Election Day!

Tigerhawk has an excellent post on his hopes and fears for today. So I thought I would add my own here.

First, the self-evident truth is that, no matter whether McCain or Obama wins, they will be my President for the next four years. I will be more pleased today in the event of a McCain victory, but I will be no less proud of my country or supportive of its President in the event of a President Obama being sworn in.

My greatest fear is that, in the event of a McCain victory, Democrats in general and Americans of African ancestry in particular will feel that racism was the decisive cause of Senator Obama's defeat. I feel that will not be the case, that in fact the reason Senator Obama came so close is because of his incredible American journey as the first generation son of a Kenyan immigrant and his considerable personal political talents, despite a dearth of experience and a host of questionable political allies.

My second-greatest fear is that the world will recoil even further from us in the event of an Obama defeat. We cannot control that reaction, but I hope it does not occur in the event of my candidate winning the Presidency.

My great hope is that, no matter who wins, this election represents a tremendous chance for renewal of these United States. President Bush will be gone as of January 20 next year (while his foreign critics the Castro brothers, Hugo Chavez, and the Iranian ayatollahs continue in their ever-longer despotism), and I suspect all political sides in this country will be relieved to see him go.

I am a tremendous optimist, and I believe still that this country's best days are ahead of her. I can't wait for the next chapter in our country's history to begin, starting with this momentous day.