Tim's Concession Speech

This is what Tim stayed up late doing last night to console himself.  His way of saying "good game."

Dear Obama-supporting Friends:

You all know me to be a somewhat sarcastic and jovial fellow, but in all sincerity I am extending my congratulations to you.  I know this moment must be a time of relief and hope for you.  I suppose it is similar to how I felt towards Ronald Reagan as a child and then later on a s an adult  And even though I still feel uncertain and reserve a healthy dose of skepticism, I am extending an olive branch of peace and earnestly wish our country well under President-elect Obama.  I think "losers" in an election have the responsibility to stand back.  Not to do nothing.  But out of respect for the majority who decided, allow the agenda of the "winners" to move forward, adding their input to make the outcomes better for the constituents they represent.  Likewise, the "winners" should in a spirit of good will, work to promote the general welfare.  I think too often we as citizens allow ourselves to be stirred up by the talking heads and pundits to a heightened level of mild hysteria which makes for good news and TV ratings, but does little to quiet the quakings of our common ground.

Our founding fathers gave a few hints as to what those commonalities could include:  love of country, our fellow man, and God.  I only pray that ll three of these commonalities will be strengthened over the next four and perhaps eight years.  For if we are to remain a strong country both in terms of economic prosperity and national security, a love and respect for that trinity must endure--for they are the great assumptions of capitalism and democracy.

One of the things I fear most in the modern liberal movement is secular progressivism.  It is a movement that seeks to perform a global "find and replace" function with the words "God" and "Individual."  When completed, the result will be a world with no anchor of right and wrong, no moral foundation.  We have seen the effects of morality ignored already in our economic crisis, our social structures, and in the sufferings of millions from human rights violations the world over.  In short, the world will ever be in commotion so long as morality plays the part of all things passe.

It is my assertion that capitalism is the most compassionate economic system the world has ever known.  Beginning in the 18th century, its principles gave way to the birth of widespread growth in the middle class.  American, the country that at one time practiced it the best, was the land of opportunity.  Our standard of living has been expanded beyond what any person even 50 years ago could have imagined.  When all of her citizens work tirelessly in pursuit of their own self interest, America is at its best.  If president Obama accomplishes nothing else, he will have given hope without reprise to a rising generation of minorities to know that it is alright to study, to achieve and to escape the bonds of poverty.  But I wish him many more accomplishments that will benefit us all.

So as the torch of leadership passes, let us recall Senator McCain's commonly repeated confession of patriotism: "We are all Americans".  I love my country very much.  My grandfathers fought against her enemies and saw their brothers in arms fall in their advance to protect our shores, defend our way of living and guarantee peace and prosperity for a generation.  But as Ronald Reagan said:

Freedom is just one generation away from extinction.  We don't pass it to our children in the bloodstream; we have to fight for it and protect it, and then hand it to them so that they shall do the same, or we're going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children about a time in America, back in the day, when men and women were free.

It is my hope that President-elect Obama uses his new mantle of responsibility to serve out his time in the selfless service of his country, her citizens, and her God.  For he will swear an oath to God to do just that.  Should his service honor that creed, then he will have won this conservative's vote in four more years.