By Pamela Sweetwood

Well, it’s the day before the election. Forums cannot be about a candidate which is a good thing. We get plenty of that elsewhere. Forums can be about the process and there is plenty of material there.

After tomorrow, all this will end…..or will it? I’m in the camp who believes this ugliness will continue. If the results aren’t accepted or if investigations dominate the next few years, we won’t move on. After such divisiveness, many will be unhappy with the outcome.

This election cycle was so unusual. It’slike there are no rules, little respect for others or facts.  Elections will never be the same. The midterm and 2020 election will be a reaction to this outcome. I suspect the major and smaller parties will be affected. The question is how much and in what direction.

We need unity. We need elected officials to represent all. We desperately need cooperation. Is that possible? Is it naive?

This experience will affect individual voters. Some may lose faith in the system and not participate….or dismiss everything said and done by those they opposed…or become engaged in the process. Future candidates may be different from the norm. We have already seen interest by others from the business sector.

It may have been worth this terrible experience we endured, if citizens decide to learn how government works, begin to critically evaluate information, to listen to opposing views, and take on a constructive mindset. Now that is probably very naïve.

Regardless of the outcome, I hope that the next president does such a great job that those opposing them will become believers.

This is Pamela Sweetwood hoping this roller coaster ride is ending as it has been scary for sure.

Pamela Sweetwood was an ISU student, like many, who never left town. She works in higher education and has a history with many community non-profits organizations.

The opinions expressed within WJBC’s Forum are solely those of the Forum’s author, and are not necessarily those of WJBC or Cumlus Media, Inc.