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7:55 p.m. - 2004-11-03 And Now We Begin AgainI remember waking up the morning after elections in which my candidate lost. After all the hoopla, fun, cheering on, hoping, praying and listening to the heartening and often ugly words going back and forth; After a night of watching every second of returns and the maps with sections slowly turning blue or red....the morning finally comes and the dust settles and in the end, there can really be only one winner...one winner of the election that is. I remember waking up mornings like that saddened, often shocked, sure that America was going to come to an end right then and there. It is the post election hangover. You wonder, what truck just hit you...blinking in disbelief that you had such high hopes and now it's over. In the last election, there was hangover for everyone. I remember waking up with the biggest headache I have had since my drinking days. Not only was there no satisfaction, or no clear winner, there was no closure and the ugliness went back and forth for another month. Today, I know that some of you are feeling like shit. I don't blame you. I would feel like shit too. Elections strain our National Emotion. Above I mentioned that there was only one winner....however in reality, we are all winners. We hold national elections and they seem to get ugly....Not everyone is happy in the end, but my friends, we do this all without spilling so much as a drop of blood. As I watched Senator Kerry deliver his concession speech today, my heart went out to him. Men who run for President usually have their eye on the office for much of their adult lives, hoping that one day they would get their chance to show America what they are made of. Senator Kerry had his chance this year and it will likely be his only chance. A dream that was hard fought for, but in the end, not won. As I watched him deliver his eloquent and heart warming speech, I silently thanked him for having the class to accept defeat and not drag this nation through the trials of the election of 2000. His speech was gracious and hopeful for the future of America. His words reminded me that, although our elections can appear ugly, they are really a spirited contest that in the end, Unite us as Americans rather than divide us. After watching Senator Kerry today, I know that had the cards fallen a different way, I would be hurting inside as badly as some of you who put your hopes in him, however I know that I would eventually accept him as my President. After the dust settles and as the days go on....so will America and so will we, United as Americans. P. I. Yarnsmith
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