Presidential Election

I want to offer just a few reflections on yesterday and last night.

Everyone's talking about this as such a historic event (I can't bring myself to say "an historic"), but I'm most struck by a few certain things.

First, the amount of voter turnout. From early voting all the way through yesterday, people were insistent on being a part of this election. The Obama Campaign, I think, did an excellent job of motivating voters not to become complacent and just assume that their votes wouldn't matter. I got an email with a fake news report video blaming me as the one voter who didn't vote in a state that McCain won by one vote for an Obama loss. Obama didn't get too confident. It's not just Obama, though. Both sides turned out record numbers of voters. I'm not sure that everyone realized how important voting is or everyone just wanted a say in the historic event (although I lean toward the latter), but either way a high voter turnout is good.

Last night we watched returns, and then the speeches. I really liked both of them. McCain was gracious in his defeat and called upon all of his supporters to support Obama as the president of one nation. I honestly didn't expect less from him. I think his campaign had gotten away from him when it turned negative. I do admire McCain. Although I voted for Obama, I think McCain would have made a good president as well.

I also liked most of Obama's speech. He pointed to history in his call to hope, and he spoke words of unity. He said he's going to be the president of all Americans, not just those who voted for him. Assuming he holds true to that promise (which I expect he will, but I'm also a little realistic in that not all people will believe he did when it's all said and done), he will be a great president. Not a perfect president, but a great president.

I've also been amused by facebook statuses. People have been every emotion from upset to angry to joyful in their statuses. The status that struck me most was a friend who said she was "so impressed with John McCain, the only candidate in the last three elections to lose gracefully." As I said, I liked McCain's concession speech. I respect him. In fact, I've said recently that I really wish he had been elected eight years ago. But to claim McCain as the only president to lose gracefully is to forget the circumstances of the previous elections. I'm assuming this friend was referring to this election as one of the last three. So let's begin with the 2000 election. Gore won the popular vote, but Bush won the presidency. In fact, whether Bush actually won the Electoral vote is up for debate, as the Supreme Court ultimately decided the winner. The system was badly broken in 2000, and wasn't fixed by 2004. Thus, it's understandable that in such a close election, the runners-up would feel cheated by a system, especially by a system that tends to disenfranchise the poor and minorities. If you want more information about that, I'll send you the research paper I just finished writing on the issue. Those circumstances are very important to remember when claiming that those presidential candidates didn't lose gracefully. Arguably, they were just fighting for the votes of everyone who voted to be counted, which would be fighting for the constitutional rights of all American citizens.

Overall, though, what most struck me of everything on facebook was a note from a friend who was in Grant Park last night. She wrote with her frustration at the ungraciousness of some of the Obama supporters in Grant Park. I'll not lie, it's been an emotional fight. For supporters of Obama from the beginning, Sarah Palin was an upsetting nomination. Thus the comment about Sarah Palin just faking it as "a drama queen" when she was shown on the tv crying was an emotional comment. It was made in what was considered a safe place for those comments. I don't believe that the person who made that comment intended for a McCain/Palin supporter to overhear; she made the comment in Grant Park where Obama was to make his speech that night, so I'm sure she assumed that she was surrounded by Obama supporters. On the other hand, it was an insensitive comment to make. A bid for the second-highest office in the United States is an emotional venture. I don't believe Sarah Palin was faking her disappointment. My friend's conclusion was that she simply wanted to see more gracious winners. I agree.

I don't know what is expected as a gracious winner, but I want to attempt to be one. My interpretation is this: I will not gloat. I can celebrate, such as putting up a happy status on my facebook, but I will not rub it in peoples' faces. I will respect differing opinions. I will not start discussions or debates with anyone. I hope that, while slightly biased simply because I'm human, this blog post doesn't come off as offensive to anyone. That's not my intent.

But in return, I expect a few things from the McCain supporters: You are still Americans, and Barack Obama is the American president. He is your president. The least you can do is give him a chance. He hasn't proven himself for good or for bad as president yet. So give him the opportunity to do so before you judge him. And please stop it with the "socialism" talk. I don't believe many of the people who use this catch term really know what it means. Barack Obama, I can promise you, is not a socialist.

I truly hope that we as a nation, as a people can come together as America, an undivided nation in pursuit of making our country and the world a better place. It won't be easy, but I feel hopeful that we will dedicate ourselves to the cause. After all, this world still in need of a lot of improvement.