November 03, 2004
Words of Wisdom
Pejman has an excellent post up about the election:
Because of all of the vitriol accompanying the last four years, and this Presidential campaign, one is tempted to gloat and take delight in what must be the suffering of those who hated this President with a passion. One must, however, resist the temptation. Those who marginalize themselves from American politics because of their bitterness (and whether they are politicians, or citizens, or citizen-bloggers, it is not necessary to mention their names--we all know of whom we speak, after all), will not need our help to be further marginalized. Those who retain the true spirit of the American democratic republic--who realize that in this system of ours, we win some, we lose some, and in the end, we gather together to unite our country--will naturally evince their maturity and their patriotism, stand fast to their principles, but tip their hats to the President and to those who in this election, had their views prevail. We are all Americans in the end. We need not abandon our principles, but we will recognize the valor of respectable and respected members of the other side, and we will honor the results of our national decision. If some refuse to engage in this time-honored tradition, then they make their own beds, and mark their own characters for others to judge. Seeking them out and laughing at them is superfluous.
Obviously, it's a bit easier to be serene and benevolent when your side wins, but that doesn't detract from the ideas and sentiments expressed in the post in the least. For my part, I hope that Bush will take the power this mandate provides him and use it for the good of Americans as a whole. He no longer needs to consider the political implications of any of his policies (which really shouldn't be done in the first place) and now can act solely to repair the problems we now have. Although I doubt he will suddenly reverse course on the environment, social issues, his disdain for science, his tax policies, or foreign policy—all areas where I feel he has made numerous large mistakes—I do hope that he manages to recognize at least some of his errors and adjust accordingly. It is not a sign of weakness to admit mistakes. However, if he continues along the path we've seen for the past four years, I hope that my own judgment of those policies has been radically mistaken. Naturally I don't think it has, but I hope so for everyone's sake.