Aftermath

"The true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals - democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope."


200,000 people + 1 Obama in Grant Park, Chicago

So, a lot of Americans were joyful, inspired, and amazed on Election Night. You can count me among them. However, I cannot help but feel bittersweet about the results of the election.

Watching Senator McCain's concession speech was one of the saddest moments of the election for me, and I mean that in the most sober and serious way that I can. That speech embodied the exact reason for John McCain's loss in the election. I found the behavior of the Republican core represented in that crowd to be repulsive. They booed when McCain acknowledged Obama's historic victory and urged reconciliation of petty party divisions. The Republican Party is a dinosaur and the hardest of the hardcore supporters are members of shrinking demographics that are ignorant of the country that America has become. John McCain represented the potential for Obama-esque change within Republican Party, but instead he was forced to bow to the party base. The true John McCain did not run on the Republican ticket this year. John McCain was turned into a puppet of the party and ultimately sacrificed in an election cycle that Republicans lacked the perspective to compete. He deserves much better. The media often talks about the muzzling of Sarah Palin, but the disfigurement and mutation of John McCain was the greatest sin of the Republican party. He does have a share of the blame, but I have a hard time placing true culpability on his shoulders.

This brings me into speculation about the future of the Republican Party. In the coming months, Republicans are going to have to pick up the pieces and figure out how to go forward. There are two schools of thought within the Republican Party in these seemingly post-apocalyptic days for the conservative brand: The Palinites (noted for a distinct lack of thought and attachment to ancient political methods) and the moderate wing of the party. My fear is that Republicans will latch onto their criticism of John McCain that he wasn't conservative enough. If the Republican Party swings more to the right under the leadership of Governor Palin, then they are doomed to irrelevance and a third party will emerge to replace it.

My case against such a move is the dearly departed Republican hero, Ronald Reagan, and the Republicans' adopted son, John F. Kennedy. Look how these two guys swept their way into the White House: they appealed to centrist ideals and created entire demographics carved out of the opposition to vote for them. These men enjoyed immense success in their elections, governance and legacies. They are counted among the greatest presidents in the history of America. Now look at George W. Bush. He paved his way into office by supercharging his ideological base and governed through strong-arm tactics. He exploited the divisions in our nation to push his vision of America. No one in America, except that party base that still supports him, can deny the immensely negative legacy that he leaves.

I will admit that I am encouraged by the closing months of the Bush Administration. He has demonstrated a distinct willingness to be helpful and has graciously and humbly acknowledged the impact of Barack Obama's victory. Mr. Bush is probably trying to end his tenure on as high a note as possible and I think that is admirable.

David Brooks of the New York Times said, "Reagan had an immense faith in the power of ideas. But there has been a counter, more populist tradition, which is not only to scorn liberal ideas but to scorn ideas entirely. And I'm afraid that Sarah Palin has those prejudices" (CNN) The Republicans need more people like McCain, circa 2000, not fewer. I hope that they are not so blinded by their righteous rage that they fail to notice how they were beat and how they have been successful in the past. Republicans need to survive because they do have ideas that are good for America.

As expected, Republicans across Washington were mauled in the election. This phenomenon is not surprising, but it was, in some cases, unfortunate. John McCain will return to the Senate where I hope he will return to he old ways. He will not be joined by two of his moderate Republican compatriots: Gordon Smith of Oregon and John Sununu of New Hampshire. These victims of the D.C. purge will be missed greatly. The next Senate needs Republicans that offer constructive resistance to Democratic legislation. We cannot afford to lug the weight of bitter right-wingers that seek to block every attempt at progress. What really makes me angry is how good guys like Smith and Sununu get voted out of the Senate, but convicted felons like Ted Stevens of Alaska are given another chance. These Alaskan conservative mavericks are definitely not the right thing for America. Hopefully, the not corrupt members of our Senate will swiftly "/gkick" this idiot and get an honorable person to fill his seat. Maybe Smith and Sununu will play a role in the reshaping of the Republican Party from outside the spotlight; after all, President-elect Obama said I could hope.

CNN was reporting on Wednesday night that Obama would be receiving his first Top Secret briefing on Thursday morning. I wouldn't be surprised if this contained a great deal of information concerning the Russia's latest reaction to the plans to build a anti-ballistic missile shield in Eastern Europe. On Wednesday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev promised to deploy short-range missiles in the territory of Kaliningrad. It is certainly difficult agree with such a move, but it is not terribly difficult to understand why Russia is doing it.



The harsh realities of the world shaped by George W. Bush are going to hit Obama from day 1. I know that Mr. Obama has the ability to tackle the big problems facing America and he has my support. I hope he finds a good group of people to support and advise him, but he would have to try really hard to make poorer selections than the current President. Again, to Mr. Bush's credit, he has demonstrated some willingness to pick a few competent cabinet members, even if it took him more than one try.



P.S. I couldn't find a copy of the Wednesday New York Times or Chicago Tribune anywhere in Kalamazoo today. If anyone knows where I can get one, as long as it is not a $100 copy from eBay, let me know!

Update:

I just dug up an interesting article about the future of the Republican Party on BBC.com. The article is spot on with most of the analysis; however, I do take exception to the final point. The Republicans need more than a compelling leader to turn around their fortunes. Regaining the trust of the electorate, as Obama and the Democrats did, requires a compelling leader delivering a compelling message which speaks to people at that point in time.

What is so impressive about Mr. Obama's campaign was its inclusive nature. Not too long ago (3-4 election cycles), many of the things said about the Republicans now were being said about the Democrats. In particular, the claim that the diversity of the party would cause an internal battle. The post-Clinton Democrats were internally divided like the Republicans of today. The difference is that this battle was inevitable after years of Karl Rove's strategy of supressing moderate voices and supercharging the conservative base (created a confusing message this time around). Now that the Democrats have kicked the Republicans out of the places of power, the moderate voices want to restore the Republican party to relevance. However, the old guard of the G.O.P. don't want to sacrifice a sliver of their ideology for the sake of inclusiveness and progress.

So, I expect to see some fireworks over the coming months. Republicans may not see the White House until 2016 or even 2022, but they'll have to find a voice and a message first.