John McCain's touching and emotional speech last night reminded all Americans how he came to the brink of the presidency. Quelling several outbursts from an angry crowd booing President-elect Barack Obama, McCain solidified his place in our history textbooks as a man who truly can transcend party lines.

Capturing the eloquence that had been alluding the Senator for most of his campaign, he said "I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president."

Pundits and analysts will most certainly dissect this campaign in the coming days, months, and years. It was a disheartening loss because of the great character of John McCain. He is moving forward, as the party must as well.

Agree with President-elect Obama or not, there is no denying the historical significance of his victory. A nation whose roots are seeded in African slavery has now elected its' first president of color. That is a remarkable accomplishment and reinforces my belief that this nation is the greatest in the history of the world.

Politically speaking, last night was arguably the worst night the GOP had witnessed in over a decade. Continued losses in the House. Stinging defeats in the Senate. Not to mention, a lost presidential bid.

So where do we go from here?

Republicans need to reinvent themselves; plain as that. I will not shift the entirety of the blame to President Bush but he has strayed so far from the conservative ideology on which he was elected.

Was last night a defeat for conservatism in America? Was last night, as some have suggested, America's step to the left of center?

Absolutely not.

Last night was not a conservative loss because John McCain is admittedly a moderate. Furthermore, Barack Obama's campaign took a conservative tone in the last several months. He has defended gun ownership, pledged to reduce the federal budget, and cut taxes. Those are all conservative principles.

This is an incredible opportunity for the Republicans. The American people sent a very loud message last night that the party is severely out of touch. The Reaganesque optimism of the 1980s and a commitment to American innovation has been missing from the GOP for quite some time.

This party is filled with rising young stars poised for national prominence. Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Governor Bobby Jindal in Louisiana, and of course Alaska's own Sarah Palin.

These must be the new faces of our Grand Ole Party.

So let us suppress our disappointment over last night's outcome.

Now is the time to start focusing on tomorrow.

The White House actually.

Senator McCain's bold decision to suspend his campaign effective tomorrow morning could essentially cost him this election.

While he is living his campaign mantra "Country First" it remains to be seen how the electorate will react to this maneuver. Whether voters will view it as an act of bipartisanship during a looming economic crisis or if they will take the liberal media route "this is merely a campaign stunt"; only time will tell.

There is no denying that McCain's numbers are slipping each day the Dow experiences another drop. Analysts will question the timing of his decision to suspend as new polls released today have McCain within the margin of error or losing in the majority of battleground states.

Perhaps most troubling is a Fox News poll released today that has Obama leading McCain by ten points when it comes to which candidate is better suited to turn the economy around.

The last time McCain rolled the dice as boldly as he did today, Sarah Palin joined his ticket.

That of course turned out to be the most brilliant move of his entire campaign.

Today the Senator is again living up to his reputation as a maverick with this historic decision.

I fear his good intentions will be in vein due to Obama's increasingly divisive campaign strategy. These men today at their press conferences could not even agree as to whom called the other first.

I sincerely hope on November 4th I do not recall today as the day McCain made his fatal error and handed the election to Obama.

One Fine Day

Okay I know I lifted the title from that cheesy 90s movie with George Clooney but it is certainly applicable to my situation.

Today I had the privilege of attending a rally with John McCain and Sarah Palin at an airport hangar in Blaine, Minnesota.

Let me tell you the atmosphere was absolutely electric. Thousands upon thousands of proud Americans showing their support for the only ticket that makes any sense in this election; the ticket that will fight for them and bring change to Washington rather than merely talking about it.

Governor Palin is even more incredible in person with her genuine smile and upbeat disposition as well as possessing the strength that has captured the nation's attention. She spoke with confidence and clarity while outlining in detail her role in a McCain administration; having to pause numerous times because of thunderous applause.

She then introduced John McCain and the audience delivered quite an ovation. He seemed surpised by the warm reception while he stood at the podium waiting for the applause to yield so he could give his speech. But that was not what the audience had in mind as they continued to show their support and admiration of this honorable public servant.

At long last he was able to get some words in edgewise between applause breaks. He spoke with the sincerity that has become a trademark of his campaign. He shared stories of a mother in Green Bay yesterday who gave him her fallen son's ARMY dog tags as well as a soldier in Minnesota this morning who was wounded in combat and asked John McCain to not let his friends die in vain.

Looking at the audience, there was no question why this race has become as close as it has. "Women for McCain", "Catholics for McCain", "Democrats for McCain" buttons and shirts were visible everywhere in that hangar. Another element that has become a staple at his campaign events was the homemade signs the supporters bring in.

A very touching moment occured when I noticed a little girl no older than five sitting on her mother's shoulders with flag stickers on her cheeks; red, white and blue berets in her hair holding a sign that said "I Love America and John McCain".

It was in that moment I realized how high the stakes have gotten. This little girl needs to know her leaders are protecting her each and every day so she may live a long and prosperous life.

This world has gotten far too dangerous and this country can ill afford to elect a leader who will bow down to our enemies at every available opportunity.

There are entities on this planet who wish to harm and destroy our great nation. There are Democrats the likes of Barack Obama and Joe Biden who would choose to ignore this very real threat and would prefer to forget the wounds of our past.

These fellow patriots that I was surrounded by this morning in a hot and stuffy hangar in Blaine, Minnesota know what is at stake and are determined to send John McCain to the White House.

While certainly the little girl's sign was adorable, another nearby read "Trig Is Perfect". Trig Palin of course is her infant son with Down's Syndrome.

I was so moved by today's experience and my resolve is stronger than it has ever been. We were presented the colors of our country, with our hands held firmly over our hearts and while reciting The Pledge of Allegiance with just a hint of greater volume during the phrase "Under God". We proudly sang the national anthem and then bowed our heads in a prayer led by a local reverend. The colors were then retired and many surrounding me had tears in their eyes. That is what separates our Grand Ole Party from the liberals.

We know the tremendous sacrifices that have been made by so many to ensure our freedom and we will honor their memories by remaining vigilant in our efforts to elect John McCain because to us as well as to him, "Country First".

God Bless America.