either candidate.

You didn’t win because Republicans voted for you. There aren’t enough of us. You were elected because a significant number of Independents and Democrats who didn’t vote party line chose you.

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Why? Because their two biggest fears are economics and immigration, which is both good and bad. Good because they trust you protect their jobs and deal with illegal immigration which endangers their jobs, safety, and way of life. Bad because it doesn’t satiate their concerns regarding your sensationalized words and ability to subserviate your ego to the necessities of the position.

Crossover Democrats, Independents and many Republicans desire a significant change of attitude and direction away from the extreme partisan politics, personal attacks, violence, lack of manners and good taste that has dominated politics during four Presidential terms.

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You have inherited significant domestic, economic, and foreign issues threatening our form of government and economic survival. Campaigning, you mentioned your legislative intentions as President, but they were goals. Goals without plans to accomplish them are no more tangible than dreams. We need your strategies to implement and achieve them. If not, you are failing your personal responsibility and confirming those who feel you cannot do so in a civil manner.

How do you intend to stop the wage-price spiral that is and will continue to perpetuate inflation? When cost-of-living increases, labor demands higher wages increasing a business’s costs, necessitating an increase in price raising the cost of living. And on and on. It’s an economic snowball rolling uphill.

The first step is to recognize that “real” inflation is far more than the stated 24% since 2020. When governmental figures don’t include the cost of food, energy and housing which are over 55% of the average family’s budget, actual inflation is disguised. If the full extent of the problem is ignored, any strategy is doomed to fail.

Solutions are difficult. How to lower the price of food when producers are making less and less money? There isn’t an easy solution because either business or labor must “bite the bullet.” Historically, it’s been labor because without the business labor doesn’t have a job. It will be up to you to take command and personally convince labor to slow their demands and business to mitigate their profit requirements.

It’s obvious the current immigration system is broken. The first step is to secure our borders. Without which any solution will be ineffective. You campaigned on such. Communicate and implement your border plan. Only then can you present an orderly immigration procedure that will benefit the United States and be empathetic to humanitarian issues. More of the same isn’t acceptable to anyone.

You inherit a foreign policy characterized by inaction; either avoiding involvement or playing around the edges. In Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Gaza we are present in a role that theoretically precludes losing but doesn’t enable winning. Historically, this strategy hasn’t succeeded. We need to be either in or out. Please communicate not only your decision and implementation strategies but that you understand the relative advantages and disadvantages of each.

The last four years have seen numerous examples of avoidance regarding China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Inaction or ignoring facilitates escalation since there isn’t consequence. Overt action has become necessary in North Korea. Kim Jong Un is like a child. Words don’t have an effect. Only tangible consequences will change behavior. His missile program has been test firing missiles into the ocean, and we have done nothing. Now he possesses missiles capable of reaching the United States. Action is necessary. Publicly tell him we will shoot down the next missile he fires and follow through. We not only have the right but the responsibility to protect our country with specific action. You can’t wait until the bullet is half-way to you before you put on the bulletproof vest, eliminate the firearm, or disarm the shooter.

If your presidency is to be credible, we must be convinced you have learned that we’re more impressed and it’s more politically effective to exhibit diplomatic behavior If you don’t, you’ve confirmed our fears that you still don’t understand the role of the President and aren’t willing to subservient your ego to the needs of the country. That the 2020 election is now history, and any further mention is destructive.      

You must also focus on legislation targeting countrywide issues, instead of the political strategy of laws aimed at specific groups to buy votes.

Credibility will require your selecting the most knowledgeable and capable for your cabinet instead of using the choices to repay political debt or with whom you have or personal connection. It means they can’t all be Republicans. It means their race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender are irrelevant, not a consideration.

Reinforce your capability and competence by not preaching at us. Stand in front of the podium and talk to us, person to person. Demonstrate you can speak without a teleprompter, write your speeches, deal with a press conference or interview without resorting to name-calling or bombastic behavior.

Tell us the truth; we can handle it. Communicate both the pros and cons of an issue when making decisions. Empathy and understanding are necessary if we’re to disintegrate extreme partisanship.

You have stated you believe in and possess God’s values, but some of your behavior isn’t congruent with your words. Consequently, we’re not sure. Regardless, don’t be afraid to pray. It can’t hurt. Competent leaders don’t hesitate to ask for help.

You do have a mandate. It’s to fulfill your personal responsibility to the majority who don’t occupy either extreme and expect solutions and overt action derived from common sense, collaboration, and compromise. Please remember, having the last word doesn’t mean you’re always right. Listen to us because in our country, the Constitution says the last word belongs to the people.

Bryan Whiting feels most of our issues are best solved by personal responsibility and an understanding of non-partisan economics rather than government intervention. Comments and column suggestions to: bwpersonalresponsibility@gmail.com.