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When this miserable but revelatory election is finally over, the country’s most serious need will not be national or economic security. It will be political: Repairing the near total erosion of public trust and confidence in American government and leadership.

The political sector of society has ignored or bungled this job since Watergate. But now, after Donald Trump, returning a modicum of dignity to government has become urgent. Sensible and forward-looking decisions on economic policy, national security, social welfare and public safety will be nearly impossible unless our political system can get itself out of the gutter.

This is a job so enormous it is invisible. It is a task so daunting that it is ignored.

The institutions assigned to this sort of project, the two political parties, are neither up to the task nor interested in it. They are bad guys in the story.

However, and this will seem starry-eyed, there may be a brief moment of epiphany and opportunity after the election if — and only if — members of the political class have been so traumatized by Trump that they are fearful for their careers and, maybe, their country.