Thursday, November 6, 2008

Hail to the Cheif?

Well, the elections are finally over, and Barack Obama will be our 44th president.

Since Tuesday evening, some backers of John McCain have begun to complain when conservative leaders congratulate Sen. Obama on his election. Comments such as 'traitor', 'idiot', and other unmentionables have been thrown at those who are graciously accepting the reality that Sen. Obama will lead this country for the next four years.

I commend and applaud those who are wishing Sen. Obama well on his presidency. Why should we not? We have many reasons to not like the policies that Sen. Obama has claimed to support, but we also do not have any record of his presidency at this point. Give the man a chance to lead before he is condemned for his poor leadership.

In his victory speech, Sen. Obama set many ambitious goals. I was looking for one line in particular, and was not left wanting: "And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too." This is a very admirable statement, and one that I sincerely hope he means. He deserves the opportunity to earn our support.

Yes, Senator, you will be our president. Like it or not, that is a reality. It never appealing to grouch about the fact that your candidate was not victorious and it does not help the cause of conservatives to bemoan the fact. It damages our reputation to stand up and declare that we will not accept him as the president. Rumor has it that a similar tactic was tried by certain democrats when George W. Bush was elected. It leads to a dividing of the country and a weakening of us as the American people. That divide is also seen by the rest of the world, which, I believe, leads to some of their dislike of our country. We are grown-ups, our United States are heralded as the leader of the free world, and we should act as such.

In this respect, George Bush himself should be looked to for our example; offering to help the Obamas in their transition to the White House and keeping our president-to-be in the loop in all important decisions. Make no mistake, the man who has been most condemned and mocked by Sen. Obama stands ready, as a leader, to train his successor, the very person he has every right to hold in great disdain. President Bush has been called every name imaginable over the past eight years, most of those titles are not deserved. Yet, he is ready to bear, gracefully, the duty of handing over his job to someone he greatly disagrees with, because the citizens have directed him to do so. If that is not someone concerned with putting country first, I do not know what is.

Note that this does not mean that we abandon our principles and lie in wait of whatever comes. Conservative values will certainly be under attack, as they always have been and always will be. We must accept Barack Obama as our president, but that does not mean that we must idly let him or anyone else tear down or dismiss what is dear to us. A popular phrase among Christians is "hate the sin, not the sinner." Likewise, we should defend our president, regardless of party, against undeserved attack, but also be ready to fiercely defend our values, even against that president. I most certainly will.

Senator, I congratulate you on your victory. I do not know what you will do, or attempt during your term as leader of our great country. That path has not been walked yet. I do believe that you are sincere in your effort to lead well. I will pray that God guide you and give you the wisdom to not divide us as a nation. United we must stand; divided, we will fall.

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