Reflection on the Election

For many of us, it went down to the wire, believing that victory was possible, right up to the point that the toss-up states began falling like ten pins into the Obama column, and it became clear that the polls (God help us) were right and the freshman senator from Illinois had won the day and the keys to the Oval Office. And while this impossibly-long campaign has wrung the starch out of everyone involved, especially the voters, we woke up Wednesday morning knowing that the system works and the task of governing will be passed to the new president just as it has been for the past two hundred, plus years. New faces with new ideas will assume control and history will decide if they are able to deliver on their promises as they face the known and unknown challenges. It is heartening to know that the American Ship of State sails steadily on.

It's never easy to lose, especially in a contest as public and decisive as a presidential election. Those of us that counted on John McCain to carry our standard to victory must work hard to overcome the temptation to finger point and assess blame. Rather than wallowing in the slough of despond, we must try to learn from the results so as to help with the ongoing commitment to promoting our principles. Life goes on and so does the crusade.

One of the basic underlying facts of this election was that on election day, two-term Republican president George Bush held a 25% approval rating. 75% of the American people found his performance lacking. One of the primary reasons for this was the highly divisive Iraq war. The war began amid conflicting intelligence about the existence of Weapons of Mass destruction in Iraq, and the lack of a clear case between Sadam Hussein and Al Queda. John McCain understands loyalty and in spite of his support of the surge that points towards military victory, concern over a clear purpose of the war remained like a throbbing tooth in the jaws of many Americans, even among those providing staunch support for the deployed military. War is a burden, no matter how just its cause. A war lacking crystal clear purpose is, among other things, a political albatross.

The lengthy primary season and the saga of Hillary Clinton diverted attention from the vulnerability of the Republican party until relatively late in the process. While there was a certain schadenfreude in watching the Clinton's get their comeuppance, it seemed to defer coming to grips with the challenges faced by the Republicans attempting to win a third presidential term.

When the financial crisis hit and its murky causes were allowed to be lain largely at the Republicans door, the GOP's fate was probably sealed and it would have taken a super candidate to overcome these challenges. John McCain is a fine man, but he was no super candidate and no one ever said he was. At the end of the day, the vote was certainly decisive enough to clearly establish the winner. But given the handicaps to the Republican cause, it's a wonder that the margin of victory wasn't substantially greater. This is not to quibble. Mr. Obama has won and fully deserves all the laurels due the victor. The ship of state sails on.

At the same time, the lessons of history must be learned lest we risk their recurrence. The View will continue to examine some of the major campaign issues that, had they been handled differently, might have made a difference.