I’m so proud of my country tonight. Barack Obama has become the next President-Elect in an historic Presidential race that saw the best and the worst emerge from everyday Americans. His acceptance speech was moving; not only did he emphasize the importance of individuals to his campaign, he also brought up the topic of humility and addressing the country’s problems together. We can indeed find common ground to work on the most threatening problems to our country.

I’ve had a lot of difficulty even listening to the Republican point of view over the past eight years. I don’t doubt that the neoconservatives in the Bush Administration used and abused the differences of opinions between people in America to drive a wedge between us all – public, house, senate, and media. However, Obama’s campaign has gone beyond just earning my vote; it has also made me reconsider my emotionally charged reactions towards GOP talking points.

The first was Joe Biden’s anecdote about motives during the Vice Presidential debate:

I have been able to work across the aisle on some of the most controversial issues and change my party’s mind, as well as Republicans’, because I learned a lesson from Mike Mansfield. Mike Mansfield, a former leader of the Senate, said to me one day — he — I made a criticism of Jesse Helms. He said, “What would you do if I told you Jesse Helms and Dot Helms had adopted a child who had braces and was in real need?” I said, “I’d feel like a jerk.” He said, “Joe, understand one thing. Everyone’s sent here for a reason, because there’s something in them that their folks like. Don’t question their motive.”

Joe’s point is that although we may oppose other peoples’ political views, we should not succumb to prejudice about their character. Barack Obama’s campaign has shown that you can address the American public with maturity, dignity, and calm assertiveness, and still win the highest office in the nation. We can’t mistrust an entire segment of Americans simply for identifying with some policy views of the Republican party.

We can and should argue strongly with logic and passion when we disagree, but we cannot forget that our opponents are Americans too. I believe that both Obama’s acceptance speech and McCain’s concession speech strummed on this chord, and I sincerely hope that the political bases of both parties can be mature enough to rise to a more respectful level of discourse, and heal the wounds of divisiveness that have proven so profitable for the special interests in this country. Now let’s see what we can accomplish in the next four years.