I’ve supported John McCain since the end of the primaries; when we truly began to see the policies and agendas of both candidates. I voted for McCain because of his policies and because of the man he has proven to be. And, I must admit I also voted for McCain because I see Obama as an untested leader and as a risk. I have issues with both Obama the man and Obama’s policies.

But that being said, what’s done is done. While commentary on who Obama is may have been worthwhile a few days ago, today it will only hurt America.

I took two things away from Election Night. First, McCain once again proved to be a classy and incredibly dedicated American. We can all learn a lot from him, and perhaps after his failed campaign, we can learn the most. McCain has lived a life of putting our country first. It’s about time we all follow suit.

The first thing we McCain supporters (or anti-Obama voters as it may be) can do to put country first is stop attacking Obama the human being. Don’t get me wrong, we should never stop challenging Obama the President, but when we call him a terrorist or the Anti-Christ, we aren’t challenging his presidency. Instead, we’re putting our own interests before our country’s. Obama is the next president of the United States of America. Do I respect everything he says he’ll do as president? No. But I do respect our country enough not to bash our head of state. This is something I wish the anti-Bush faction would realize, but that is another discussion for another time.

Secondly, we should refuse to disappear. While I highly doubt there will be a mass exodus to Mexico, Canada or Australia, even joking about such a thing is rather un-American. Why are we jumping ship when things get tough? Just because our leader has different policies than we do, we’re going to roll over and die? Go back to our celebrity gossip, life as normal and disappear from the debate? How incredibly unfortunate. We can and must put our country first, by fighting for what we believe in. This leads me to my final point.

In his victory speech, President Elect Obama made an incredible promise to our country. In his victory speech he stated “I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.”

So let’s help him. Let’s ensure that he continues to hear our voices. If Obama proves to be the President he’s been campaigning as (opposed to the president history insinuates he will become) America could have amazing success as a result of his leadership. McCain has already proven his ability to work with both sides, let’s make Obama do the same.

As I write this, 46 percent of America didn’t vote for Obama. Let’s make sure he hears from us. Obama ran on a ticket of bipartisan cooperation. Let’s make sure he lives up to that promise. If we disappear now with a Democratic President and Congress, we have no one to blame for the policies that ensue except ourselves. Contact your representative, write opinion pieces, be vocal. Conservatives notoriously fly under the radar. Let’s change that.

Start now. Tell Obama congratulations, and that you’re expecting a lot from him. Share with him your biggest concern. Under the “contact us” option on Obama’s web site you have the ability to send him mail and E-mail. Someone has to read those E-mails. Imagine if all 56 million of us that didn’t vote for him told him what we think on the issues! If he’s the man he says he is, he’ll be forced to address our concerns.

Believe me, I’m disappointed that the United States is going to miss out on the presidency of McCain. I’m not suggesting we buy into everything Obama says and sign up for his fan club. But in the spirit of democracy and our candidate, let’s not disappear out of disappointment. Let’s see what Obama has to offer, and continually demand the best from him. Let’s unite, ensure that our voices aren’t forgotten, and tackle the staggering challenges we face as a nation together. If we’re quiet, we fail. And more importantly, divided we fail.

Christy Chermak is a graduate environmental engineering student. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].