First of all, I am proud to be witnessing history. Some 40 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made his "I Have a Dream" speech, his dream is being realized. I told my students to take this in, because they will be telling their children about this in 30 years. Many of the African Americans I work with were literally crying with happiness, and rightfully so. Even though Obama is half-white, this is a huge step for race relations in this country, and Obama's story about his humble beginnings (I highly recommend "Dreams From My Father" if you haven't read it) makes this a true example of the American dream.
That having been said, I am glad he was elected, and I truly believe he will be a good president. I was very impressed with his serious demeanor during his victory speech Tuesday night and his press conference on Friday. He basically said that this was not the time to celebrate- our country is in a big mess and it's time to get to work. He even cancelled the fireworks that were supposed to take place on Tuesday because he thought they would be inappropriate.
Congrats to Obama for running a nearly perfect campaign. Not only did he win the election, but he beat the Clintons! He did not stoop to negative campaigning, his message from the beginning was clear- change and unity, and he managed to withstand every attack the opposition leveled at him. His response to the criticisms about his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright was pure genius. His only blunders were his remark about bitter rural Pennsylvanians clinging to their guns and their religion (which is absolutely true) and the "lipstick on a pig" line (which probably had more people laughing than fuming). However, Obama's biggest supporter was the media. He received so much more coverage than McCain because the media wanted to make history too. Unfortunately this was done at the expense of John McCain.
On the other hand, the Republicans had some big problems, and they are going to have a lot more if things don't change. Right now, McCain staffers and Palin staffers are blaming each other for losing the election. McCain wasn't a bad candidate, but his team was never able to communicate a clear message, and resorted to negative campaigning like Obama worked with so-and-so, and immature scare tactics like his foreign policy inexperience. McCain also used the old chestnut that Obama is another tax-and-spend Democrat. Gee, that's original. Obama even beat McCain on the tax issue. Obama said he won't raise taxes for anyone making under $250,000. Period. McCain wasn't as clear, and Obama wisely went after him, saying he would give tax breaks to companies who send jobs overseas. Naturally, his views on the Iraq war didn't help him either. IMHO, the final nail in the coffin for McCain was Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama. Not only did he turn his back on the party, but it was his way of saying that the Bush Administration's policies were a failure that should not be allowed to continue. Kudos to Powell for such a bold move.
The one thing I agreed with McCain on was a spending freeze on all but a few key government programs until we are out of this mess. Obama may be trying to bite off more than he can chew with expensive plans to improve the nation's infrastructure and building more energy efficient factories and cars. This stuff, as important as it is, needs to wait until we get out of this recession and get our troops out of Iraq. However, I believe we need to bail out the American auto manufacturers ASAP. Too many American jobs hang in the balance here. However, the trade-off here is that the UAW and auto workers should be grateful for having these jobs, and not ask for unreasonable demands like not having to take a payroll deduction for the health plan and unreasonably high pay. I may sound elitist here, but no unskilled worker should make the $75,000-$90,000 per year that some of the workers in these plants are making. The UAW and its ridiculous demands are the reason the American car companies are in this boat in the first place (and placing too much effort on developing trucks and SUVs, and not cars).
Some Cabinet suggestions for Obama: I can't believe I am saying this, but Obama should consider Hillary Clinton for a cabinet spot. She tirelessly campaigned for Obama, and would be a good asset to his administration. Also, Bill Richardson (Governor of New Mexico) has made some important contacts overseas and would make a good Secretary of State. Kathleen Sebelius (Governor of Kansas) and Tom Daschle (former Senate Majority Leader) would do well in the right position. Finally, and most importantly, Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Republican from Nebraska, is a true moderate, and puts his own convictions over those of his party. He would be an ideal choice for Secretary of Defense. And one other thing... Don't ask "The Gov" Ed Rendell to leave Pennsylvania, because we need him here. The Lieutenant Governor has been diagnosed with cancer, and if The Gov serves on the cabinet, and if God forbid something happens to Catherine Baker Knoll, Pennsylvania will be plunged into political chaos. We need a strong governor and a solid government so we don't become West New Jersey!
Finally, it's time to discuss the Republican Party. They have some huge problems right now and they need to make some changes in order to stay relevant. Here are some suggestions.
1. Ditch the Religious Right, and drop the Social Conservative agenda.
The Republican Party has become the party of God-fearing Bible thumpers. We are being told abortion and gay marriage are unholy, and it's the government's job to stop these atrocities from happening. First of all, that's not the government's business. Secondly, in the grand scheme of things, these are issues that affect few people, and we have a nearly infinite number of more important problems to worry about. Unfortunately, these crackpots dictate the party's agenda, and it is scaring off independent voters. This is the reason I left the party. McCain supposedly wanted a moderate like Tom Ridge to be his running mate, but the social conservative wing of the party forced him to go with Sarah Palin, who some argue lost the election for him (I don't agree).
2. Focus on fiscal conservatism, and the true meaning of Republicanism.
The government is too big, too expensive and needs to be cut down. That should be the core mission of the Republican party. True Republicanism is cutting back government, and cutting back on government interference in Corporate America, and letting big business guide itself. Ron Paul was a perfect example of pure Republicanism, and even Libertarianism. However, despite a great deal of grassroots campaigning, the media chose to ignore his message, and he was shut out of the campaign too quickly.
3. For future elections, find the best personalities.
If Obama does well for his first term, no Republican stands a chance, and could lose as badly as Mondale in 1984, so they might as well put up the token opposition and go through the motions. If Obama has problems, the Republicans have some good candidates. All they have to do is look at some Republican Governors with high approval ratings, like Charlie Crist in Florida, Bobby Jindal in Louisiana and Tim Pawlenty in Minnesota (although I am hearing mixed things about him.) I agree with the one columnist who said that the Republicans are just one good personality from a win.
