Democrats, Congratulations! Donald Trump is no longer president. Being on the winning side of an election can be one of the greatest feelings in the world for those of us that follow our governing system. Moreso after this election, where the stakes were high on both sides.

However, winning a presidential election gives you power, and with great power comes great responsibility. President Joe Biden has a lot on his plate entering office, and while I truly wish him the best as the leader of our nation, I still have too many of my own concerns and hesitations to embrace the return to “politics as normal” just yet.

My first deal is with the over 74 million Americans that voted for Former President Donald Trump in November. Believe it or not Democrats, these people don’t just go away. As much joy as you are feeling right now, Republicans are feeling the frustration of this loss ten-fold. 

While we certainly saw the worst of this group on Jan. 6, or online spreading conspiracy theories that turned away even Alex Jones; the reality of the situation is that the vast majority of Trump voters are normal Americans just like you, that happen to view the world differently. If Democrats continue to treat non-cult Trump voters as extremists, they risk radicalizing even more of the population over the next four years.

My next concern is for those already radicalized, and that goes for both sides. We saw what happens when politicians are worshiped, and their words are followed as scripture. No politician is exempt from questioning or ridicule, even if that politician wears the same color button as you.

On the right, the Trump cult continues, with many former members of the Trump administration threatening to primary “unloyal” Republicans, and whispers of a new Patriot Party already swirling.

On the left, it seems as if the four years worth of concerns over idolizing leaders has gone out the window. Vogue Magazine was ridiculed across social media for not depicting Vice President Kamala Harris in a good enough light. Trust me, I did not go searching for this trend. This is something people actually got upset about, not a month after ridiculing the right for putting Trump on a pedestal.

Another concern I have is this nation’s obsession with Donald Trump, and where the tension shifts without his presence in office. Whether it was the man himself, the media, Democrats or Republicans (and yes, even Libertarians), everyone has solely obsessed over Donald Trump for the past four years.

While it’s perfectly understandable as we had never seen an outsider quite like Trump before in the Oval Office, it has gone way too far, and it is extremely unhealthy. With Trump off Twitter and out of the White House, where does the anger of the left and the admiration of the right go now?

If this nation is to escape the many (many) issues it sees itself in now, the anger of the 2020 victors need to turn to skepticism of those in charge. It used to be that the left prided itself on questioning authority and holding politicians accountable, now it has become fashionable to rage with the machine rather than against it.

On the right, the admiration of Trumpism needs to turn back to a values based system. Rather than looking for the next Donald Trump, the Republican party needs to actually care about liberty, small government and individual rights again. These values died when the party turned away Ron Paul in 2012, and have withered away almost entirely from the party’s foundation.

While the next month seems daunting enough, let alone the next four years, America has a lot of work to do. “Calling for unity” is not enough. Until both sides of the aisle start caring about the rights and needs of American citizens in Washington, unity will not be achieved. More importantly, until the American public starts caring about values and liberty more than the stars of their political team, unity cannot be fathomed.