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The Aftermath
As I lay in bed Tuesday night, weeping for the future of this country, I started to think about its future and where to go from here. In the aftermath, a lot of Conservatives like myself feel defeated. We are unsure of how to proceed and are split into two segments, both of which I will mention, as to better understand our viewpoints.
There is a segment of us that have decided to support Obama because he is our President. I will definitely get to that in just a moment.
However, another segment feel that that's just not enough of a reason. Those people feel he is just as underqualified today as he was before he won. They worry for the future of our country and what it means for their beliefs and values. These are the people who recognize that, for most of the current administation, liberals insulted our President, using him as a go-to punchline, calling for his impeachment, and generally not showing him any respect for being our President.
These conservatives are now reciprocating those sentiments. They feel that respect is earned, not granted and that Obama has yet to earn their respect. They still remember his conscending remarks towards conservatives throughout his campaign, whether he was insulting their religious beliefs or telling people that they listen to the wrong radio stations and watch the wrong tv shows. It's hard to respect a guy like that just days after a such a close election, separated by only a few million votes overall.
They recognize the undeniable media bias that saw Obama get a free pass so often, but then saw that same press skewer Joe the Plumber for asking a simple question about Obama's policies. The media that would crucify Sarah Palin for a gaffe but downplayed (if mentioned at all) the many gaffes of Joe Biden. They see this media, combined with all three branches of government under the same party, and it is worrisome, much as it would be if all news media was conservative and Republicans ruled all three branches.
But, as I mentioned, there's the other side, choosing to back down and back Obama. Myself, I admit, I fall more to the side described in detail above. And though I will never support the programs and policies of Obama, I worry about a few things.
I worry that I will be just like those loony liberals throughout this current administration, calling for impeachment and questioning if 9/11 was an inside job. The blind rage and venom coming from the liberal left has been downright offensive. And I'm better than that. I'm better than those people. I do not want to be grouped with them or become like them.
At the same time, I worry that if Conservatives just lay down and die, or turn the other cheek, so to speak, it is entirely possible that a mentality may emerge in this country whereby there is a notion that, if the Democrats lose and a Republican wins (in 2012), there will be riots or other forms of rampant hostility (as seen in the past several years from liberals) but, if the Republicans lose again, well, they'll be okay, they'll just turn the other cheek again.
And so it is a fine line we walk. Some, like Mike Huckabee and Elisabeth Hasselbeck (two staunch Conservatives) have chosen to turn the other cheek and support Obama. Others like Michael Graham and Jay Severin (two radio personalities I listened to throughout this campaign) continue with venomous daily reactions to whatever news has emerged.
I can see both sides of it and am caught in the middle. Everytime I see pro-Obama gear advertised online, essentially taunting Conservatives (and really, at this short time after our defeat, anything praising Obama is reacted to as a taunt to us), I cringe and feel anger swell up. But there are other times when I'm, shall we say, more rational, and not as venomous as the aforementioned radio hosts.
Therefore, in an attempt to come to terms with the future of this country and what I personally can do (my role as an American, if you will), I will be taking a (hopefully brief) sabbatical from daily Internet usage. I of course will be back, but I hope that, by removing myself from the immediate aftermath and fallout from the election, I can avoid the excessive partisanship on both sides - by that I mean the excessively angry right and excessively jubilant left - and heal inside on my own without inside influence.
When you next see me online, be it on MySpace, Facebook, AIM, this website, etc., I hope to re-emerge assured of the future and where I stand in its wake, a better man.
See you then.
~ Jason L. Hubsch ~