When I took my exam to become a licensed Marriner for the United States Coast Guard, one of the most difficult topics in the multi-part exam was navigation. People do not learn about marine navigation in middle school or high school. We did not learn about it in college. It was a new subject for me, and, on my father’s boat, he did not even rely on a compass. We learned to spit on our hand and put the palm of our hand on the tip of our nose to be able to tell which way the wind was blowing.

Thanks to the presidential election, we know which way the wind is blowing in the United States without having to spit on our hand and rub it on our nose. Americans have reacted against what they see as a leftward drift of the Democratic Party and the United States in general.

During the pro-Hamas, pro-terrorist anti-American movement on college campuses this past spring and summer, I traveled down to Philadelphia to see for myself what was going on. I watched the military-like anti-American marchers parading up Lancaster Avenue, Route 30. I saw the encampment on the college campuses. I said to myself right then and there, “Americans are not going to stand for this and will send a message in the next presidential election.”

While the pollsters and morning after prognosticators will blame the Harris loss and the Trump win on the state of the economy, the votes of those who belong to the male gender and the shift in both Hispanic and African American voting patterns, the reality is more sublime. Americans, like many citizens of European countries, have lost faith in the socialist promises that cannot deliver and undermine the very legitimacy of the nation.

The election is not about any particular ethnic group, race, religion, or gender. The election was an indication of boiling discontent with the status quo. Most Republicans were not particularly enthusiastic about the President and the Democrats hated him worse than poison. The election results reflect the core beliefs of American citizens better than any polling could possibly capture.

America rose to become the greatest nation in the world, the most powerful and, by far, the most influential by virtue of our fundamental freedoms and a belief in the American dream. Those freedoms seem to be undermined by a culture of government control, high taxes, and placating those who undermine the basic American value system.

Donald Trump is symbolic of the view that America can and should do better. In a complex world where cyber warfare is commonplace, and our military is weakened, Americans simply want economy opportunity and a strong defense. The bad trade deals we have made over the last 30 years, together with the hard left academic environment, have left a bitter taste in the mouths of most Americans.

Americans are not against immigrants or immigration. They are against lawlessness and an open border which seems to be more about seeking votes for the Democratic Party than protecting the interests of hardworking Americans. Not surprisingly, immigrants who came to this country legally and make up a sizeable share of our workforce, are some of the strongest voices against an open borders policy.

The victory of Donald Trump may ultimately be good for the Democratic Party. The folks who run the party, like former Presidents Obama and Clinton as well as soon to be former President Joe Biden, leave little room for dissent. They run the party with an iron fist. That was proven by how they disposed of Joe Biden and created Kamala Harris as a candidate without her being vetted through any primaries. The Democrats are unlikely to make that mistake again. The loss to President Trump may also move the Democratic Party to a more centrist position, which would make them more winnable at all levels of government.

The direction of the country, now that Trump takes over again, is a path that Republicans could utilize to remake the country in their own image or which they could totally screw up. If the Republican Party sees the Trump win as a mandate to eliminate a social safety net and to go hard right, they will lose the backing and support of those who made this victory possible. The electorate wants a new direction, a strong, safe United States of America and policies that can be swallowed by those who are generally called middle of the roaders. Voters are capable of changing their minds quickly and punishing any party or candidate that overreaches. This is especially true when potential extremists fool themselves into thinking that they have a mandate.

President Trump does not have any mandate to rule imperiously, but he does have strong guidance from the people who elected him. If Trump wants to maintain his momentum and be successful in his chosen agenda, he will not alienate those who voted for him and supported him through the tough times. It is hard for any President of the United States not to let power go to their head. When I met with Bill Clinton at Lycoming College during Hillary’s primary contest against Barack Obama, the former president asked me what I thought could be done about the negative publicity that Hillary was getting from the press as opposed to the positive reporting on Barack Obama. My response was, “Mr. President, you were President of the United States. That’s a pretty big deal. Your wife now wants to be President of the United States. She has to learn to take it and not complain. If the heat is too hot in the kitchen, then she needs to get out.” The President, in characteristic agreeable style, told me that I was correct, and he would impart that view. Obviously, he did not, or President aspirant Hillary Clinton did not listen.

President Trump can be successful, and he can even be a uniter if he realizes that the needs of this unique nation are greater than his ego. We are not sure if that can happen, but the President will be on trial in a different way than he has faced in the criminal court system. The future is Trump’s to demonstrate success or dismal failure. We are all watching and waiting.

Clifford A. Rieders is a board-certified trial advocate in Williamsport.