Congratulations From a Conservative

Congratulations to President-elect Barack Obama. As a conservative who has been fearful of an Obama victory for the last several months, I'm more than a little surprised at how calm I am with the dreaded result and how stress-free it is to offer genuine felicitations for the historic win.

Part of my tranquil demeanor comes because of the historic significance of the outcome. Our nation just elected an African-American as our next president of the United States. No matter party or ideology, that color-blind advancement in our electoral process has to make all of us proud.

Another reason for my serenity comes by way of my background. I grew up in abject poverty and was homeless a number of times as a child. By the time I was 17 years old, I had moved 34 times with each move coming because of a forced and often ugly eviction.

I mention that because a number of those evictions deposited me in poor, majority black neighborhoods and schools. I've talked and written about it often in the past, but I honestly look back upon those dysfunctional and traumatic years as more of a gift than a burden. I say that because as a white child, poverty and the random destination of those moves brought me face to face with an enduring truth: my young black friends were no different than me. They were just other forgotten and faceless poor children who were desperately trying to escape an existence forced upon them by the accident of birth. Color made no difference to any of us.

Because of that somewhat unique experience, for the last 20 years or so, I've been pleading with my party in print and on the air to reach out to the black and minority communities. If ever there was an unassailable wake-up call, Barack Obama just delivered it. If the G.O.P. hopes to survive, it has to go after and fight for the minority vote.

While the president-elect and others in his party may disagree with me, my young experiences also taught me there are few people more "conservative," religious, heroic, or law-abiding than a single black mother. An inspirational mindset that would not only do my party a world of good, but has always seemed to me to be a natural fit.

While it may anger some of my fellow conservatives, I want President-elect Barack Obama to succeed. More than that, for the good of our nation and for those I care about, I need him to succeed. No matter the politician or party, rhetoric is easy but results are hard and often fleeting. Rhetoric will not trump terrorism. The nation now needs him to deliver.

As one who has worked on presidential campaigns and then in the White House, I know governing is a far cry from the partisanship of a campaign. Will Mr. Obama jerk the nation to the left to appease the fringe of his party as many on my side predict? I don't think so. Everyday reality and what seems like a genuine desire to reach across the aisle, may temper any such move. And if he morphs into everything the right fears, then so what. The year 2012 will give the G.O.P. another chance to convince the nation that it is the viable alternative.

For the moment, let's all step back, take a deep breath and realize that we just elected an African-American man president of the United States. Wow. That is a testament to the greatness of our nation.

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to Barack Obama's victory in the 2008 presidential election

Comments

[dfranz]

What a concept, a conservative who thinks rationally. I believe that people like Douglas MacKinnon were left behind by the Republican Party. His wish for Obama's success is a truly patriotic statement unlike those who want him to fail. Based on polls a vast majority of the country (75%) felt the country was headed in the wrong direction prior to the election meaning that many who voted for McCain feel that way as well. Those conservative harpies that want him to fail do not want what is best for the country and are a big part of the reason the Republicans lost. The Republican Party needs to reinvent itself or people like Mr. MacKinnon will find their own voice and the Republican Party will dissolve into irrelevance.

[jacobomorales]

Come on over to our side. The women are better looking and a lot smarter!!!

[GuyRC]

What exactly would constitute a "jerk to the left". We are so far off the tracks to the right we can't really go any other direction. You talking communist indoctrination camps or just going back to pre-Bush taxes?

Prop. 8 reveals the wedge issue for Republican minority votes in the future. But you had better use it soon, homophobia is going the way of other conservative beliefs.

[Akindles]

Hi Douglas,

Maybe you should come over to our side. We are generally a happier lot and our parties are a lot more fun!

[Pagon]

"While it may anger some of my fellow conservatives, I want President-elect Barack Obama to succeed. "

And that, "my friends", exposes yet again the core of the Republican Party's approach to our country. To hell with the country if we are not in power.

The Republicans claim to be conservative. They are not. The Republicans are authoritarian. Republicans use the term "conservatism" as camouflage to hide behind while they promote their wedge issues, so they can divide and conquer...and rule. Above all else they must rule.

[chakaAllen]

There is defintely a lot of talk coming from conservatives about this being a "center right" nation. I think, what this election has demonstrated, is that we have to refine this view a bit. Yes, the country is still "center right" with regards to SOCIAL policy. This is evidenced by the success of Proposition 8 in California, for instance. However, the Republican party has to acknowledge that the country is actually "center LEFT" with regards to FISCAL policy. The further right a politician is fiscally, the further away from the general population their policies will apply. Americans have concluded that they do not want the government to sit back and let the American people impode, while funding corporations in the background through additional leverage guarantees and bailouts. They want the government to participate, at some level, to make sure things are fair. And, most people don't care much that the companies traded on stock exchanges are selling for less because they fear additional regulation, because most people don't have enough in the stock market to make a difference anyway (the stock market was NEVER intended for regular people in the first place, but that's another story!).

Being "on the right'" typically means regulating fiscally as little as possible, while regulating socially as much as possible. Americans want a bit of the opposite...more fiscal, less social regulation.

[obamadeus]

Your party's message depends on making their base fear and hate minorities. How can they reach out to the people they're painting as the problem?

[Rhetticent]

As a fellow conservative, I join you in a fervent wish that President-Elect Obama turns out to be the real deal. I've been impressed with him since the 2004 Convention, and often wished that there was a conservative with the same charisma and leadership capacity. He's now my President, and I will support him in every way, reserving my right to voice disagreement over philosophical issues. I listened to his acceptance speech Tuesday night, and nothing would please me more than to have a leader that can reach out to everyone in the country.

Let's all try to help him, beginning with a serious attempt to keep to the issues and avoid the personal attacks when we disagree with people.

[XME]

Everyone should want every president to succeed, and if any of Mr. MacKinnon's fellow conservatives do not agree with that, this country is in sad shape. After all, look at where a failed presidency can took us! People who WANT a presidency to fail, just because it's not the one they support, is someone to fear. If that's the state of the Republican party, they are as doomed to fail in the future as they did in this election.

[poster1122]

Yes and no. Everyone should want the President's tenure to be "successful." But what that really means is that they want him to make good choices in policy that benefit the country.

The rub is that there are fundamental disagreements on what is and is not good for the country. If they believe specific policies are bad for the country, then they should by all means hope that he fails to enact those initiatives and work against him. Nothing wrong with principled opposition.

But if the President is successful in enacting something over their objections, then the opposition should hope that he was right and they were wrong. Because the entire country will have to live with the consequences.

[XME]

True. I certainly wanted the Bush administration to be successful...but THEY blew it. But, I didn't WANT them to blow it just because he's a Republican.

[Outsideadog]

There are many on the right who accept the election result and wish President-elect Obama every success. There is a civilised core to America!

But just check out the sickos responding to Ann Coulter's recent post at Townhall.com. Wow! These people have a real anger problem, and it doesn't have much to do with politics, just personality defects as far as I can see.

See http://townhall.com/columnists/AnnCoulter/2008/11/05/the_reign_of_lame_falls_mainly_on_mccain?page=full&comments=true

I

[keriheb]

Are you talking about the sickos responding to Ann Coulter's post at Townhall.com? Huh? I couldn't get past her article. Who would wake up in the morning and read that dribble? It is obvious she caters to the intellectually challenged and the morally profane. Her article is like intellectual pornography. Yesh! I realize it is your right to do so, but you could raise your own personal bar just a little bit. Why not read the "Council for Foreign Relations" CFR.org. Try the new york times. As i tried to read her article it reminded me of the rabid mouthings of someone in the middle of a "paranoid schizophrenia" event.

If you can take reading her trash, i would think you add a shot of ammonia to your coffee every morning!

[mtranchgirl]

Wow. I don't even know what to say about her. I've been saying throughout this election that we need to accept eachother's differences and refrain from bashing people. But I hope that when she dies she will be reincarnated as a toilet. It would be fitting since she so obviously throws up in one after every meal. Better yet, as the toilet of the most liberal democrat in America.

Ok, that's my one ugly attitude statetment for the year. I've been a good girl throughout the election. I think I'm entitled to at least one!

[prcleburne]

Alice and Sam were a poor black couple from rural middle Tennessee who came to Knoxville to work for my parents in the '50's. My 6 siblings and I had the great fortune to experience their love as we grew up. I am sure this played a significant part in our becoming , unanimously, enthusiastic Barack Obama supporters. Our deepest regret is that Allie and Sam did not live to see this dawning of a new day in America.

[scooperss]

"Because of that somewhat unique experience, for the last 20 years or so, I've been pleading with my party in print and on the air to reach out to the black and minority communities."

Seriously, why are you still a Republican?

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

Perhaps if your party didn't demonize poor people, especially poor non-white people... yeah, that's never gonna happen.

I don't believe that a wedge issue exists that your party hasn't used to demonize one group of Americans or another.

All your party has left is cutting taxes, spin, smears, and pandering to anti-intellectualists and rabid Theocrats, while pretending that your Leadership isn't a bunch of Drunk & Bellicose Frat Boys Partying on a PLATINUM CARD that gets billed to the American Citizens.

You seem like an Old-School Republican and a decent guy so, good luck with CHANGING your party.

[obamadeus]

Divide and conquer was the Republican strategy this year, and it failed. Bill O'Reilly said McCain lost because he didn't appeal to Americans' anger enough or place enough blame on those responsible for the financial crisis. The new Republican party doesn't get it, American's don't want to hate. We don't want to be angry. Those are useless emotions when we have the option of actually working together, solving problems, and moving forward. And many of the people who enabled the financial crisis are also responsible for getting us out, so let's not point fingers.

[stop the spin]

Ditto. If Obama fails my family and I will suffer, the only logical choice is to hope he's successful.

[willfarnaby]

"Will Mr. Obama jerk the nation to the left to appease the fringe of his party as many on my side predict? I don't think so."

Will an entire collection of of Republican leaders, Atwaters, Roves, Gingrichs, DeLays, etc., etc., jerk the nation to the extreme right to appease the certifiable lunatics at the very core (or base) of the party as many on my side predicted? Oh, wait a minute... they've already done so.