In the current age that we are in, can we unite a nation?

Politics has been keeping me up at night.  I have been watching MSNBC, CNN and Fox in an effort to understand our political system more and more.  I wonder what is the driving force behind the diehard Trump Supporter as well as the ones that don't believe in him.   Admittedly, it's been hard if not downright perplexing to understand until I realized one proverbial thing:

People have a tendency to get behind and believe in a candidate that speaks to their immediate need and once that candidate has done that, very little can be done to dissuade them.  People have an emotional tie to the person that they feel represents them.  They feel this deep personal sense of loyalty to that individual which may explain why some Trump supporters will dismiss the president's missteps; in essence giving Mr Trump a free pass whenever he does or says something that may offend and/or alienate another group of people from a different demographic.  They are willing to overlook the presidents mistakes because they want to believe that he is the person that will right the wrong that has been inflicted upon them.

The want to believe may be so strong that they will believe at all costs; and the only thing that will shake that belief is if the president does something so catastrophic that it severely impacts them negatively.  The keyword of course being that it impacts them, because the true Trump supporter/follower does not care if the president does nothing to help Muslims, People of Color, Jews or Women.  The concept that a president is supposed to govern for all, not a few is somewhat foreign to them.  Therefore, they take it personally when you don't support Mr. Trump.

I suppose the same can be said for my support of the former president.  I take it personally when Trump supporters attack him and him alone for not getting anything done from a congressional standpoint when the larger part of the blame rests with the Republican Congress.

So can we unite as a nation?  Eventually, but now is not the time.  I would love to be able to say that we could be united under our current president, but that's not going to happen because he has successfully widened the divide.  Never have I seen the rift between Americans so great than it is currently.   And that is sad because our enemies know that a nation divided against itself cannot stand...and they are waiting.

~ J.L. Whitehead