And now, it's over
The concession speeches and the victory statements have been duly given. John Kerry and John Edwards were gracious in defeat, President Bush and Vice-President Cheney were inspiring in victory, and Campaign 2004 is behind us.
I resisted the temptation to run down to the Reagan Center for POTUS's victory statement, as much as I would have loved to have been there; after all, I have to work tonight. But there's a sense of closure brought by the proper use of that most civilized of American political customs, the concession statement and the victory speech. Both candidates played their roles well.
Let it be remembered of John Kerry that, knowing how traumatic another fiasco like 2000 would have been for America, he loved his country enough to spare it that- and, like defeated presidential candidates of decades past, opted for healing rather than rancor once the verdict of the people had been rendered.
Let us hope that the bitterness passes now. George W. Bush is the first President since his father, in 1988, to win an absolute majority of the popular vote- which, if the truth be told, just wasn't all that close (51%-48%; Dick Cheney was off by one point). He has a mandate. No honest person can now deny his legitimacy.
It's interesting that Tom Daschle went down to defeat yesterday. Someone else- probably Harry Reid of Nevada or Chris Dodd of Connecticut- will lead the Democratic Senate minority as the second Bush term begins. There will be new personalities and new challenges in a different political context. Perhaps there can be a new beginning.
Perhaps John Kerry's greatest contribution to his country is yet to come: helping it to heal.
Next time out, whatever debates and disagreements and clashes of personality or policy there may be, the spectre of Florida and Election 2000 will be gone- and hopefully the hatred and rancor of the past four years will be gone with it.
Maybe we all can act like Americans again, and disagree like countrymen instead of hating like animals. In that respect, may the second term of George W. Bush be nothing whatsoever like the first.
I resisted the temptation to run down to the Reagan Center for POTUS's victory statement, as much as I would have loved to have been there; after all, I have to work tonight. But there's a sense of closure brought by the proper use of that most civilized of American political customs, the concession statement and the victory speech. Both candidates played their roles well.
Let it be remembered of John Kerry that, knowing how traumatic another fiasco like 2000 would have been for America, he loved his country enough to spare it that- and, like defeated presidential candidates of decades past, opted for healing rather than rancor once the verdict of the people had been rendered.
Let us hope that the bitterness passes now. George W. Bush is the first President since his father, in 1988, to win an absolute majority of the popular vote- which, if the truth be told, just wasn't all that close (51%-48%; Dick Cheney was off by one point). He has a mandate. No honest person can now deny his legitimacy.
It's interesting that Tom Daschle went down to defeat yesterday. Someone else- probably Harry Reid of Nevada or Chris Dodd of Connecticut- will lead the Democratic Senate minority as the second Bush term begins. There will be new personalities and new challenges in a different political context. Perhaps there can be a new beginning.
Perhaps John Kerry's greatest contribution to his country is yet to come: helping it to heal.
Next time out, whatever debates and disagreements and clashes of personality or policy there may be, the spectre of Florida and Election 2000 will be gone- and hopefully the hatred and rancor of the past four years will be gone with it.
Maybe we all can act like Americans again, and disagree like countrymen instead of hating like animals. In that respect, may the second term of George W. Bush be nothing whatsoever like the first.
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