Every four years, like clockwork, I take off the mask I wear as an American. The one where I will defend to the death our President, no matter how effective or ineffective he is, because I believe he deserves the respect due the office no matter what. And I become a Republican. The reasons inevitably vary as the candidates policies are stated and restated and we become subject to displays of true or disingenuous character.

This year was no different, except for the fact that John McCain was, as a man, someone who I truly respect. The eloquence of and the man we saw as he gave his concession speech was the mark of greatness. To lose with grace and then proceed to throw your support behind the man who has so soundly defeated you? Well, honestly that’s the kind of man I would follow.

But he’s not the President-Elect, Barack Obama is. And after I had spent my requisite twenty minutes of…insert gambit of emotions here…the morning after, I was back to being an American; a man who will be the first to defend to the death our president.

Lauren and I have spoken at length since November 4^th about everything that has transpired, and the recurring thing in my mind that made me the most worried was not the election of Barack Obama, but the response of his supporters.

I’m an old…well I don’t know the actual word I am searching for, a common enough occurrence when I try to speak. So I will just describe it. The only Being my eyes should be turned to in search of hope and reassurance is God. When it gets bad, I don’t blame the people in charge, I don’t disrespect my government, my leaders, and my President. I look to God and ask Him for help and to help guide the people in charge. So for me to watch Obama’s speech, and see people like Rev. Jesse Jackson, or Oprah (Queen Cultist), and everyone else in the crowd stare up at Obama as if they were expecting a dove to fly down and a disembodied voice to suddenly speak, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” really kind of bothered me. And while I know that is not what any of them were thinking, the looks on their faces and the emotion playing in their eyes was enough to give me pause.

I have heard several things about President-Elect Obama’s supporters, one in particular as a sound bite and another as a story. A woman, I can’t remember where she hails from, says in response to a question, “It’s like…I never dreamed that this day would come! I won’t have to worry about paying my mortgage. I won’t have to worry putting gas in my car. It’s like…if I help him out, he’ll help me out, you know?”

Huh? Is this a problem of being lost in translation? Is she saying something that has a deeper meaning than what this sounds like on the surface? Or is this the beginning of a potential problem?

Story number 1: A police officer in a city I won’t disclose in an, I can only assume was a routine lawful response to some young African American Males, was told as they were being handcuffed and lead to the cruiser, “You just wait. On Tuesday, it’s all going to change!”

*Pressing the index and middle fingers of my right hand into the corresponding temple as I stare with incredulity*

Do they believe that? Or is that a natural response? And this just seems to be the tip of an iceberg floating toward the social situation that could be the Titanic that is the American cultural ship. Or maybe I should have used the imagery of the spark falling on the fuse attached to the large keg of gunpowder that is the American cultural barrel.

I’ve been afraid to read blogs because I am sure that I am going to come across some political rhetoric that is going to just piss me off because of the handful of self-absorbed morons who are dancing in the cyber streets about President-Elect Obama’s landslide victory have no doubt have been venting a steady stream of pretty, eloquent words. But I question how you can wax politic about this election representing an end to so many things when those things are the total focus of your statements.

*holds his forehead in the palm of his hands and rubs his eyes with the heels*

I am sick of having to hear about Obama being the first African American President when the man himself went out-of-his-way to represent that he is not an African American elected to the Office of President, but a man elected to the Office of President who also happens to be an African American. I am by no means trying to strip away the historic nature of this election, but I just can’t help thinking that all of the ravenous supporters of Obama have somehow missed a really important puzzle piece in the true message of his campaign. I’m not handing that one to you. Figure it out yourself, but it was something Senator McCain didn’t forget as he told his supporters where he would be during the next four years.

I may have voted Republican, but now that it’s over that is as far as my party line extends. I am an American. I am going to do my part to assist my country and my President in the next four years because if I am divisive, like so many of the responses to President-Elect Obama’s victory have the potential to be, I would be working against what both candidates and this Country wanted.

Unity and Change.

Listen to the words of another great, young, Democratic President and be an agent of change yourself. Bridge the gap. Cross the rapids. Reach out and work for the change that needs to happen. It can't be done by one man, we have to help. We have to look beyond our parties, our differences, our cultures, and declare in one voice, "Yes we can."

Lauren got me looking at failblog.org and I've pretty much been looking at pictures and watching videos all frakkin' day at this point. For the most part I've laughed, except for a ew where I can only just oggle at it because it is so...just so epic and wrong.

THIS however is hilarious. I don't like to laugh when people get hurt, but it was the yamacha flipping off the poor schmuck's head that sends me over the edge every time.