Danielle Levy

The orderly transition from one administration to another highlights something sturdy about the U.S.–Just a few days ago, Democrats and Republicans were at each other like long-sworn enemies. Then came the election and as soon as the winner was declared we became one country. John McCain’s concession speech began a process which was continued by President Bush, an American attitude beyond petty concerns, and heralding a spirit meant to signal that underneath our differences we know how to unite.
I was a child in a French Lycee when I first heard of the transition from one president to another. The teacher,a French patriot, mocked it, deriding the need for the process. That may be the view of the uninformed, but now thanks to television, a smooth orderly,peaceful transition will be seen in many countries, hopefully a symbol of democracy.
One could be cynical and say it is a game, that in McCain, Bush or Obama’s case putting on a friendly front is in their interest. But those of us who have watched U.S.politics a long time realize it is more than a front. It is not a game, but a symbol of the American system, a system where the majority may rule, but do so within limits, within the rule of law, within traditions, with respect for the popular will and regards for the constitution. That is how power is transferred in the United States,through a system based on the ballot box. Ultimately, of course, it hails democracy as the voice of the people,and reminds us that while we believe in the separation of church and state,our system is not devoid of the practice of basic spiritual values, values that guarantee what we hold dear.

To those who are scared about an Obama presidency the answer may be to give him the benefit of the doubt—According to an NBC poll 24% of the electorate feels scared about an Obama presidency. To you who are among those 24%, or to you looking for what to say to those who are scared, I suggest, give the president-elect a chance. We did not elect a savior, nor a Santa Claus, but a leader who will have to deal with the many serious problems before us. Many of you are Christian. Wouldn’t now be a time to practice the best of Christianity: tolerance, charity, understanding, patience? Give him the chance to surprise you. Despite the landslide, he knows there are those he has to convince. All this does not mean you, or I, will agree with everything he does, but even if we disagree we can hopefully see that his decisions will be, as they usually are for presidents, well intended. Give him credit for knowing what he doesn’t know, for looking for that knowledge in those who do. Give him the opportunity to prove himself, to test his mettle and his character. The presidency deserves our respect, no matter who holds the office. That ought to be so even when we are against the decisions of an administration, not because we are stuck for the duration of a presidential term, but because as Americans we believe in the freedom to disagree, and the power of the ballot box.
If I read this new president correctly, then treating him as we would like to be treated were we in a new and difficult spot may help us reap the reward of having given him the benefit of the doubt.

Even after the election ends negative campaigning contributes to a divided country–Both you and Senator Obama have engaged in negative campaigning, but since it seems to me, your campaign and your statements are not only more frequent, but have the potential for more lasting consequences, I’m writing to you. I can understand your grit, your tenacity, your holding on to the outcome you desire saying you shall win. These are qualities that I suspect helped you become the war hero you are. But I don’t understand your distortions of the facts trying to paint your opponent as dangerous, undesirable and unpatriotic. You know that Sen. Obama is not a Muslim;you know that if he were,that would be in line with the freedom of religion guaranteed by our constitution;you know that his relationship to William Ayres is so slim it couldn’t even make him a terrorist by association;you know that his friendship with professor Khalidi couldn’t possibly be the determinant to his policy in regards to Israel. You ostensibly believe that you need this kind of arguments in order to make your case, set yourself apart from Senator Obama, although there are many differences between your approaches and lots to discuss about such vital topics as budgets, taxes, health care. Somehow you keep going back to those negative attacks that make some feel good. But these people are Americans too and they now believe the worst about Senator Obama. If, as it increasingly looks likely, Senator Obama wins, what happens to those you catered to, convinced even? I know some of them. They are actually scared. You can go back to the U.S. Senate, but where do they go? They already feel alienated. They distrust Obama and are ready to distrust anything he would do because they tend to think of him as a form of anti-Christ. Yes, these are mainly the so called Christian right, people you tried to appeal to (or is it appease) by choosing Governor Palin. But it’s like toothpaste being out, it can’t be put back. The country will continue to be divided, and the divide so deep as to be unbridgeable.
If I am right to believe polls and pundits and Obama wins, I hope once you’ve recovered from your loss, that you talk to those who believed your campaign arguments and get them to see they may disagree with a President Obama, but there is nothing to fear.