By Brett Turner
"Russia Warns of Missile Deployment". No big deal. "Rocket Fire and Israeli Strike Disrupt Cease-Fire." No worries. Change is here. We have a savior.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008 had few surprises in store. As his supporters gazed in messianic wonder last night, Barack Obama delivered an address which highlighted the foundation that he has built his campaign upon.
Change. As tears streamed down Jesse Jackson and Oprah's face; Obama made history last night as the first African-American to be elected to the presidency.
With graciousness and dignity, Obama concluded a brilliant campaign which saw not only history made but also a new face of the Republican party.
Several minutes before Obama's victory speech, John McCain stood before a throng of disappointed supporters in Arizona and conceded his defeat to president-elect Obama.
McCain was respectful in his concession, even hushing boos in the crowd as he talked about Obama's victory.
But I'll tell you what. This wasn't much of a surprise. As this race became over the last month an Obama/Palin battle, many of us could see the end.
This McCain campaign was doomed from the start. Standing more on a moderate platform than a Republican, McCain sealed his fate a long time ago.
But this was is it, wasn't it? This middle-of-the-roader plan, this maverick senator we've heard about, wasn't this supposed to work? It couldn't.
McCain was losing even Republican votes and with it, his chances of gaining the presidency.
Even though it doesn't excite me to see Obama as president, maybe this is what the conservative Republican Party needed.
Or rather just the Republican Party. To call it conservative anymore would be a stretch. Conservatives have strayed from their base and have paid for it.
There has been over recent years an attempt by many at re-defining conservatism, to appeal to those moderates.
That's what John McCain did, and it didn't work. When was the last time you heard about liberals wanting to "re-define" what it means to be a liberal?
The fact is that you create a stable party by sticking to those core values and beliefs that have worked in the past. I mean, look at California.
Here's a state that quite handily supported Obama. But then Proposition 8 passed (FYI, that's the ban on gay marriage).
Prop 8, which is pure, unabashed conservatism, wins out because it stands for one thing alone. Call it hateful or unconstitutional, call it what you will. The fact is that on Nov. 4, the majority of blue California stood for conservatism. The Republican Party might benefit from doing so as well.
