A Letter to America

It is now after Thanksgiving and now that I am done with turkey and all caught up on rest, I am able to talk about the election. I didn't have that bad of an experience that night, as the people I watched with didn't revel in my loss. The next morning was less than perfect as my boss came into my room and made fun of me saying, "Don't worry Shawn, it wasn't a dream, we have a black President." Despite this incident, no one really rubbed it in... no one really talked about it... and in discussing it in the next few days, it was clear to me that I had known all along that John McCain wasn't going to win. We had witnessed history that night, and at that moment it was clear that we had entered a new and defining point in the history of this great nation.

So here's the reality of the situation: Sen. Barack Obama is going to be the 44th President of the United States. He won the popular vote by 7%, and won by 192 electoral votes. By all standards of electoral success, that is a landslide and a mandate. President Elect Obama stood for change in this election and the American people called for that change. Its the responsibility of our leaders from both parties to deliver that change, just as it is our responsibility to demand that change.

So this is the part where I impart my thoughts on what this election means for us now: as Democrats, as Republicans, and as Americans.

To Democrats: You won. Your vision for America was what was voted on and it was preferred over ours. You won the White House and significant gains in both Houses of Congress. With a little compromise, you can be filibuster proof in the Senate. Now you have NO excuses for not getting what you want done. Since 2006 President Bush hasn't had control of Congress, and never by these margins. You have the tools to make the change you seek, and if you for one second blame the Republicans in Congress, you're just going to look stupid. Several of the greatest social changes have historically come from Democratic Presidents, and you have the time and the power to do something great. If you believe in your plan for America, then you MUST earn it.

To Republicans: We got beat, and we got beat bad. Under President Bush we have strayed away from our conservative beliefs by increasing government spending and control. With that increase in control, the Democrats will be able to do more than ever with that power, and we won't like it. We need to re-group and rediscover what we really stand for. We need to support our leaders in Congress because they are the head of our party now. There are things we can do to enact change we will be proud of, but we also need to do it in such a way that serves the country and doesn't make us look like sore losers. If there is one thing we can learn from John McCain it is what he laid out in his concession speech. He said,

"And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties, but to believe, always, in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.

Americans never quit. We never surrender.

We never hide from history. We make history."

We must not pity ourselves for this loss, but make the best of it. We have been shown what the bad side of election night feels like, and we need to remember this feeling of despair and hopelessness, and turn it into the force that drives us to make our country better. Nothing is inevitable, we can make a change, and we must now work toward being that change.

To America: "We must now come together," is something we always hear from our leaders who win. We never see it, never see that unity, yet it has never been so needed. With the economic crisis, terrorism, and all the other difficulties standing in our way, it is only fitting that we work towards making a change. That does not mean we cannot disagree on the means to that end. On the contrary, our country was created with debate, discussion, and even outright opposition. This debate makes our nation stronger, but only if it is followed by action. Lets find the best way to deal with problems, and be the change that our country asks of us.

Let the next four years be years of change for the better in this great nation.

Democrats: Your time is now... don't screw up, or we will take you to town in four years.

Republicans: Time to get off the mat... we got work to do.

God Bless you all, and God Bless America

Shawn Conway

Posted by ShawnConway at November 28, 2008 10:53 PM