Dear President-Elect Trump:
I am heartened today by news that you are meeting tomorrow with Mitt Romney—one of your harshest Republican critics and that you’ve met with Nikki Haley and Ted Cruz, two other critics. The courage to include those having different perspectives and who may not even like you is an encouraging sign of statesmanship.
Inclusion helps us reach a higher power. Having the sense to know that adversaries hold valuable perspectives is a sign of wisdom. Possessing the humility to include adversaries in your circle draws upon the higher power.
Republicans and Democrats in Washington often demonstrate inclusion, among their own. But single-party inclusion draws on a lesser power. Partial inclusiveness is as much a misnomer as is being partially pregnant. One either is or isn’t pregnant and one is or isn’t inclusive.
Inclusiveness, by definition, requires that all perspectives be heard and considered. It is not possible to implement every perspective, but the policy that is ultimately implemented is better because including all perspectives requires more work.
Political inclusiveness generally angers the supporters that were with you early, and which played a crucial role in your election. That’s because America has settled for the principle that to the victor goes the spoils—or more accurately: To the victor, goes Washington, and every political appointment with it.
We are a nation that accepts political exclusion. We have settled for the lesser power. This must change.
The higher power dictates that the American president and Congress represent and look out over the whole—those who vote for you and those who vote against you. No one ever achieved higher power that used political exclusion as a mechanism of political payback. Indeed, no one ever achieved higher power that meted out political payback at all.
Republicans and Independents gave you the White House. Be willing to anger them in favor of including Democrats in substantive and meaningful ways. Eschewing the lesser power of the past will bring nearly immediate higher power benefits even if it angers those who put you there.
Protests in streets across America will dissipate as those on the street see people from their own ranks sitting around an all-inclusive governing table.
I hope to see that in the coming days.
David O. Leavitt
