Last night voter across America with a clear voice said they wanted change. And in a historic election Barack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, has been elected President of the United States. Hopefully President Elect Obama will be the leader that so many of us have invested with our hope, our dreams, and our desires for changed society. Currently Obama has 349 Electoral votes, 52% of the popular vote, and strong majorities in the House and Senate. The next President will face a daunting task of correcting the course of this nation. Leading us out of war, and into a time of peace, out of a recession and into a time of financial prosperity, and to end the inequities if bigotry and hate that have plagued this nation. The mandate of the people has been issued, and now it is the time to sit back and see if we have vested our trust in the right man. With the construction of an administration, and the assembling of a cabinet over the next several weeks, and almost certain supreme court appointments over the next 4 years, now is a time in American history unlike any other, and we have the opportunity to see change first hand, for better or worse.
And on a brief note, my respect to Senator John McCain, for his service and dedication to his country, as well as the classy way in which he ended his campaign without desperate legal challenges and accusations, but with kind words and a call to work together, putting country first. While I have not agreed with his policies, or the way in which his campaign has been ran, John McCain deserves the respect of a grateful nation, which he has served his entire life, as a navy officer and a United States Senator.
Finally, last night despite a national mandate for change, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida have all voted to ban gay marriage. It was a long and expensive fight, filled with attacks that played to people’s fears, insecurities, misconceptions, stereotypes, and prejudices. Let it be known however that this fight is not over. We will not just go quietly into the night. In time, this country will come recognize basic rights for all of its citizens. The history of the world is filled with ideals of hate and bigotry, and time and time again, the better angels of mankind have prevailed, it might not be tomorrow, it might not be next week, next month, or next year. Nevertheless, it will happen, and I truly believe it will happen within our lifetimes. And last night we took a big step towards that by election Barack Obama President of the United States.
