The End of the Beginning

I have often wondered if I would salute the current Commander in Chief. Misgivings aside I likely would. Shortly, however, I will feel no such compunctions.

I voted for Barack Obama a little over a week ago. I would have enjoyed being part of the excitement of a November 4th election as I have in years past, but my work schedule simply would not make it practical. The sentiment I felt tonight was not mostly one of excitement that my candidate won, however, -- though I am excited -- but rather one of reverential sadness that my other candidate lost. As I have said before I would have liked to vote for both men. McCain is, I believe, one of the United States' truly great men currently. He would be a president whom I would proudly serve and a leader we would be undeserving of. In 2000 and 2004 there would have been no question. But this year, unfortunately, he tried to have it both ways. He wanted to be both independent Maverick and reliable Conservative at the same time. Whether he was always this and I had simply lived for years in blissful ignorance or this was a miscalculated political blunder I do not know, but whatever the reason I could not vote for him when the alternative was Obama. And so now I'm a little sad. McCain is a good man who turned to bad policy. I wish I could have voted for him.

The election done and over with we are still faced with a staggering economy, two undecided wars, an immigration policy in need of reform, a host of rogue nuclear states, an infrastructure in need of repair, a resurgent Al Qaeda, a mediocre education system, an addiction to foreign oil, a bloated and inefficient health care system, an international name in disrepute, and a "planet in peril." Good luck Barry, McCain may have dodged a bullet with this one.