Brad Cummings, Local Republican Chairman: "Obama's My President, Too".

Local Republican chairman: 'Obama's my president, too'
By Brad Cummings

As with 57 million of my fellow country men and women, Nov. 4 was a difficult day to swallow. Despite hours upon hours of dedication to the McCain/Palin ticket and the issues they championed, our side failed to make a compelling enough case to the American people. Do I think that many Americans missed the boat on this election? Yes. Am I concerned that President-elect Obama will employ many socialistic and therefore destructive policies during his tenure? Enough to keep me up at night. And do I pray that he will realize we cannot completely remove ourselves from the battlefield in Iraq, at the risk of losing all that we have gained since 2003?

Without a doubt.

These concerns and heartfelt beliefs were what painted my transition from stage actor to politico and eventually led me to serve as the Jefferson County Republican chairman.

And yet, the people have spoken. Whether their votes were motivated by policy, a desire for change, the lure of an unprecedented candidacy or a combination of these and other factors, very soon we will be led by President Obama. He will be the President of the United States, the commander in chief of our Armed Forces and the leader of the Free World. But most importantly, he will be my president and I call on all Republicans, Democrats and Independents who did not vote for him to take the same perspective.

Those of us who supported President Bush over the last eight years can speak very eloquently about how destructive blind hatred toward our president can be to this great republic. I refuse to join the shrill, immature masses of liberals who could not pass the butter at their dinner table without spouting such literary gems as "Selected Not Elected" and "Bush Lied, People Died." Because as much as I would like to write off their anti-Bush Tourette's Syndrome as unimportant and inconsequential, their kneejerk epithets proved to be far more damaging. The "not my President" sentiment over time seeped into our national subconscious and divided our nation in many unfortunate and potentially irreversible ways.

By no means does this indicate I will support Obama's every policy or that I will take a giant ideological leap leftward. To the contrary, I choose to set an example as a card-carrying member of the loyal opposition; evenhanded enough to praise Obama when he succeeds and yet daring enough to protest when he leads our country in the wrong direction. After all, there is nothing more American than protest, as long as it is civil and respectful.

Besides my God, wife and family, there is nothing I love more than my country. We are the greatest nation in the history of the world and will continue to be for many years to come. Yet despite ideological differences with many of my fellow Americans, we have far more in common than not. One of those is a president who should and will have our full support despite his or her political party. If we learned anything from the last eight years, it should be that not showing respect for our president and the office he or she holds will only hurt our country in the long run.

I am an American first and Republican second. That is why President Obama is my president, too.

Brad Cummings is chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. His e-mail address is bradford.cummings@gmail.com

Editor's comment: Brad, I too, I'm an American first (actually second, as I am a child of God FIRST) before I am a registered Republican, and I share your sentiment as you have expressed the same here.

I am confident that the party needs people like you and me to REFORM it, and I look forward to your future on the state party level.-- maybe as state party chair.?