Now that the election is over...

I am very, very relieved that the election is over. Like many, I cannot stand the days, weeks, and months leading up to Election Day in early November. I don't like politics as a whole, and I definitely do not enjoy watching or listening to commercials and advertisements, no matter which candidate they endorse. Radio, television, and all over the internet - you can't get away from them! But they're over now, for a while at least. Election Day was hectic with high voter turnout, long lines, discouraging polls, and tense anticipation, but the outcome was what many predicted - an Obama victory.

I voted for John McCain to be the next president of the United States of America because his stance on many of the platform issues line up with my personal and, when applicable, Biblical beliefs. That is all that matters when it comes to voting. What do the candidates believe, what do they stand for, and how do those beliefs and values line up with your own? That alone is how one should vote, not because so-and-so and I are both from Party A, or because so-and-so is from Party B, which is the same party to which the current president belongs. Assumed association was falsely used by both sides in this campaign, and I am sick and tired of it. But it's over now. Phew! I think John McCain is a stand-up man with integrity and a sincere, obvious love for this country that nobody can deny. I know he would have been a great president had he been elected. However, he was not elected, so my (our) next president is going to be Barrack Obama.

However, this is not like rooting for your son's football team to win the state championship, watching the team lose the game, and having the season end right there as you watch the opponent hoist the trophy in victory. Rather, it is like rooting for your own team to win the regional championship against a familiar in-conference opponent, losing the game, and then realizing you have no other choice than to root for the team that beat you, because, in a sense, they represent you and your league in the games to come. All the while, you are still a fan of that sport as a whole, so you’ll continue to watch.

The election is strikingly similar. I voted for John McCain because I had a personal interest in what he stood for and what he believed. Now that he has lost, it is only logical and right for me to root for (doesn’t mean I have to agree with) the man that beat John McCain (I wasn't the only one rooting in the game in the first place) because he still does and will continue to represent the United states of America, and I sure want him to do it well. Also, I am still an American. For me to absolutely shun President-elect Obama because I don't agree with him would be completely immature. Many seem to be taking this track for some reason or another. The election is over, and I/we lost. As long as I voted, I did my part to at least try to make a difference. Now, going forward, all I can do is hope that Barrack Obama is who he says he is and does what he promised to do on some issues. Even anchors on CNN and Fox News last night stated numerous times that "Those who voted for Obama still don't know exactly who or what they voted for, but they are hoping that .." This statement arose from the fact that Obama was ultra-liberal when Senator but has had his crossover moments when he thought it necessary to gain a certain group's or demographic's vote (see his campaign against Hillary Clinton). Right or wrong, I think this is very appropriate statement made by those anchors in this situation. Many blindly voted for Obama just because he was running against someone in the same party as President Bush, which is indeed faulty reasoning as I mentioned before.

Obama promised so much "change" and to bring back the "American dream" and told Americans to believe that "we can".. We can what? Anybody could have said those things, but Obama did it impressively, with an evident charisma that blindly captivated the American audience. Now that he got his wish of being President of the USA, I hope he steps up to the plate and delivers what he said he would deliver in that respect. That's all I'm left to do, is hope. However, there are still many areas in which I disagree with Obama, and my stance on those areas will not change. That is for sure. All I'm saying is that instead of hating on Obama like many who opposed him continue to do, I say we be mature about this and hope that those rumors and nightmares we've heard about him are untrue. In other words, let's give him a chance. Maybe I/we were wrong? I think we should give him a chance. There are many speculations out there regarding Obama that have negative and sometimes downright scary strings attached. They very well may be true, but what if they aren't? Only time will tell.

My point is - politics have always been and will continue to be corrupt. Let's not add to the mess by choosing to support or not support someone because of his party affiliation. I do not agree with lots of things he stands for, and on those I (and we) should not and will not change. However, when it comes to him being our next president and a fellow American of mine, I am going to be here hoping he does a great job!

May God continue to bless you.
-Marcum