The one thing everyone can agree on about the 2016 presidential election: there were a lot of bruised feelings on all sides.
Now, we’re just days away from the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump. Many have heard about planned protests and boycotts, but that’s only part of the story.
Across the country and in the Washington region, which voted heavily Democratic, there are many citizens excited about -- and looking forward to -- attending the Trump Inaugural.
Patrick Mara is executive director of the tiny Republican Party in the District of Columbia. It may be outnumbered 10-to-1 in the District, but these days, he’s getting lots of phone calls from the Washington region and nationwide.
"There are lots of people looking to obtain inaugural tickets to the ceremony and balls," he said. "They’re primarily interested in Trump’s message of job creation, bringing jobs back to the U.S.A. Trump really spoke to them."
Although there has been many news accounts of assorted protests scheduled for Jan. 20, supporters of the new president also are planning to be in Washington for his inauguration.
"I’m bringing my six-year-old daughter," said Prince William County Realtor Pat Sowers. "It’s a peaceful transfer of power. I want my daughter to witness a peaceful transfer of power."
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Sowers, 43, once met Trump in Atlantic City when Sowers was just a teenager.
"Donald Trump was not my first choice. I think he’ll do a fine job," said Sowers, who liked Jeb Bush and voted in last year’s Virginia primary for Marco Rubio.
Sowers is a lifelong resident of Northern Virginia. He grew up in part on his grandparent’s farm in Centerville. "There are 300 houses where my grandparents’ farm was," he said, noting how the area is quickly changing from rural to suburban and even to urban.
Rev. Mike Edwards is pastor of the Heritage Baptist Church in Prince William. His large congregation in Woodbridge hosted Donald Trump Jr. just days before the Nov. 8 election.
Edwards told News4 that many citizens were excited about attending the inaugural.
Across the Potomac River, Maryland Republican Party Chairman Dirk Haire also is juggling more requests for inaugural and parade tickets than he can possibly accommodate.
"At the state party, we have received a significant number," he told us. "We’re oversubscribed, to the chagrin of many of our supporters." Haire said there is a "high degree of excitement, particularly among the Trump volunteers."
Haire, who works in Washington as an attorney and lives in Edgewater, said the state party is sharing logistical information provided by the Greater Washington Board of Trade on how to get around the District on Inauguration Day. "Most of our population lives within a two-hour drive," Haire said.
But he’s telling people it probably will be best to park in the suburbs and take Metro trains to the heart of the city.
The immediate Washington region may have largely supported Democrat Hillary Clinton, but Republicans and Independents – and even some Democrats – say the inauguration should be a good civic moment for the whole country, protests and all.
"It is the inauguration of a President," Mara said. "It’s happened 57 times before. It’s a big deal for the country. It shouldn’t be seen as a partisan event. It’s an American event."
