Even though Hillary Clinton received, at last count, almost 800,000 more votes than Trump, she gracefully conceded, emphasizing that the electorate had made its choice and that the rules governing the Electoral College system must be followed and respected.
Even though his Democratic party would now lose control of the White House after such a tight race, President Obama – the commander and chief of the armed forces – didn't mobilize troops to block the Republican victory but, instead, called to congratulate Trump.
Even though half of the U.S. population might loathe the fact that Trump in two months will be sworn in as the 45th president, there's no question it will happen.
Tuesday's election is yet another reminder of the extraordinary way in which U.S. presidential power flows seamlessly from one administration to the next.
This often isn't the case in Africa, where several post-colonial leaders clung to power until being overthrown or buried. It's a continent where unfavorable election results are ignored, manipulated in behalf of the incumbent, or erased with violence, although elections are often just a formality with the numerous one-party "democracies."
The emperor of Ethiopia ruled for 44 years. Muammar Gaddafi remained in control of Libya for 42 years. Both men were eventually ousted by coups. Currently, nine African heads of state have led their countries for 22 years or more.
The U.S. electoral system is far from perfect, but I'll gladly accept it over the African alternative.
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