Well a remarkable thing will occur in the United States. Regardless of who won we were going to have a peaceful transition of power.
Last night was historic, and we as a nation can rejoice that we have transcended race. So congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama and Vice-President-Elect Joe Biden. Some thoughts:
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We really still don’t know exactly how a President Obama will govern. Some pundits last night thinks that he’ll be pragmatic. I’m not so sure. President Clinton did well by campaign as a centrist and for the most part governing as a centrist. I don’t think that this is a mandate for the far left, but I can see how they would think that. Remember 1994.
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Senator McCain wouldn’t have been even this close if it were not for his choice of Governor Sarah Palin because she did energize the base which he desperately needed. Best choice? That could be argued, but honestly I don’t see who he could have selected that would have had the same effect. If there were mistakes made with Governor Palin it would be with preparation. Perhaps an earlier, private selection was needed and so time could be spent preparing her in areas she had no reason to know about. Also better handling with her interviews, no taped interviews, only unedited live interviews should have been agreed upon.
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The economy killed him. If this stayed focused on national security and the War on Terror last night would have been different, it may not have meant a win, but it would have been a lot tighter.
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He should have turned the dogs loose. Only those who are die-hard Obama supporters would not think his associations were fair game. McCain and Palin bringing up his associations in the closing weeks was too little, too late. He should have (or other GOP sources) gone over that earlier. In the last few weeks they needed to getting their message about economy out.
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Be clearer about how he and Governor Palin were going to bring change. Talk specifics.
Anyway those are some of my thoughts. President-Elect Obama can count on my prayer support. He can count on respectful treatment. I will not treat him with the level of vitriol that President Bush has seen from the left. I will encourage him when I think he is right, and I will respectfully oppose him when I think he is wrong.