Election 2008

Now that a few days have elapsed since November 4, I would like to weigh in with a few brief thoughts concerning this year's presidential election:

(1) American voters made a conscious decision to elect Barack Obama with a margin of several million votes, and I respect their right to make that decision. I do not agree with Obama on a number of issues, but he will be the president of all Americans as of January 20, 2009. Indeed, as Christians, God has given us the privilege and obligation to pray for our new president. Nancy and I intend to do just that.

(2) John McCain, the candidate for whom I voted, ran a campaign against fairly overwhelming odds. President Bush's unpopularity, the War in Iraq, and the tanking of the economy in recent weeks all worked against McCain's election. Also, McCain was not as conservative as I would have liked, but he was the best choice that I had on Election Day. No matter who the Republican candidate might have been, it was an uphill proposition this year.

(3) Although President George W. Bush has had many detractors during his eight years in office, I have been saddened by the fact that so many of those who have opposed him have engaged in vicious and unwarranted ad hominem attacks on his personal character. It is possible to disagree with his policies without having to resort to character assassination. George W. Bush is a decent and honorable man. He will be able to go back to Crawford, Texas, knowing that he did his best. He made mistakes as president, but he was not the evil caricature that some on the Left would have us believe.

(4) I trust that during the next four years conservatives will be very careful in their criticism of President Obama. He will support causes that I disagree with; he will oppose causes that I support. My political obligation is to call attention to those issues, but my moral obligation is to support him as the president of ALL the American people. Remember that there will be another election, and President Obama will be held to account by the American people. As a nation, we can disagree with our president and still support him as our president.

These are my preliminary thoughts on the recent election. As they say in Congress, "I reserve the right to revise and extend my remarks."