Election 2008 – Either way we dodged a bullet

The disappointment many of us felt on Election Night 2008 really began ten months prior – when John McCain made his unlikely comeback in New Hampshire on January 8th. He was never the best candidate to defeat Barack Obama, nor was he the best standard bearer for the conservative voice in America. Not by a long shot. He may be an American hero and an honorable man, but his inability to fully grasp (let alone articulate) the fundamentals of true conservatism weakened him with his base, and with the general electorate. Just ask yourself how many times, during the three Presidential debates, you found yourself screaming at the television incredulous at McCain’s refusal to stand up to Obama’s sophistry. Anyone who lets his wealth-spreading opponent get away with co-opting Republican “tax cutting” rhetoric doesn’t deserve to win. Now the President-Elect is “ready to rule on day one” and many of us (especially those of us who care about the Life issue) are deeply troubled. But I like silver linings. I need them. WIth McCain no longer in the position of being the de facto representative for conservatism, we now have a tremendous opportunity. It’s time for us to purge our ranks, relearn what it means to be a consistent social and economic conservative and look for new and persuasive ways to not just articulate, but implement conservative principles on the ground. When those ideals are actually applied, not just touted, you get real results. But enough about Bobby Jindal.

The point is this: we dodged a bullet either way. To be sure, the bullet of Barack hurts far more than would have that of McCain and we’ll suffer longer because of it. But let’s not forget, from the ashes of Jimmy Carter rose Ronald Reagan. We mustn’t squander this opportunity to refine.