Early Wednesday afternoon, Sen. John Kerry made his official concession speech. He called on both his party and the country to come together in a difficult, divisive time.
He beat us to it.
Earlier this semester, the two of us agreed that as soon as the election was over -- regardless of the victor -- we would sit down together and tell America (via the collective State Press readership) to freakin' chill.
We figured we're uniquely qualified: Eric's shipping off to join the Army in January, and Brian will continue to work for the State Department after he graduates. In other words, we'll both be working for "The Man" come next year, no matter who's in charge.
We've heard a lot of rhetoric over the past year about how divided the country is, and it's absolutely correct. President Bush came into office through a controversial election, suffered the worst attack on our soil in history and engaged us in an entirely new kind of war. The protests against Bush reached perhaps unprecedented levels in terms of both numbers and vitriol.
But despite it all, Bush won. Like it or not, he scored a decisive victory not only in the Electoral College, but also in the popular vote. He won a majority rather than a plurality of the country, something that has not happened since 1988.
Still, looking at pure percentages, it was only 51 percent, leaving John Kerry with approximately 48 percent. In terms of national elections, that's a solid Bush win, but that doesn't change the fact that nearly half of America voted for Kerry. That's a lot of liberals.
In a nod to his supporters and detractors alike, Kerry conceded the presidential race, sparing the country a Midwestern version of the 2000 Florida debacle. The race to lead this nation came down to a battle for the state of Ohio, and a close contest wasn't close enough for Kerry to wage a bitter and protracted fight.
Regardless of which side of the political fence you land on, there really is little room to complain about the manner in which this election was conducted. Given recent examples, the race can be considered a lot less flawed than the last time around.
And the highest voter turnout in 36 years -- since Nixon beat Humphrey -- is nothing to sneeze at. We don't think anyone can say that the country hasn't spoken, but that doesn't mean that everyone agrees.
There are still plenty of issues left: gay marriage looms on the horizon, the Supreme Court will have vacancies and the Iraq conflict isn't over by a long shot. Conservatives think that a Kerry victory would have meant an incompetent handling of the war on terror and reckless social spending; liberals think Bush will continue to trash our worldwide reputation and inhibit social progress.
But it's not just government employees like us who have to get by: it's everyone. Americans would be better served on the whole by realizing that the democratic process is supposed to work in exactly this way. Bush's second term will be far from flawless, but no one could have expected perfection from the Kerry team, either.
No more of this business about a stolen election. No more unnecessary divisiveness. It's entirely possible for everyone to get along. As we've heard endlessly, we were all united right after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
That was different, of course; it's much easier for a nation to come together in unexpected tragedy than in making proactive choices. But it still serves as an example for the inner patriotism residing in almost all of us, and if we could reach back to even a fraction of that, we can make it through to the next presidential term.
America will survive. America always survives. Conservatives lived through eight years of Clinton and liberals can put up with two terms of Bush.
This is not a time for boasting in victory or carping in defeat. This is a time for healing. Citizens should feel as free as ever to offer the administration criticism and support alike, but the time for the overblown rhetoric and hatred is over.
This election was hard-fought, and no one can deny that. America has been granted a voice, and a majority of voters (even if not an overwhelming one) has spoken.
"Four more years" in no longer just a campaign slogan or a chant, it's a fact of life. America has a responsibility to stand behind their elected officials -- Democrat, Republican or otherwise.
This country's not going anywhere except together.
Eric Spratling is a public relations senior. Send him your partisan whining at Eric.Spratling@asu.edu
Brian Clapp is a biology and political science senior. For a good time, e-mail Brian.Clapp@asu.edu
