Post-Election Post

I've meant to post on the election since Tuesday but have been running around for work. I had a great chat with a childhood friend Terril Jones, which crystalized my thinking and I wanted to put pen to paper (or key to keyboard) before my 50 year old synapses begin to misfire.

Unlike any other election night in the past where my candidate lost (and I've had a bunch of them) I did not fall asleep sad, angry, depressed, pessimistic or negative. Nor did I wake up this way on Wednesday morning. I felt and continue to feel good about the campaign - even as I wished it turned out a few percentage points differently. Here are the things for which I am thankful:

1) The electorate was energized and engaged in a way we haven't seen in decades. Voter turnout was high among virtually every demographic and interest group measured, but unlike previous races, this turnout was positively motivated towards a candidate rather than against it.

2) The question of race and sex as barriers to the White House were finally laid to rest. No matter that Clinton didn't win the primary; her candidacy - unlike errara's and Palin's was substantive and viable on its own.

3) McCain avoided playing the Reverend Wright card. A horrible move tactically, but the honorable thing to do. He could have Willie Horton'ed this issue to death and reversed his sagging fortunes, but he knew that doing so would have exacerbated the racial divide in this country. I was never a big fan of McCain, but I will forever admire his decision to run a clean campaign. He raised the bar for future campaigns.

4) We are now instantly rehabilitated in the eyes of the world. On Monday morning in the eyes of the world (and particularly the Europeans) Americans were shallow, silly, ignorant, boorish, uneducated and uncouth. On Wednesday morning we're all geniuses - all 300 million of us - even though the voters who made the difference were only 3% of those who voted (1% of the population).

I hope that President Obama is as good a man as he seems.

I hope that his internal compass is guided by ideals and that he stays true to them.

I hope that the country stays engaged and interested.

I hope that political debate will flag and political discussion will grow.

I know that scandal, tragedy and emergency will face this Administration and I hope that President Obama handles each with aplomb and calm and that the country never loses trust or breaks faith with him.

I hope that when in 2012 the next candidate inevitably asks the question "are you better off now than you were four years ago?" their will be a rousing and unanimous chorus of "YES."