Reflections on...the election...part 2

So the election has been decided. The voting booths have been taken down, dragged away, and stored for next year. Libraries, schools, and polling places all go back to the daily rhythm of pre-Nov. 4. Many are saying that the world is now a different place. That, in totaling the votes and selecting Barack Obama to be our nation's next president that, somehow, everything is changed.

The New York Times reported that "Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, sweeping away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease as the country chose him as its first black chief executive."

McCain, in his concession speech, cited this as "an historic election."

And, in his all-too-familiar inspirational tone, Obama himself in his acceptance speech resounded: "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

Yet, I have to remain a healthy skepticism. Yes, we live in the "land of opportunities." Yes, I believe in the American Dream and I never stopped believing in it. And, Yes, this is a huge symbolic victory for race relations in the United States that a man with a black father and white mother would ascend to the presidency. But, is everything suddenly different from the night before? Are politics somehow smoothed beyond discontent and disagreement? Are racial tensions magically erased in the casting of ballots? I don't think so. I'd like to believe that our country will be better off with its "new-found" optimism and that a Black president will inspire inner-city youth to overcome cycles of poverty and abuse. I'd love to see our country better-respected throughout the world and our positive influence recognized as a beacon of democratic ideals. But, is all that really in the hands of a one-term senator with sketchy associations and the blind eye of the liberal media?

No, I did not vote for Obama. I question his capabilities. I question his experience. I question his staffing decisions. I question his role in international negotiations. I disagree with his stance on abortion. I disagree with his over-hyped propaganda-driven campaign. I disagree with the race card and a fear of being politically incorrect protecting him from the scrutiny of the mass media. And, regardless of where he stands on the issues, he is, after all, only a man. One in the more than 300 million Americans that he now represents. Furthermore, he is a man in a position that is delicately integrated into a system of checks and balances that depend on the 535 Congressman and 9 Supreme Court Justices entrusted with federal governance. Regardless of his demographic profile or speech-writing ability, Obama is faced with an incredible set of challenges and obstacles that define our troubled times. The inspirational message of change got him into the presidency, but I fail to believe that the difficulties plaguing our own society let alone those of the rest of the world, are somehow obviated by a change in administration. Beyond him as an individual, I question the logic and sanity of the American public at large. I am uneasy about the future of a country whose citizens vote based on peer pressure and empty accusations of bigotry and ignorance. I fear for the strength of the constitution and the integrity of the Supreme Court in times where "rights" and "equality" have become buzzwords rather than issues of solemn consideration.

The people have spoken and he will be our commander and chief for at least the next four years. So, I will support the office of president and I wish him well. I will support the system that I participated in and the outcome that it produced. In voting, I accept that my decision may not be the one chosen, but that I cherish the opportunity to take part in the process and will respect the outcome.

It is, in fact, a triumph of the democratic system that the transition will be so smooth and the the overall change will be subtle at best. Our system was created to limit the power of the president and the radicalism that marked the royal chambers of European feudalism. And it has done just that. Regardless of political leanings or legislative pull, overall, the president has an incredibly limited scope of real power and Obama's ascension is no exception. That has nothing to say about his symbolic power, his influential power, and his role in foreign policy. The point is I find comfort in knowing that they system worked. There will be no coups, no bloody backlash from unhappy voters, no drastic overhaul of government and the political freedoms we hold dear. Individual issues, yes. Controversial positions, yes. Potentially devastating involvement or lack of involvement in the global arena absolutely. But, in the end, the 300 million Americans glued to their TVs for the upcoming inauguration will go about their lives much as they did prior to the election and the social inspiration will translate into fond memories of political rallies and banner-making. In making his individual impact on the world, I support Obama to take his place as the next American president, though I feel the changes he advocates are much more dependent upon millions of other individuals that are watching him.