|
|
The |
|
|
Write:
|
By the time the sun comes up on Wednesday morning, November 8, I fully expect to be experiencing sharp pangs of disappointment. By then, I very likely will know that some of the candidates I was pulling for didn't make it -- that my neighbors and other countrymen had elected the opponents of those I hoped would win. Maybe it won't be too bad for me personally. Most of the candidates I am pulling for are Democrats, and Democrats are expected to do better this go-round than they have done in the last several elections. But there will be "casualties." I am always strongly partisan, and this year even more than usual. I want to see some major changes made, and my disappointment in every losing battle will be keen. Despite that, I know that I will still take an old patriot's delight in the day. Not Election Day. For any true American, the delightfulness of Election Day is a given. The day that I know will be a special delight for me is the next day. I like America on the day after a national election. I like the way we celebrate our personal and party successes, and cuss our failures, then roll up our sleeves and go back to work doing whatever we usually do. That's what really makes us different, and special. There have been several elections in other parts of the world recently, and most of them have been followed by violence and bloodshed. We just don't do much of that. Oh, we will have sharp disputes and maybe some lawsuits about the results of our elections. But when the ardor cools, we accept pretty well the decisions of the majority. The peaceful, willing transfer of governmental power from one group of people to another is a monumental achievement, and we do it every two years. I don't think many people appreciate the wonder of that. The first time I was old enough to vote in a presidential election, the candidates were Democrat Adlai Stevenson and Republican Dwight Eisenhower. I had been paying attention to national politics since the final term of President Franklin Roosevelt, and I was idealistic and eager to vote. With the exception of a lanky old guy from Illinois who's been dead 141 years, I've never been much inclined toward hero worship. But Stevenson came close. He seemed so knowledgeable, and spoke so eloquently. By then I was a budding student of the English language, and his speeches were flawless. In my heart I knew that Stevenson had little chance of beating the World War II hero. Too many people subscribed to the campaign slogan, "I like Ike." But I optimistically stuffed my paper ballot for Stevenson into the wooden ballot box, and the next day suffered the first of a long string of disappointments in presidential elections. My success in picking winners has not been good, and I have not always voted for the Democratic candidate. The tendency has been that when I vote for a Democrat, a Republican wins, and when I vote for a Republican, the Democrat wins. Looking back, if I had it to do over I would not vote for some of the candidates that I did vote for. Well, at least one. But I have always felt good about my vote for Stevenson. I still think that he made the finest statement of principle that I have ever heard from any candidate in any election when he said, "Who leads us is less important than what leads us."
|
All features should be treated as copyrighted by IPS Features and/or the individual authors. Reproduction may be made for individual use. Reproduction for commercial use is prohibited except for use by subscribing members of IPS Features. For information, email pop@ipsfeatures.com.