November 4, 2008 Landmark Day in U.S. History

This past Tuesday was the culmination of a truly historic election. Throughout our nation's history certain elections standout as markers of major cultural and systemic shifts. Some previous examples follow:

• 1800: our country's first peaceful transition of power as Jefferson defeated Adams, with the help of Bayard of Delaware who cast the deciding vote as the election ended up in the House)
• 1860: Lincoln's election as the first Republican president
• 1932: FDR's election
• 1960 Kennedy's election
• 1974: Watergate
• 1984: "Morning in America"
• 1994: the Contract with America and the reinvigoration of American conservatism

Add to that list 2008 and the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States and Joe Biden as his Vice President. It is important to note that Americans of good character, intelligence and good will supported both candidates for president this year. Both John McCain and Barack Obama are extraordinary men and followed singularly remarkable paths to their respective parties' nominations. Both are patriots whose inclination is to put the interests of our great nation before their own.

Now that the election has ended and the slings and arrows from both sides have ceased, the significance of President-Elect Obama's election can be acknowledged. In the words of his worthy former opponent Senator John McCain:

"Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer in my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day, though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.

Senator Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country, and I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.

I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences, and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited."

Senator McCain meant what he said. That is the beauty of our democracy. The peaceful transition of power after a hard fought campaign is the continuation of a tradition as old as our republic and an example set by no less than John Adams and Thomas Jefferson who, after a lengthy and contentious campaign, saw an electoral college deadlock broken in the House of Representatives.

Patriotic Americans can and will still argue about the appropriate role and size of government, the correct approach to providing our children education and access to quality health care, America's role in the world and the proper place of religion in the public sphere. These important and robust debates will outlive many who occupy the national stage today. One thing that is not open to debate is that school children throughout the land can honestly be told by their teachers, parents and guardians: "You could grow up to be president of the United States." God Bless America.

Our heartfelt congratulations go to President-Elect Obama and Vice President -Elect Biden and the Obama and Biden families. We also gratefully acknowledge the service of Senator John McCain.