It’s been an interesting election cycle. Well, perhaps more than interesting. It’s been an election that has generated much excitement – there have been a record number of new voters as well as a record high voter turn out. But it has also been an election fraught with negativity, particularly in the last four months. Both sides (I said both!) continually slammed the other either in print or television ads as well as in speeches and debates. The candidates didn’t say as much about how they envision their presidency to look as much as they did about the sins of the other candidate.
Now, all this negativity has caused a great rift in our country – one that will take a great deal of time and energy to heal I think (if at all). My hope is that we will be able to come together, that we are in this together. Regardless if you voted for the “winner” or the “loser” (even our terms set us up to be divided), we are all still in this together. I thought both candidates, but John McCain especially, had excellent speeches last night calling for this country to unify. McCain set the tone and I think his speech will enable us to take the first steps, no matter how tentative, back toward unity.
On that note, I found this essay in yesterday’s Washington Post to be very helpful (especially as I was standing in line to vote as I read it). Please check it out.
What are your thoughts?
