Post-Election Bipartisan Thoughts

Those who know me are well aware of where my political allegiances lie, but after last night's election I just want to write up a quick tribute to the nation we live in rather than a triumphant boast of our new president-elect. Don't get me wrong, last night was one of the happiest of my life so far, and I am sure it will remain one of the most important in my life until I die; this election will be in all the American history text-books my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will read in schools. The fact that I took part in this election will always make me proud.

But beyond the political platform that was victorious last night, there are two things that I think make America as a whole victorious.

The first has to do with our president-elect's color of skin. After the results were firmly predicted (though they were never really in question after Pennsylvania was announced), most of the discussion immediately turned to the historical significance of having a black president. This is even more of an achievement since the race card was not publicly played to an extensive rate until the votes were being tallied (save for sub-media fear tactic propaganda against Obama and I'm sure many private discussions of him). It was surprising to me that it wasn't until after everyone had cast their vote did major media outlets begin to focus on the historical significance--I know it didn't really sink in for me until this morning.

The fact that we have gone from the abominable act of slavery to having a serious black presidential candidate is stunning. Even more impressive is that the candidate the majority of the nation voted to the highest office wouldn't even have had full rights in this nation sixty years ago. This is a monumental achievement that can easily be under-appreciated by our modern sympathies. When the previous major historical events involving blacks and the presidency is when Frederick Douglass was invited to eat in the white house, this is a major step. All the comparisons to Martin Luther King Jr. may seem corny or over-emphasized, but they are historically accurate. I don't even think King could have pictured a black president within forty years of his famous speech--it may have even extended beyond his noble dream. Whether you agree with our next president's policies or not, the fact that our nation is in a position where we can elect a black president is a testament to how far we have come.

Second, I was very impressed by the graceful way both John McCain and George Bush responded to the results. McCain's concession speech was both eloquent and touching--a side of the war hero I frankly wish we could have seen earlier. The combination of the great service he has done for this country and the humility he displayed last night is a tremendous juxtaposition, and this is where I leave my bipartisan message for a moment, to Palin's mediocre achievements and brash (I would say overbearing) conduct. The fact that McCain has accomplished so much, has accrued such a big following, and came so close to being president, and yet he could speak to his most devoted supporters and to the rest of the world and say, "it's time for us to fall in line to support Obama" (not to mention his dignity in quieting the crowd when they started to boo the president-elect), shows that his love for the country runs deeper than a desire for power. His desire to unite behind the new president is as much an embodiment of the spirit that makes America great as Obama's grateful acceptance speech was.

Connected to this is a point that hasn't received a lot of attention, at least in mainstream culture. Within hours of the final verdict, Obama received a phone call from President Bush congratulating him and offering any help he could give. We may take this for granted, but this almost seamless transition of power is one of the great things about our country. This transition isn't supposed to be easy--succession issues have historically been the causes for wars, revolutions, and revolts. Even in our great nation, we are not very far detached from when a departing president tried to do all he could to ruin things for the incoming president. But, that we have a leadership that has such a love of the nation that they are willing to relinquish power to opposing parties when the people wills it reveals the type of spirit that makes America what it is: our primary priority is the success of the nation, not the success of the individual--that though we be many, we are in reality one.

May God bless our great nation.