HARRISON – There’s a new sheriff in town, and we’d better get used to it

NOW THAT the dust has settled a bit after last week’s U.S. Presidential election, it’s time to start separating the fear and shock from reality.

Donald Trump has been characterized as a loose cannon, a misogynist, inexperienced, and impulsive, none of which are characteristics that make for a good presidency.

But the dirty campaign to win election is done, and Trump demonstrated during his victory address, and his acknowledgement of Hillary Clinton’s hard fought campaign and her long public service that he indeed has manners and can be gracious.

But there will no doubt be significant change, and a great deal of it, and Canada will feel it, in some ways good and others not so much.

Trump, for instance, favours the Keystone XL pipeline, and while he’s declared the U.S. should get a piece of the profits, should that mega-billion-dollar project proceed, it will be of significant benefit to the Alberta economy and, by extension, Canada’s economy.

On a more global basis, those countries who have taken Barack Obama as something of a patsy will have to quickly reassess their positions and relationships with the United States. Trump is likely to ensure the U.S. regains much of the respect it’s lost on the international stage.

Moreover, countries like Canada will have to begin paying a greater share of the cost of NATO.

It’s also going to be interesting to see how Justin Trudeau will relate to the Trump presidency, after fawning over the Obamas during a Washington visit earlier this year. And, of course, the crippling emphasis on trying to hold back climate change won’t likely be the priority it’s been the past several years as Trump focuses on a stronger economy, one that works for more Americans.

Whether it’s for the better, or worse, and despite the ongoing protests in the streets, there’s a new sheriff in town, and Americans and the world had better get used to it.

Listen to Jim Harrison’s editorials weekdays on Radio NL, and to the Jim Harrison Show at 9:08 a.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at jharrison@radionl.com.