Waxing positive for the President-elect (and others newly elected)

Called my brother last night not so much to discuss politics as to share with him the unusual and interesting fact that University Baptist Church has been playing host lately to a movie production crew. They are filming “Burning Palms” starring Dylan McDermott and Shannon Daugherty (and Paz Vega – never ignore Paz Vega) at a Mediterranean style house about 400m from us along Highland Road. They are using the church property as their base – place to park trucks feed the crew and so on.

It surprises me how much my brother and I think alike politically. Moderately conservative Republicans with a libertarian bent. (I think that is a fair way to describe our political views.) He is lunch buddies with the Governor of Minnesota although apparently he has not seen Gov Pawlenty for a few months.

Anyways we shared how “upset” we were at first when Sen Obama won the presidential election. “What were the American people thinking?!? Were they thinking?” But how within a single day we began to see this much more positively. America finally has its first African-American president and this is something even moderately conservative Republicans can and should and do celebrate.

It is interesting how many conservative websites commentators and blogs were quick to say “congratulations and well done” to President-elect Obama. Honestly and sincerely.

A few went so far as to note that conservatives/Republicans should wish President Obama genuine success:

When he is inaugurated, President Obama will be my president. He cannot be otherwise. I will disagree with him at just about every turn, likely, and that is my right and duty as an American. However, in an emergency he will have my unqualified support, and I will always wish him wisdom and hope that he may do what is best for this great country of ours. I do not wish – I do not ever wish – to see my country suffer so that I may gain political leverage. If at this same time four years from now, President Obama has acted in such a way to make us more prosperous, more safe and more free, it will be my greatest pleasure to admit I was wrong about the man. I look forward to that day. I hope to see it come to pass.

Read the whole thing here at Eject! Eject! Eject! You do not have to register.

Wise words. You cannot want the President to fail miserably and to see the United States decline and suffer just so the political party you prefer can stage a comeback.

This does not mean conservatives/Republicans are not permitted to function as the Honorable Opposition(tm). Which is why I found the “let us unite now” rhetoric a bit tiresome.

But at the same time we should unite in praying for the President-elect as well as new and returning Senators and Representatives and state legislators and governors and mayors and metro councillors and so on. May God protect them from all harm. May he guide them to govern wisely and justly and with compassion for the widow and the orphan for the poor and the powerless. (Waxing biblical there for a bit. It is okay to invoke the Bible when it sounds liberal right?)

As Dennis Prager recently penned at Townhall.com:

Conservatives will be able to show how much more decently they act when they are out of power.

Or as my brother suggested “that’s the difference between Democrats and Republicans”.

Okay that might be a hyperbolic and sweeping generalization. Yes I am aware that not a few conservatives/Republicans have been showing their uglies since November 05. I had a few hours of ugly myself. But overall – congratulations and well done!