I think I speak for the great majority of people when I say, “Thank goodness it’s over!”   This election season has seemed to be one of the longest in history and the ads and media coverage that much more intense, so I think we’re all ready to move on.    But, before we do that, this week I’d like to offer a few open letters to the parties involved in the process.   I can’t hope they’ll read them, but maybe I’ll put them to paper and send them off?   Hrm….

Dear President-Elect Obama,

Congratulations on your success!   I am so very happy that you made it through the process and proved to be the winner with not only myself, but millions of other Americans ready for something different in their government than the last 8 years have provided.    Please take a few weeks off and rest up, get some naps in, shag your wife silly, and generally have a good time.   Your upcoming reign as our next Head of State will be one started on an uphill climb and it will not soon level out — you must be very prepared for the struggle ahead.

Please understand that the things that appealed you to the masses — your committment to the individual person, to change for the better, to eloquence in speaking and action, to promises of new hope for all classes of citizens — will all be scrutinized closely by those that worked so hard to get you where you are today.    While we’re happy to give you a pass for awhile to get up to speed and deal with the trash heap left by the Bush administration, it won’t be long before we are looking for things to actually start happening that make a difference.   Please don’t make us regret the long hours we’ve put forth and faith we’ve poured out of our hearts in your direction.   Right now, we have your full back, and we hope to keep it that way.

It’ll be hard to buck the system and get something done.   Doing the right thing in government is oftentimes contrary to the system and we the citizens have seen time and time again when a promising politician gets into office, full of good ideas and truly transformational messages, and over time gets bogged down by the red tape and pressures and finally caves in and becomes a shadow of their former self.     While the latter is the easier row to hoe, we all hope that, like many great leaders of the past, you’ll rise above the noise and frustration and stick to your guns for true change, not just things that seem that way.

Finally, a thank you to you for being a massive inspirational force for friend and foe alike in this race.   Rarely do we get a race with even one very dynamic personality and in this one, we had a bunch, and you were at the top of the pile.     It’s been a long time since I’ve seen so many people fired up about something like an election, whether American or not, Republican or Democrat, and to have brought so many to action is truly an accomplishment.      Thank you for not dumbing yourself down to the masses, but instead being a leader we can all aspire to in one way or another.

Good luck with your new office — I hope you enjoy the digs and the responsibilities.    We’ll be watching!

Your proud constituent,

Nathan Pralle