FrontPage Magazine

Fromone of my favorite opinionators ...

FrontPage Magazine: "A Historic Victory"

I went to my polling station to vote about 2:30PM. There was one person in line in front of me and my wait was about 2 seconds. So much for the paranoia about the suppression of the vote. There are always screw-ups at election time but it was not until Florida 2000 that these began to enter the folklore of conspiracy which is an American political religion. This year the paranoia got hot and heavy on both sides. Republicans were sure election fraud was going to rule the day and the Democrats would steal the election. Democrats were just as paranoid that racism would deny the first African American his opportunity to be president. Both were wrong.

I am glad that Obama won by a big enough margin to lay to rest any claim the election was stolen. I am glad he won by a big enough margin so that only cranks will continue to claim that the words racism and America can ever be reasonably linked. This is a historic moment in our country's history, and reaffirms our place as the most remarkable nation on this earth. Conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

I think it's important for all my fellow conservatives to take a moment in the next few days to reflect on these facts and not rush into the partisan struggles which are bound to crowd our political space in the years to come. Let us reflect on the fact that sharp as our divisions are, we are a nation that settles our differences at the ballot box and not in civil strife. Let us do the American thing and give this man the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to prove his mettle by assuming his role as the leader of our nation -- one and indivisible; let us see if he will live up to his promises to heal the country's wounds and unify its contending factions. We face a terrible economic test at home, and barbaric enemies abroad. There will be time enough to hold him to account if he does not honor his promises, and to celebrate with him if he does. In the meantime, let us celebrate this historic moment in America's progress, and do everything we can to show the generosity of spirit that has made America a land that we love.