Obama Wins

The election is over, and Mr. Obama is our President-Elect. I congratulate him on an extremely effective campaign and a clear victory. I also congratulate him on becoming our first black president. I hope his presidency helps to heal the racial wounds of our country.

Indeed, I hope that his presidency brings a new tone and new priorities to Washington. I hope that he will embrace his campaign promises to bring Republicans into his administration, and to govern in a post-partisan way. I hope he chooses to govern in a centrist, moderate way.

I pray that his presidency will be as successful as his campaign. I can only pray that he will embrace the best ideas of his candidacy and party, while compromising on the polarizing issues by working with the Republicans. I hope that he will foster diplomacy and peace. I hope that he will decriminalize marijuana and start to roll back the senseless War on Drugs. I hope that he will rely on his advisers who are most qualified and make choices which grow our economy as in the Clinton years, rather than embrace class warfare. I hope that he will reverse the shameful Patriot Act and other criminal violations of our civil liberties. I hope he will close Guantanamo bay and prosecute the War on Terror with respect for human rights and our allies. I hope he chooses to embrace transparency and ends the secrecy and criminal mischief of the Bush regime.

I do not expect many of these things to happen. But I hope they do.