Election Reaction, Part Deux

I'll preface this by saying I voted for John McCain yesterday.

A heartfelt congratulations to President-elect Barack Obama. This was not, however, a historic election; this was a seminal election. To call it historic is not necessarily a misnomer as it will certainly resonate in history books for generations to come. However, to simply label it as historic conveys a sense of looking back, of not just clinging to the past, but of wallowing in it.

No, I don't think America will be clinging to the past after seeing the election of our first minority President, and if you are to believe Obama's words from this campaign and election season, then you realize that his main focus was on the future. The fact that America has shrugged off centuries of hatred, ignorance and bitterness before any of our culturally and morally superior allies in Europe means something. It means that America is still leading the way in ingenuity, invention and discovery. It means that the American dream is still alive and well and, perhaps, that dream is personified in no better person than the 44th President of the United States.

I describe this as seminal because the results of the election from last night will resonate for as long as there is a United States of America. It will color us. It will influence us. I believe, despite being a McCain supporter, it will better us. The importance of this election should not be seen in shades of blue versus red or even black versus white. The importance of this election should be seen in shades of red, white and blue, because we as a nation have improved our image, and it was much needed. We did not need to improve our image to the rest of the world, but we needed to improve our image of ourselves to ourselves.

I'm not so naive as to believe that racism has been completely eradicated from our nation; the disparity in the exit polls and vote tabulations in Virginia alone are too much to ignore. I will say, however, that the past two years have done more to mend and improve race relations since Martin Luther King, Jr. led the charge for civil rights. Seminal, indeed, for the next four years should do even more than the past two.

As a gracious and, I believe, honest John McCain said last night, the fight is over and though my candidate did not win, it's time to set aside petty differences and work together to unite the country and move it forward into a new era.

I personally may not like the notion of spreading the wealth, and I don't believe that it's patriotic to pay more taxes, but I do think that change is on the horizon, and hopefully that change will be for the better. I think, however, the biggest change that Obama will affect--albeit, perhaps, unintentionally--will be a wholesale change of attitude in the Republican party. Gone should be the days of clinging to the past and holding onto an electorate and hoping that will simply be enough to get you through. It's time for the Republicans to reach out to minority voters. It's time for the Republicans to reach out to female voters. It's time for the Republican party to not fall to the whims of the evangelical right, but to listen to everyone. It's time to realize that "family values" doesn't necessarily mean a mother and a father and passel of children, but that family values should focus on whatever family you have. It's time to embrace the notion of alternative energy sources. It's time to no longer demonize those who speak Spanish. It's time to stop saying that we need to fix social security and welfare and time to sit down and explain why we need to fix those things.

In short, it's time to modernize. It's time to change. Images by Ashleigh has a good post up about the current political climate, and it was made before the election. While I don't think we get anywhere if we become one big happy familial political party (in fact, I think more parties would benefit our political system), I do think she raises a good point about how we need to set aside our differences long enough to better this great nation of ours.

This country--and our world--has suddenly changed. In the past few months, not only have we seen a minority candidate run, be nominated and win the Presidential election, but we have also seen two women challenge for the two most powerful jobs in the world. Whether you like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin or not, the contributions they gave to the political machine in this country will be invaluable for years to come. Change is upon us, and whether you agree or disagree with the new administration's doctrines, you have to agree that we will all benefit from the changes that have occurred.

Congratulations, President Obama. You've just been elected to the most thankless job in the world (that doesn't involve diagramming defenses and/or pitching changes), and no matter what, someone is going to be disappointed with the job you do. Good luck, God bless, and make the most of it. For better or for worse, we'll all be watching you.