It is not surprising that President-elect Donald Trump won, but the Democrats can learn from it.

They need to reconnect with the working middle class by focusing on issues like the economy, migrants and border security.

They must find new and younger leaders who can appeal to a broader base. Focus on taking back Congress over the next few years. And the Republicans must remember that the Democrats are not going away.

Finally, the two parties should learn how to compromise and work together for the people.

— Nick Ziino, Ridge

On Nov. 5, America re-elected Donald Trump as president. I hope this will not be season of regrets and despair. I fear for our democratic nation, our personal safety and our future.

Judicial questions such as his legal battles and his promises to pardon the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters will be among the first issues needing appropriate resolution. Other problems focus on female reproductive rights and tariffs that could affect our economic well-being. We worry about what could happen to our health care and Social Security benefits.

I am concerned about negative laws against vulnerable and targeted populations and the popularization of false science and other dubious theories. And, of course, there is the issue of border security with its parallel implications of a ready labor market.

I am disturbed about Trump using his platform to praise authoritarians while demeaning our democratic allies. I am troubled about him using pejorative and threatening language against his perceived enemies. I hope we are not looking in the abyss of totalitarianism.

We must persist to speak so that the liberties that we have always known are not deserted and forgotten. Let us continue to carry the torch illuminating a better life for all and not give in to a season of despair.

— Mireille Taub, Freeport

I was delighted by the overwhelming approval by our country for choosing Donald Trump. Aside from all the name-calling, it showed that the voters chose the man over the party. We have chosen a strong, proven leader to put us back on the map as the most respected and powerful country in the world.

— Pat King, Merrick

I’m a big supporter of Donald Trump and watched “The View” the morning after the election to see the hosts’ responses to Trump’s victory. To my surprise, the first four to speak were pretty accepting of the results. However, the fifth woman used the race card. She blamed race for Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss, not a failed administration and extreme agenda.

My hope is the media will take a step back and maybe listen to what the country has said: We don’t trust or believe you.

Stop with the bogus accusations. Donald Trump is not Adolf Hitler; Trump wouldn’t have caused a “bloodbath” if he had lost; he won’t ban all abortions; and he doesn’t only care about himself. He actually loves this country. I’m glad the majority of the voters saw the truth.

— Ray Seeback, Ronkonkoma

Education and civics education, in particular, are essential if we are to perpetuate understanding of what our Constitution stands for and move the United States forward as an enlightened form of governance.

Bertrand Russell stated that the success of fascism is based on fascinating the fools and muzzling the intelligent . . . and therein lies the problem that has been repeated in history. Ideologues, as so many Democrats are, do not consider those who think with their gut, and Donald Trump was very good at feeding that gut.

Racism and gender bias are still serious issues in America. Many people, obviously, refused to vote for a woman who was Black and South Asian, to boot. I wish Kamala Harris spent more time talking about the economy and the border, but at the end of the day, I don’t think it would have mattered. We, the disappointed and heart-broken, were so caught up with the promise, spirit and dynamics of her plans and forward movement that we discounted reality.

— Holly Gordon, Bay Shore

I’m deeply upset and disappointed by the outcome of this election. Seeing Donald Trump win over Kamala Harris has left me with a mix of sadness and frustration that’s hard to shake. I truly believed in Harris’ vision and values, and I was hopeful that her leadership could bring about positive changes that really matter to me, like health care, climate action, and social justice. It’s difficult to accept that the country chose a different direction, one that feels like a step backward for progress and unity.

This isn’t just about politics. It feels personal. The values and ideals represented in this election were more than policies on paper. They were about what kind of future we want as a country. Watching Harris lose feels like a loss for those ideals and for the people who supported her vision. It’s painful to see that this is the direction we’re moving toward, and it leaves me with a lot of worry about what’s next.

Right now, it’s hard to feel hopeful, but I’m trying to remind myself that change is a long process. For now, though, I feel heartbroken and disappointed.

— Shawn Clamson, Huntington

The Democrats lost the presidential race to common sense. Kamala Harris was primarily a one-issue candidate, and Donald Trump was focusing on inflation, the southern border and crime. Households felt the economic pressure on rising food, fuel, home heating and insurance prices. Once again, it’s the economy, stupid!

— John J. Ferrante, Bellmore

Kamala Harris called Donald Trump to concede the election and congratulate him on winning the presidency. She did not implore the secretary of any state to “find me more votes.” She did not threaten anyone with criminal prosecution if they didn’t “just say I won.” She did not try to manipulate governors to “stop the steal.” She will not be engaging attorneys to file multiple frivolous lawsuits challenging the election (like the one that got Rudy Giuliani disbarred). And she won’t be firing up supporters to attack the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2025, or applauding violent attempts to stop certification. That is how a patriotic public servant rolls.

— Josh Kardisch, East Meadow

Let’s be honest, folks, and stop beating around the bush. If the best candidate the Democratic Party could come up with was Kamala Harris, they were doomed from the start.

— Frank Donohue, Riverhead

There is a lot of economic pain right now. Inflation is bad. Housing prices are high.

The parties sharply diverged in their response. Republicans were never going to go after big businesses price-gouging the country, so they punched down on immigrants, falsely blaming them for taking jobs and causing inflation.

Democrats just froze. We never got an answer to the inflation question. We were, however, told how “inflation is calming down” and it was never that bad, anyway. People were feeling vulnerable, but Republicans were the only ones who appeared to care about inflation, even if their solution was problematic. Their narrative took hold.

It’s sad. Democrats could have waged a pro-working-class campaign centered on popular economic issues. They could have run on free school meals for kids, raising the minimum wage, and paid family leave. Voters across the political spectrum overwhelmingly support these issues.

Unfortunately, Democrats don’t seriously confront concentrations of wealth and power. Instead, we got nine years of moralizing about Donald Trump in the hope that voters would “come to their senses,” even as we saw increasing evidence that the endless name-calling was utterly useless.

— Matthew Adarichev, Westbury

The writer was a Democratic organizer at Hofstra University, where he is a junior.

Samuel Huntington, an American political scientist, said, “America is not a lie, it is a disappointment.”

For years, I’ve clung to that belief. And I believed that with time (far too much time, 250 years seems like it should have been enough), America would realize the equality of all, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or religion.

I believed America would finally live up to its founding words and rationale: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (and maybe women, too?) are created equal.”

But with America electing a man whose slogan was Make America Great Again, what I see is America choosing to return to its historic roots to make America racist and sexist again.

Sorry, Mr. Huntington, but maybe you got it wrong. Maybe America is a lie.

— Ray Boivie, Kings Park

As a lifelong Democrat, I am disappointed with the results of the election and have only two words for my Republican friends: Mazel tov.

You now have complete control of the White House, Senate and maybe the House — and the onus of world leadership. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

We’ll meet again in 2026.

— Clifford D. Glass, East Rockaway

Quietly, one of the most influential people in the presidential election was Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

It was Abbott who two years ago began to spread the complexities of illegal immigration to cities throughout the country. This caused a chain reaction that reverberated throughout America and culminated on Election Day. Stories of towns being crowded with illegal immigrants created a nationwide issue. Voters countrywide looked at southern border states and said, “No thanks.” Abbott is a viable candidate for Person of the Year.

— Doug Heimowitz, Jericho

Many of us Americans are preparing for a four-year mourning period for our besieged, eroded democracy. We fear what Donald Trump and Project 2025 will inflict on our country. I say, take comfort in the more than 69 million voters standing on the side of the angels.

We will wait, watch and work for our nation’s undeniable resurrection.

— Sue Parker, Stony Brook

Why not blame Ralph Nader? Seriously. I was blamed for volunteering for Nader’s third-party presidential run in 2000, when Al Gore lost to George W. Bush.

Who are the Democrats going to blame now? Certainly not their incompetent, self-assured bumbling selves much like in 2000.

— Kevin Killeen, Mill Neck

So, a convicted felon and someone liable for sexual abuse who wouldn’t be qualified to drive a school bus full of children is given the keys to the White House and access to the nuclear codes by the American voters. That’s hysterical! Best wishes, America!

— Pete Scott, Centerport

Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz are a class act. I’m sorry they didn’t become our next president and vice president. But they are young and will have many opportunities to run again.

— Ann Leahy, Wantagh

Donald Trump has proven again he is a man of the people.

He promises a stronger economy, stronger military, help for veterans who are hurting, and deporting migrants who came here illegally and who have committed crimes. Trump loves America and loves the American people and wants to serve and protect all of us.

— Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Bellerose

I am a 71-year-old, white, middle-class male with a postgraduate degree. I am worried about the country that my children and grandchildren will inherit. I am worried about all those Americans who don’t look and act like me. There is no reasonable, logical explanation for what has just occurred, but America has spoken.

Yet I would be remiss not to remind America of the pertinent axiom, “Be careful what you wish for.” Let the journey begin.

— Michael Alestra, East Quogue

Hitting bottom is a horrendous thing to witness or experience, but it sometimes triggers a beautiful bounce back to a new beginning. After divorce may come a deeper, more mature chance at love. After years of active addiction may come decades of continuous recovery. After disease may come remission. After surrender may come an unforeseen path to peace.

Healing never precedes injury. Freedom is never without consequence.

Half of the country feels elated, and half feels defeated. But no matter which half you are on, half of a country cannot heal. Those who are not interested in healing haven’t hit bottom yet.

The main thing is whether your main thing is becoming equipped to accept life on life’s terms, learning to learn from what is suddenly upon us, and being able to rise without pushing others down.

— The Rev. Dwight Lee Wolter, Patchogue

The writer is pastor of the Congregational Church of Patchogue.

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