Posted on 11/05/2008 6:22:16 AM PST by SnakeDoctor
I have decided that I will do what my liberal counterparts could not in 2000 and 2004 -- I will be gracious in defeat. I will not fall prey to "Obama Derangement Syndrome" as the leftist blogosphere was infested with "Bush Derangement Syndrome". I will, against my better judgment, give President Obama the benefit of the doubt ... and let him succeed or fail based not on his past, but based on his actions over the next four years. I will put his past in the rearview mirror, put aside my justifiable skepticism, and hope that he will live up to his soaring rhetoric and "moderate" "bi-partisan" billing.
I will prove that I believe all I've said over the last 8-years about standing behind my President during wartime. I will pray that Barack Obama is as "pragmatic" as analysts have declared, and that he understands the fundamentally conservative nature of the country. I will work to rebuild my party, and stand up vigorously to Obama at every wrong turn -- but I will not spew the bile and hatred for my opponent that I've seen from the left since 2000. Ultimately, I refuse to become a mirror image of the hate-filled obnoxious left-wing blogger.
I also think it is important to note that the election of Barack Obama vindicates, in some respects, conservatives' view of American exceptionalism and the American Dream. It has always been our contention that through hard work and ingenuity, anyone, regardless of race, gender or creed, can succeed in this country. The ascendancy of Obama proves that. It is truly remarkable how far we've come in the last 40 years. Perhaps this is a big step in achieving the "colorblindness" we've been seeking for so long.
This election stands as a repudiation of the Republican Party -- but not of conservatism. Barack Obama won because he ran as a conservative Democrat -- touting tax cuts and a strong national defense. I hope beyond hope that he is not the liberal ideologue we feared he was -- I hope he truly represents the best his party can offer.
As conservatives, we must return the Republican Party to its roots. The defeat of John McCain proves that running "moderate" Republicans is not a path to victory, and that the slide toward "big government conservatism" we've seen under President Bush will ultimately end up in the destruction of the party. In some respects, we're the victims of our own success in the War on Terror ... as that issue has faded from the minds of voters. I pray that it won't take another deadly attack to wake us back up.
We must reinvigorate the party, and conservatism. The singular bright spot of this entire election cycle has been the emergence of Sarah Palin as a national political figure. I truly believe she, along with up-and-comers like Bobby Jindal, is the future of American conservatism.
I love my country -- and I truly pray that we conservatives were wrong about Barack Obama. I am an incurable optimist. It is always darkest just before the dawn ... so there are two alternatives here -- (1) Barack Obama isn't as bad as we thought and the country will be fine, or (2) he's as bad as we predicted, he'll run us off the rails like Jimmy Carter did, and a refreshed conservatism will emerge in 2 or 4 years.
H
‘Bitter me’ has several plans - last night I thought Cheney should resign, Bush should pick Condi, then Bush should resign. Obama comes in as the second black president. That would really upset some folks...
But, I have to put bitterness aside. I don’t think my fellow citizens made a wise choice, but we elected a president. I agree with you, BO ran as a tax-cutter. Hopefully the big-gov republicans will return to their principles, and we can reclaim this nation.
On Jan 20, I will stand beside my desk, give W a small round of appluase, and then get back to work.
“I’ve decided to be gracious in defeat”
I wish the lefties sharing my work cubical were gracious in the win. But it has been brutal. Thank God for earphones.
It was Reagan’s charisma that helped him, not his niceness. Two different things. Clinton had charisma, but he sure as hell wasn’t nice. Sure, Reagan was nice to people who deserved it, as he should have been. But he never played nice with the Soviet Union or Carter or Mondale.
You have bought into the falsehood of “fighting back is sinking to their level (TM).” You never answered my question about the homeowner, either.
And you called me stupid. Well, looks like you can be mean and aggressive after all! But only to conservatives. Never to liberals.
Show some respect, newbie.
‘I love and respect this country.
This man was elected President of the United States.
Besides, he does not empower me. I empower him.’
Spoken like a REAL American.
Only thing I can add is work to build a (C)onservative party with (C)onservative principle.
Second that, thank you!
From then on it has been — and remains — no quarter.
Like I told Mr. Legs last night, "Good news honey! We're not racist anymore! I guess Jesse Jackson et al. will have to find real jobs now..."
Well said!
It is still too soon for me to talk very much about this disappointment and the reasons for it. But, I share a lot of your feelings. I hope to God he is as conservative as he has campaigned, but I remain very skeptical. Perhaps his first veto of across the board tax hikes submitted by Pelosi and Reid will convince me.
Yep, just like President Goldwater would agree. And so would all of those "true conservatives" who got re-elected in '06, those sitting Senators Allen, Talent, Burns, Santorum, Congressman Hays, etc.
Clearly, your hatred for him is greater than your love of this country.
How very much like Democrats the Republicans have become.
I love and respect my country. Always will.
I will never love or respect Obama.
People swear allegiance to the Constitution, not Obama, for a reason. Remember, when Hitler came to power he changed the system to one where everyone had to swear loyalty to him personally.
>> You have bought into the falsehood of “fighting back is sinking to their level (TM).”
You have bought into the falsehood that “fighting back” means we have to sink to their level.
I never said I wouldn’t fight back. Perhaps you missed the following quote in the original post.
“I will work to rebuild my party, and stand up vigorously to Obama at every wrong turn”.
>> And you called me stupid. Well, looks like you can be mean and aggressive after all! But only to conservatives. Never to liberals.
Never called anyone stupid. I quoted your assessment of the left’s behavior.
>> Show some respect, newbie.
I’ve been a member since 1998. I changed my handle in 2007. Show some respect, newbie.
H
With due respect, I do not wish for the demise of this country, I simply hope that Obama is an utter failure. I believe that, by definition, an Obama success would cause the demise of this country.
Finally, I will NEVER respect a man that favors setting children aside to die. He is a disgusting man, period.
The biggest thing wrong with our country today is that people who rewrite history (Iraq under Saddam) and treat our president in a disgraceful manner (Murtha, The MSM, Dems) are the ones who win elections. I never voted for Jimmy Carter and thought he was a disaster, but when the hostage rescue failed I gave him credit for trying and stood by him.
Now Obama is my president. I didn’t vote for him, but I’d rather see him succeed then see our country fail. Unfortunately for our future, the majority of Americans will not support a candidate who puts “country first”
You're a generation out of date. This isn't the 1980s. The electorate has shifted leftward, and pretty clearly. This election is simply the fullest expression of that. We were a minority in 2000 and only squeaked by in 2004 because the memory of 9/11 was relatively fresh. That's gone. The country has gone liberal. When you've got states like Indiana and North Carolina and Virginia going into the 'Rat column, you've got to let that slap in the face wake you up. The liberal tide is flooding out of the Northeast pretty much unchecked now. It surrounds the Great Lakes region and has inundated the Pacific Coast. At one time, places like CA and IL were reliably Republican. Now they are solid, solid 'Rat. We can't turn a blind eye to reality any longer. If anything good comes of this, it should be that.
Excuse me, how the hell do you know how I feel about this man? Obama's policies are crap and are dangerous for this country. Why the hell would I want him to succeed in implementing his plan for this country.
Please don't label me, you have no idea where I am coming from.
I don’t think anyone is advocating emulating Bush Derangment Syndrome behaviour.
Joe Biden had is right, when you get knocked down get up and give the other guy a bloody nose (and smile).
>> With due respect, I do not wish for the demise of this country, I simply hope that Obama is an utter failure.
So ... you wish the best for the country by hoping for the worst for its leader? Nice.
>> I believe that, by definition, an Obama success would cause the demise of this country.
No, it wouldn’t. As the leader goes, so will the country.
>> Finally, I will NEVER respect a man that favors setting children aside to die. He is a disgusting man, period.
I respect the Office of the Presidency.
H
R.I.P. America.
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