Finneran: One Nation—Many Cultures/ One Nation—Many Tongues - Part 1

Friday, November 11, 2016

 

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The 2016 elections are over. The Republic endures.

Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump offered pleasant conciliatory remarks to the American people and to each other. It’s a good start.

For the most part the American people seem to be yearning for common sense and united action on the problems afflicting the nation. Toward that end, I think that Mr. Trump’s initial focus on improving veterans’ lives and investing in the nation’s infrastructure are worthy goals. They are also politically astute as those issues will draw broad bipartisan support from the Congress. Who knows, 2017 might prove to be a very productive year in Washington D.C.

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The election was fought out over two competing slogans. Mrs. Clinton embraced an everything-is-wonderful theme of keeping America great. Mr. Trump embraced an everything-is-falling apart theme of making America great again.

I had the benefit of some inside knowledge, gleaned at a college football game last weekend. That inside knowledge told me that each slogan was accurate, at least with regard to America’s greatness.

For you see, I was at West Point last Saturday to watch Army take on Air Force on a gorgeous autumn day. 

No rational American citizen could ever doubt that the young cadets of the service academies reflect the best of American society. Nor could any rational American citizen ever doubt that those young cadets augur well for America’s continued greatness. Excellence in academics, sports, teamwork, and unit cohesion are impressive to behold in 17, 18, and 19 year old kids.

These young men and women (in surprising number) are well-spoken. They are courteous and respectful. They are self-disciplined. They bear a quiet pride in themselves and in their dress. 

Their pride is matched in the faces and voices of their parents and grandparents. Sitting among those parents and grandparents in the stands was informative. Some wore Clinton campaign buttons, some wore Trump buttons. Yet obvious political differences could not mask every parent’s sure confidence that America’s present and future greatness lay within the minds, hearts, and souls of the young cadets.

I was with three of my grandsons for the game and we talked to many of the cadets. They hailed from Wyoming, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Georgia and many other states. They looked so young yet seemed so poised. They were brown, black, white, and mixed. Deep South culture blended with Carribean Island culture. Western prairie culture blended with Northeast and Northwest culture. As the saying goes, only in America......................the cookouts and tailgates must be a blast.

It is surely a strength of America that its diversity reflects its appeal. I am not a bean-counter. I do not like quotas. I like merit and talent and achievement. I admire effort, desire, and determination. And those white, black, brown, and mixed Americans who came here from far away---some willingly and some unwillingly, some recently and some long ago—from Germany, from China, from Poland and Russia, from Japan and South America, from Ireland and Scotland, from Africa and the Middle East, from Italy, India, and France saw something from afar. They saw a land where skin color or religion or class origin mattered less than was the case in their native lands. They saw a land that rewarded effort and skill. They saw freedom and they tasted opportunity. They loved America. And America loved them back.

One of the young cadets I spoke with looked about fifteen years old. He was from Puerto Rico. He is a “plebe”, a freshman who just started at the Academy. I asked him about “beast week”, the brutal Army indoctrination into reveille, drill, dress, classes, discipline, and physical training. He smiled a little sheepishly at my question and said---

“It was pretty tough Sir. But the worst is behind me Sir and I’ll be proud to become an American soldier.”  

Wow. We are one nation of many cultures. And the Republic will survive. 

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Tom Finneran is the former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, served as the head the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, and was a longstanding radio voice in Boston radio.

 

Related Slideshow: Winners and Losers - 2016 Election

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Winner

Joe Trillo and John DePetro

While most Republicans in Rhode Island were hiding in the bushes, Trillo (the former GOP lawmaker) and DePetro (the WPRO talk show host) were loyal advocates for Donald Trump from the beginning and through the rough spots.

Both could be big winners and could score slots with the administration -- want to go to the White House? You now know the rings you need to kiss.

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Winner

Donald Trump, President of the United States

The most unlikely candidate pulled off the biggest victory in Presidential history. The billionaire developer was underestimated which set forth much of his success during the primaries and in the election. The next four years will never be dull.   

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Winner

General Michael Flynn

The Rhode Island native and URI grad will have a major roll in the Trump Administration and America's foreign policy. As top GOP consultant Ian Prior wrote in GoLocal in July about Flynn when he was on the VP shortlist:

Of course, there are any number of national security experts that can prosecute the case against Hillary Clinton, but Flynn is unique. He is a registered Democrat that was appointed by President Obama in 2012 to serve as Director of the DIA. Even more importantly, he resigned two years later over what he believed to be a misguided approach by the administration as it concerned ISIS.

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Loser

Nellie Gorbea, Secretary of State

This year's election was one of the the most mismanaged in modern Rhode Island history. First, the Chief-of Staff of the Secretary of State's office gets into a battle with talk show host John DePetro on social media. The action seemed inappropriate at best for the head of the office administering the election.

Then, the state's Presidential election hit a number of rough spots with faulty equipment and a failed repair and triage system that lead to long lines and frustration in a number of communities across the state.

The job of Secretary of State has three major components:

1) Take care of the State's achieves

2) Maintain a database of businesses

3) Run the state's elections

She needs to assure voters that she understands the problems and correct the mistakes.

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Loser

Brandon Bell, GOP Chair

Both Democratic Congressional candidates won big. The GOP had a net loss in the legislature.

Bell went all in on taking out Speaker Nick Mattiello -- a pro-business legislator, instead of recruiting a large number of competitive candidates. If Mattiello delivers of paper ballots like his campaign claims - Bell will have wildly miscalculated at every level and will have left the GOP a weaker party.

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Losers

Cicilline and Langevin

A Trump win greatly increases the likelihood that Rhode Island will lose a Congressional seat in the next federal redistricting. Rhode Island will be more like Vermont and Delaware -- two Senators and just one House member. This will mean a big loss for Rhode Island's clout in D.C.

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Winner

Allan Fung, Republican Mayor of Cranston

Fung had just the kind of night he wanted to have. He ran up big numbers against Democrat Mike Sepe and put parkinggate in his proverbial rear window.

The margin of victory is impressive -- Fung ran up 68% of the vote and has established himself as one of the top Republicans in Rhode Island.

Now, the personable Fung is the GOP frontrunner to challenge Raimondo as it does not look like she is going to Washington, D.C. now.

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Loser

RI's Broken Technology Infrastructure 

No money, no car, and no vote.

Lets see if we got this right. You have to wait in line to vote in some locations for as much as two hours because not enough scanners were deployed. Some days you can't register your car because the Hewlett-Packard system is not deployed and the state is now suing the company. And, tens of thousands of folks most in need have not been able to get their most critical benefits (or the from benefits) because the UHIP technology was flawed despite hundreds of millions being spent. 

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Winner

Speaker of the House, Nick Mattiello

If Mattiello does hold on to his House seat, he will be a stronger Speaker than ever before. He has added more Democrats to his majority and was the architect to many of the Democrats victories. 

The simmering stress between Mattiello and Raimondo will turn into a vibrant boil over during the next two years. Raimondo was no help to Mattiello or House members -- they had to clean up for her truck tolls and absorb her unwillingness to release 38 Studios documents.

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Loser

Gina Raimondo, Governor

Raimondo's options and national political network just took a major blow. No longer can Raimondo jump to the Clinton Administration to avoid a difficult reelection. Moreover, national Democratic connections are now in Siberia as the Presidency, the House and the Senate are all in Republican hands.

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Loser

Peter F. Neronha United States Attorney District of Rhode Island 

In a short period, it is highly likely the Neronha and a few other high profile political appointees will be replaced by the Trump White House. 

The impact of Ray Gallison and others is an unknown.

 
 

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