Well, it's all over.

After two years, fifteen major party candidates, a primary season that went down to the very end, $150,000 dollars worth of clothing, and a number of electoral votes still undecided, the screaming...the rabid crowds, the heated rallies, the talking heads, and the drunk-on-the-Kool-Aid screaming has stopped.

And for the first time in its history, the United States of America has elected an African-American to serve in its highest office.

On a mandate of sweeping change, Barack Obama (D-IL) is now President-Elect Barack Obama (D).  He did what many people thought was impossible with a campaign that was nothing short of perfection, one that sets the new standard for all campaigns to come.  He shattered the electoral map and turned red states to blue.  He won in demographics previously thought were solid in the GOP's corner.  He increased the size of the electorate and turned out a huge number of new voters, not just among the first-time-able-to-vote voters, but the never-gave-a-damn-until-he-came-along voters.  And he gave the Republican Party a good, swift kick in the crotch, complete with follow-through.

The country moved towards the left in this election.  Beyond Obama's electoral near-landslide, he was the first Democratic candidate in years to win a majority of the popular vote.  In nearly every demographic one could possibly conceive of, more then 50% voted for Obama.  Men, women, whites, blacks, high school educated, college educated, and every age group save seniors put the majority of their votes towards electing Obama.  A victory rarely gets more definitive then Obama's...it wasn't quite a Waterloo, but it was definitely a Leipzig.  For better or worse, the Republicans have been exiled to a political Elba and are going to have to work hard to get back to where there were just a few short years ago.

So, now that it's all said and done...the people have spoken, the votes have been counted, the confetti has fallen, the balloons have deflated, and this morning, there probably isn't a single person in Chicago waking up alone...the big question becomes this. 

Now what the hell happens?

*****

The Democrats have control of the House, the Senate, and the White House.  They have a mandate for change.  They have grand ideas.  President-elect Obama said in his victory speech that he will attempt to heal divides and bring the country together, and continue to make America a driving force in the world. 

To this, I say simply...Mr. Obama, show us that America made the right call.

I opposed your campaign because I believed you would spend recklessly, tax excessively, withdraw our troops foolishly, and weaken our values socially.  I still believe these things.  You ran an incredible campaign, got a huge numbers of voters, and most importantly, have inspired people with your words and deeds.  I am not one of them.  I will be watching your Presidency closely.  Will you attempt to work with Republicans?  Will you bring government spending back under control?  Will you make health care more affordable without nationalizing it?  Will your economic plan hurt or harm the engine of this country?  I believe "no" on all these things.  But maybe you'll surprise me.  Maybe you'll appoint a Republican like Richard Lugar to your Cabinet as Secretary of State.  Maybe your claims of providing tax cuts to the middle class (however it's been defined this week) will come to pass.  Maybe you will go through the budget line-by-line and cut out pork and excessive spending.  Maybe, indeed, you will build on your pledge of "hope" and make American better. 

I hope, sir, that you do. 

I don't believe for a moment that you will. 

Prove me wrong.

*****

The Republicans took it on the chin in this election.  Losing control of Congress in 2006 was hard enough, but the electoral and voter shift brought about during this campaign is nothing short of a major step backwards for the GOP.  The Presidency of George W Bush, at least from the perspective of the Republican's power, has been an epic failure.  The loss by McCain can be laid more upon the shortcomings of the Bush Administration then anything else, which brought about a nation sick of the bumbling Bush Administration, the culture of corruption on Capitol Hill, and the K Street lobbyists shoving money and favors in the GOP's direction.

What the Republicans are facing right now is a dark night of the soul.  In 1994, the GOP had their own mandate that swept them into power after nearly half-a-century of the Democrats running Congress.  14 years later, that mandate has been definitively repudiated.  The "Solid South" has been broken by Obama.  Secure Republican states have switched to the Democrats.  And their power and image in Washington has been shattered.

It's time, right now, for the Republicans to redefine who they are and what they stand for.  One of McCain's failures in his campaign was that he never was 'on message' for any length of time.  He scattershotted with the issues, bounced from strategy to strategy, and never showed any consistency.  As such, the public never realized what he stood for, and at times, the party faithful themselves never knew what he stood for, and maybe at times, even McCain may not have known what he stood for! 

The bright shining light of the GOP Presidential run was the pick of Sarah Palin.  For better or for worse, loved her or hated her, think she had the goods or think she was a bubblehead (and these were opinions within her own party!), she energized the conservative base of the Republican Party, a base that had felt very 'meh' about McCain.  While one could make the argument that a pick like Mitt Romney or Tom Ridge would have appealed to more moderates then Palin, what the pick of Palin did was show that there still IS a conservative base in the Republican Party, the base that supported and carried the party during its last set of glory days under Ronald Reagan. 

For the Republican Party to claw its way back to prominence, it needs to re-embrace and define conservatism for a new generation of voters.  The very words "Republican" and "conservative" are besmirched by pop culture.  Our leaders have been defined as "incompetent" and "buffoons" and in some cases, "evil."  What's required is for the GOP to re-brand itself in a positive light - not as the "pro-war, pro-prisons, pro-rich, anti-immigration, anti-gay" crowd, but as the "pro-defense, pro-law, pro-prosperity, pro-legal immigration, pro-state" party, who wear the words "Republican" and "conservative" proudly.

The coalition of four groups that make up the Republican Party need to focus on suppressing infighting and work on bi-partisanship within their own party, and show new voters, and possibly soon-to-be-disillusioned Democrats, that there IS an option they can take.

Financial and small government conservatives need to focus on making sure the GOP is the party of smart budgetary and financial decisions.  "Lower taxes for all, but responsible spending by the government."

Social conservatives need to realize that, in this day and age, the federal government can't and shouldn't mandate social decisions.  Matters of gay marriage, legalized gambling, abortion rights, medical marijuana, should be passed down to all 50 states to vote on.

Foreign policy conservatives need to realize that America can't and shouldn't be the world's policeman.  Focusing on a strong defense while downplaying the United Nations and realizing that world events should drive foreign policy will go a long way towards fixing such skepticism. 

The Religious Right needs to realize that it needs to quiet

down.  Right now, religion and politics do NOT go hand-in-hand.  It is entirely possible to firmly state your values and beliefs without invoking the phrase "God's gonna smite you," which doesn't endear your position to one's opponents.

The "we're pro-America, liberals are anti-America" crowd, to put it simply, needs to shut the hell up.  You don't help, you make the GOP look bad, and you continue to provide ink and paint to the image that the GOP currently has.  If someone wants to legally come to this country and work hard, like our ancestors did, then we should welcome them with open arms.  And liberals don't hate America.  They may not like the current Administration, they may be vocal about things America does, but no one goes into the booth on Election Day going "Hah hah, with this vote, I'm going to ruin America forever!  Hah!"  Misguided, maybe.  Hateful?  No.

The journalists, the radio hosts, the bloggers, and the new media wing need to realize that the reason William F. Buckley was such a successful conservative to both his own party AND to the liberals across the way is that he was civil, charming, and respectful.  To him, "liberal" wasn't a dirty word.  He engaged his party calmly and intelligently in the Arena of Ideas, treating them with respect, as opposed to insulting them, screaming over their words, and denouncing them as "un-American."  It's impossible to claim the moral and intellectual high ground when you're covered in mud, and damn near impossible to get anyone to listen to you when you're throwing a tantrum.

And, most importantly, the Republican Party needs to realize that it can not be a party of "insiders."  Blacks, Hispanics, gays, young voters...they are all growing demographics, and to ignore them at the cost of keeping the voters your have is a recipe for doom. 

To quote "Star Wars," "the more you tighten your grip, the most star systems will slip through your fingers." 

Reagan's success came from a very simple concept.  He said to those outside the GOP, "hey, you should be INSIDE the party, and here's why."  And cue the Reagancrats and Blue Dogs. 

Now is not the time for a book called "What's the Matter With Virginia?"  No, now is the time for the GOP to look in the mirror, and say "Ok.  We dropped the ball big time.  Now's the time to go out there, provide a viable alternative for when the Democrats drop the ball, and be there to pick it up and run with it again."

*****

To the voters...take pride in what you've done.

Barack Obama's election is because you, the voter, got out there and voted.  For whatever reason, you stood in line or voted absentee.  You became part of one of the most historic elections in this country's history, whether or not your candidate(s) won or lost.  Voting is something over 50% of the eligible population didn't do for over 100 years. 

Yesterday, over 75% of the population voted, with turnout as high as 80% in some states!  Those numbers are incredible...but the key is to make sure that this isn't a one time deal, then when 2010 rolls around, and 2012 in four years, turnout is just as high.

While I'm disappointed in the results of the 2008 campaign, I'm delighted at the turnout.  An informed, active electorate makes a country strong.  It makes a country proud.  It takes away the "why bother, my vote doesn't count" argument.  Obama focused on getting every single vote he could, even until the very end, and it paid off in a big manner.  It makes people feel involved in their government again, as opposed to being helpless at the hands of a bunch of suits in Washington DC. 

Your job isn't done, voters.  Be involved.  Read the papers and watch the news.  Hold the new President and Congress accountable for their actions.  Call them out if they go back on their word, or flip-flop.  Don't sit back and let things happen to you without letting your voice be heard again.

*****

If you think about it, every Presidential election is historic.  But how many of them are truly important?  You could say that the fact that Obama redrew the political landscape makes it important.  The fact that so many new voters turned out makes this important as well. 

But it took a very good friend of mine...a little older then me, a little wiser then me, and a lot drunker then I was...to put it into perspective.

This was the election where the torch was passed from the Baby Boomers to Generation X.

The Clintons are done.  Unless Obama pulls an LBJ or a George W, Hillary won't run in 2012, and in 2016, the nominee would probably be Joe Biden.  The Bushes are done, just by virtue of their last name.  The Kennedys are done, due to Ted Kennedy's stroke.  Robert Byrd's time is coming to a close.  Ted Stevens will probably be replaced soon.  In an election where a black candidate won, you heard barely a word from Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton this whole time.  Dick Cheney is off to have his fusion reactor heart placed.  John Kerry won't be nominated again.  And soon, you'll see some of the Supreme Court Justices begin to retire.

In turn, we have Barack Obama, out of nowhere.  We've had Sarah Palin.  We had Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul, we had Mitt Romney.  We have Mark Warner and Kay Hagan, and depending on how the polls shake out, we might have Al Franken.  And in the wings, Bobby Jindal, Martin O'Malley, Tim Kaine, Tim Pawlenty.

All those new names, all ready to step up and make their mark upon this great country, as the politicians we all grew up watching on the news fade away.  This is like the Teen Titans stepping up to replace the Justice League.  New faces, new ideas, new concepts...

...moreso then anything else, this election, to me, was the time when Generation X, that generation vilified as slackers, disillusioned, meandering in the wilderness, got together, made a choice, and over candidates such as Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, made a new player on the scene the President-elect. 

This election was where Generation X, instead of saying "you broke it, you fix it," said "fine, WE'LL fix it." 

This, ladies and gentlemen, is our time.  No matter what your party affiliation, no matter if your candidate won or lost, this is where it's time to step up, or step aside.  This is the time where you either side with hope and change, or try to fix what's broken and may be again.  Now is the time where we say "no more war" or "keep us safe."  Now is where we say "make the world better for us and our children."  Now is where we say "spread the wealth" or "earn your fortune." 

Now is where we stop saying "the world's screwed up" and start saying "the world's screwed up.  Let's get to work."

The whole world is indeed watching, and our generation is on deck.

Batter up.