'Congratulations' is a word many of us are choking on right now.
John McCain will always be a man of class.
This article was posted on yahoo's news site... so I decided to paraphrase and post it, in case you didn't get a chance to read it. Personally, I am terrified at what Obama is going to do with our country in the next four years. It has nothing to do with him being an African American... although, I'd be lying if I said it has nothing to do with his Muslim affiliation. After all... they ARE the ones who destroyed our trade centers. The people who, when my husband goes away, has seen posters displayed of our trade centers as they rejoice our thousands dead. It is not just the liberal Muslims who believe Christians need to die, it is in the Koran. I am from Illinois, and am VERY well aware of Obama's corrupt politics. He is truly NOT a man to be trusted. When it was announced he was our new president, my stomach literally became sick. I am worried at what kind of a mess our next president will have to come in and fix. But I will try to do as McCain has asked... and support our new leader, as any true American should.
McCain's campaign was derailed by the most hostile environment his party has faced in decades, with voters blaming Republicans for the meltdown of the markets, a looming recession and the burden of two wars. His troubles were compounded by his struggle to show leadership during the financial crisis. It may have turned out that no Republican could have won.
Polls showed a growing perception among voters that the senator was weak on the economy, the issue that mattered the most to them. If this were a car race, the financial package was the equivalent of a flat tire that McCain never seemed to be able to recover from.
McCain also never recovered from his association with President George W. Bush, who will leave office with some of the lowest job-approval ratings in history.
McCain had spent years cultivating the image of a Washington maverick, having led fights to curb campaign-spending abuses and wasteful congressional pet projects. Then, in a bid to attract the Republican base, he embraced the president's tax cuts and other initiatives. He was also among the most ardent supporters of the war in Iraq. That enabled Obama to depict McCain as anchored in the policies of the administration and himself as the agent of change.
McCain headed into the race believing that unscripted town-hall meetings would be his ticket to victory -- allowing him to intersperse jokes and snippets of his life story with ....straight talk'' about America's problems.
For months, McCain also refused to criticize Obama for his past association with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, his former pastor in Chicago. When McCain finally began questioning Obama's links to William Ayers, a former terrorist, the belated attacks made McCain look desperate instead of concerned.
Ultimately, it was the economy that did McCain in, playing to his biggest weakness and Obama's greatest strength.
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I'm sure many of you received this same email. I was pretty touched by it... just goes to show another sign of McCain's character. It's a shame your character isn't what gets you into the White House.
My Friend,
From the time I entered the Naval Academy at age seventeen I have been privileged and honored to serve my country.
Throughout my years of service, I've been faced with challenges where I could have taken the easy way out and given up. But I'm an American and I never give up. Instead, I choose to show courage and stand up and fight for the country I love. Today, I am asking you to stand with me and to fight for our country's future.
Our country faces enormous challenges and our next president must be ready to lead on day one. My lifetime of experience has prepared me to lead our great nation. I'm prepared to bring solutions to our economic challenges, bring our troops home in victory and improve our nation's healthcare system.
Time and time again, my country has saved my life and I owe her more than she has ever owed me. I have chosen to show my gratitude through a life of service to our country and tomorrow, you will have a choice before you.
I humbly ask you to make the choice that will allow me to serve my country a little while longer by casting your vote to elect me as your next President of the United States.
Finally, I ask that you never forget that much has been sacrificed to protect our right to vote. We must never forget those Americans who, with their courage, with their sacrifice, and with their lives, have protected our freedom. It is my great hope that you will exercise your right to vote as an American tomorrow.
I thank you for your kind support, your dedication to our cause, and most importantly I thank you for your vote.
With sincere appreciation,
John McCain
