BRET BAIER: Unity Is in Our Name: What Americans Want to Hear from the 2024 Presidential Candidate

Election night takes place in a state of exhaustion and relief as our presidential campaign cycles have grown long. Ask people how they feel the day before the election, and you're likely to hear, “I want it to end.” We don't know if the winner will be announced on November 5th, or later. But in the end, there will be a winner, and whenever Donald J. Trump or Kamala Harris steps up to the winner's podium, their words will set the tone for the days and years to come.

What do the American people want to hear—no matter who's standing there? As an avid reader of our nation's remarkable history, I can say that they want to hear a message of unity, not division.

Our forty-first President, George Herbert Walker Bush, was not known for his lofty rhetoric. However, on the night of November 8, 1988, after winning the presidency, he hit a snag when he went from campaigning to ruling. “The campaign,” he said, “disagreement, and disagreement divides, but the election is a decision, and decisions pave the way for harmony and peace.”

It struck me that the ability to distinguish between the divisive nature of campaigning and the effective integration required to govern was the perfect definition of the democratic process that the Founders first created. Bush said that he knows that people are hurting because of the fighting, but he hopes that they can move forward and work together for the good of the nation.

Calls for unity have become the talk of election night, no matter how divisive our campaigns are.

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On November 5, 1952, Dwight Eisenhower learned that he had won the election, and began to go to the ballroom where his supporters had gathered. He had just answered a courtesy call from his opponent, Adlai Stevenson. When he arrived at the ballroom, Eisenhower read his response to his fans. “Thank you for your kind and kind message. Seeing the difficulties of the difficulties ahead, it is important that men and women of good spirit of both parties forget the political rivalry we have gone through and dedicate themselves to one goal. for a better future I believe they will.” Eisenhower then warned the crowd that the only way to succeed in the presidency is as a united people. “Let's unite and prepare for a better future for America, our children, and our grandchildren.”

Three Days in January: Dwight Eisenhower's Final Mission was released in 2017.

Not all elected, victorious presidents make it to the other side, but most do. Perhaps the most dramatic case was the reelection of Abraham Lincoln in 1864, while the nation was at war. The war showed no signs of abating, and the future was uncertain. Unity seemed impossible.

Addressing the crowd, Lincoln remarked that it had long been a question, now of great urgency, whether the nation would be strong enough to maintain its existence in the worst emergency. He noted that the election “showed that a people's government can support a national election in the middle of a major civil war. Until now, it was unknown to the world that this could happen. It also shows how sound, and how strong we still are.” Lincoln asked his supporters to show kindness to their opponents and spoke of his hope that a united nation would endure. The war ended the following year.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), the sixteenth President of the United States, was president during the American Civil War of 1861-1865.

Unity did not come easily after the war, and the years after Lincoln's assassination were tumultuous. In 1868, Republicans turned to General Ulysses S. Grant, a war hero, believing that he could unite the nation. Grant was a skeptic, but he was clear about his mission. His written acceptance of his nomination contained the line that would become his presidential proclamation: “Let us have peace.”

Saving the Republic: Ulysses S. Grant, the Weak Union, and the Disaster of 1876

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There have been other periods of conflict. When Richard Nixon stood before the crowd on the night of November 6, 1968, to declare victory over Vice President Hubert Humphrey, the war in Vietnam was at its height, and crowds of anti-war protesters filled the streets. The election was bad, and many people believe that the foundations of democracy are at risk.

There was also doubt that unity was possible. But that night, Nixon told a story of unity. On the way, he said, he has seen many signs of the campaign. “Some of them were not friendly, while others were very friendly. But the one that struck me the most was one I saw in Deshler, Ohio, at the end of a long day of whistling, a small town. the number of people was five times that by nightfall, almost impossible to see—but the young man held up a sign that said, 'Unite us.' And that will be the main purpose of this Administration at the beginning, to unite the American people. This will be an open Administration, open to new ideas, open to men and women of both parties, open to critics and those. who support us.”

Reconciliation by the victors is important, but so is the offering of support to the vanquished. In defeat, many presidential hopefuls stood on the podium, crushed by the loss but with their heads and democratic ideals held high. Others can still encourage us.

“The nation has spoken,” Alf Landon wrote to Franklin Roosevelt on November 4, 1936. “Every American will accept the decision and work for the common good of our country. That is the spirit of democracy.”

In 1948, Thomas Dewey, who may have been shocked by his loss as the media declared him the winner at the same time as the votes were counted, acknowledged Harry Truman with these kind words: “My deepest congratulations on your election and all the best wishes for you. For a successful administration I urge all Americans to unite behind you support all efforts to keep our nation strong and free and create peace in the world.”

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And Walter Mondale, after losing in a humiliating landslide to Ronald Reagan in 1984, spoke some truly inspiring words about who we are as a nation—defining the essence of America: “And tonight, the American people, in the town halls, in the homes, in the fires. houses, libraries, chose the occupant of the most powerful office in the world. Their choice was made peacefully, with dignity and majesty, and even if I had better win, tonight we enjoy our democracy, we enjoy the freedom of the nation. wonderful people, and we accept their decision. I thank the American people for listening to my story.

Reagan, in his 1984 election night remarks, spoke of a higher calling, shared by citizens and candidates alike. “Here in America, the people are in charge,” he said. “And that's exactly why we're here tonight. This election victory is yours and the principles you stand for—principles that were shaped by the wisdom and courage of patriots over 200 years ago. They set the course for freedom and hope that it makes our country special in the world.”

Presidents Reagan, Ford, Carter and Nixon. (Photo by: HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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A reminder of who we are and who we will become has special meaning on the eve of the 2024 election. On July 4, 2026, roughly during the next presidential term, we will celebrate America's 250th anniversary, the day the nation's founding document, the Declaration of Independence, was signed.

It was the beginning of the United States of America. Unity is in our name.

Bret Baier is the New York Times bestselling author of five presidential biographies. Click here to visit Bret Baier Books.