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Introduction We can learn to see each other and see ourselves in each other and recognize that human beings are more alike than we are unalike.1 The 2016 U.S. presidential election was one of the most unconventional elec- tions in modern times, and it left a lasting impression on me and a lot of other people. As a political scientist, I had family and friends constantly asking me: “Who is going to win the election?” “Can Hillary win?” “Is Trump going to pull it off?” “Are we going to have the first female president?” “This is hilarious— he’s like Teflon, what are the chances he gets elected?” These are just some of the questions I fielded throughout the course of a long election. What made this election more interesting from a social science perspective was that there have not been many modern-day presidential elections where the candidates elicited outright vitriol and toxicity against each other to the point where voters were left wondering if these were adults or egocentric candidates out to destroy one another. The presidential field was large by prior standards according to the Federal Election Commission, there were 17 Republican candidates, five Democratic candidates, one Libertarian, a Green Party candidate, and an inde- pendent all vying for the U.S. presidency.2 It was one of the most diverse presi- dential elections to date. The candidates consisted of two women—one from each major political party—an African American, two Cuban Americans, an Irish American, and an Italian American, the first Indian American governor, and one of the oldest candidates—who appealed to millennials. Because the field was so diverse, most political pundits, including me, thought that some of the more boisterous candidates on both sides of the political aisle would even- tually suspend their candidacies. But as the election moved along, the candi- dates that we assumed would not have enough support to sustain a viable campaign were drawing mega crowds to their political rallies. As the election shifted and began to focus on the primaries, candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties jostled for voters, and it