Election Day

It's election day ... a day that has been hashed, rehashed, debated and anticipated. A day made possible by the wisdom of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton and dozens of others who launched this great experiment in democracy.

Today it is our turn to care for the legacy of Lincoln,Wilson, the Roosevelts, and each of the presidents that have taken their turn at the helm. It is our turn to exercise our right, our duty, as citizens. And, I believe that duty includes two things ... the first, of course is to vote, and the second is to accept and support the winner of this election as our duly-elected leader.

In an election as bitter and divisive as this one has been, our second duty may be the more difficult. But what will it have gained us to wake up Wednesday morning to a divided nation that cannot come
together to move forward.

I care deeply about which candidate wins, but, as difficult as it has been, I have made peace with the outcome of this election because I have confidence in our processes. Because of our differences of opinion, we will continue to debate the issues and avoid swinging too wildly to one pole or the other. We will make mistakes but they will be tempered by the system of checks and balances that protect us, not only from the excesses of any single branch of the government, but also from our own momentary whims.

I would like to thanks the tireless campaign workers who have given their time, hearts and minds to the candidate of their choice. My friend Anita left her home, husband and friends to spend two months in the center of the whirlwind. I appreciate her sacrifice and the devotion of all the thousands of workers who labored directly in the fields of democracy so that the rest of us could wake up and leisurely make our way to the voting booth and exercise our right.

Thanks also to the thousands of election workers across the country who are facilitating and monitoring the election to make sure that it is fair and just. Today, you are the caretakers of our democratic legacy and deserve our deep appreciation.

So, bless us all this day ... and may the candidate who will be best for our future win decisively so that no courts, no lawsuits, are involved and that tomorrow we can continue to make progress on the
challenges ahead of us.