Over fall break I attended a McCain-Palin “Road to Victory ’08” rally in Virginia Beach. While there, I was intrigued by the two people I heard speak that day, and I proudly received my first presidential campaign bumper sticker.
I think that John McCain, as a veteran, is part of the most honorable group of men and women in this country today. I am inspired by his life story, his stance on issues and his “maverick” style.
Although he is not an oratory genius, he means what he says when he speaks. He would have made an excellent president. To top it all off, you can ask anyone I know and they will tell you that am absolutely in love with Sarah Palin, as I like to call her"“The Palinator.” Call me a crazy, naïve or a religious nut job, but I do think that the small-town, Pentecostal, moose hunting girl from Alaska would have made a fantastic Vice-President.
But, as we all know, things didn’t work out that way. As a native Virginian, to watch the news on Tuesday night, with Virginia shaded blue on the electoral map I felt like I died a little.
My state, my home, did not even agree with me.
To be honest, I think Obama is dead wrong on almost all the issues.
The thing is, I am a huge believer in democracy. The people have spoken, and I will support President-Elect Obama in his capacity as president. I may not like everything (or anything) he does, but I will still be proud to call him president.
Any man who can win the opinions of millions of Americans deserves to be respected. The fact is, the democratic process works, and it has for the past 200 years. It is now time for Americans to stand together to help guide this country through the beginnings of the twenty-first century.
For the past eight years, I have heard so much trash talk about George Bush, and it has grated on my nerves so much that I stopped talking about politics with just about everyone. I just got tired of hearing people call him an idiot, a redneck or a stupid old white man. Although I hate some of the policies of President Bush, I still respect him for the man he is and the position he holds.
Even though I know I probably will agree far less with Obama than I do with Bush, I will stick to my belief that the president of this great country deserves the support of the people he leads.
I understand that everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions. The beauty of this country is that I can say whatever I want, and no one can stop me -- but I believe in civil disagreement. As an American I know I have the right to express my opinions on foreign policy, the economy, education, gun rights, abortion, same sex marriage and any other issue in the public discourse.
But as an American, I can both stand behind my president and express myself to the leaders of this country through opinion articles like this one, letters to my political representatives and my ballot every November.
I know that Barack Obama is a smart man, and I know he respects the ideals of democracy. I pray that he will make the right decisions during his time as presidency. I can only ask other devout, conservative, right-wingers to join me in supporting our new president as this election season ends and a new administration begins.
I ask that we join together in expressing our opinions but also in portraying our respect for the man that deserves it.
The world is changing everyday, and Obama’s presidency will be one faced with countless challenges. The president-elect is only going to listen to those who appreciate the position he holds and have legitimate concerns for our country.
And now, I must commence the search for an awe-inspiring sticker to cover the McCain-Palin bumper sticker I brought home from the Virginia Beach rally and placed proudly on my MacBook.
Maybe in four years a new presidential campaign sticker will be able to stay there a little longer.
Maybe Palin in 2012?