McCain gives up *UPDATED*

Am I the only one who finds it disturbing when candidates concede before all the votes are counted?

A large part of Obama’s victory this year must be attributable to the fact that McCain was so concerned with being nice that he didn’t fight.  He gave up states, he gave up colorable political points (Wright, anyone?), and now he gave up the election before all the votes could possibly have been counted.

I’m not pleased, but I’m hoping that 2-4 years in the political wilderness purify conservatives and bring them back to their Reagan roots, and that 2-4 years of unadulterated Democratic rule are sufficient to put the fear of God into ordinary Americans, without actually destroying the fabric of our country.

I still can’t quite swallow the fact that Americans willingly handed their country over to a man whose resume (thin, at best) and associations (scary and terroristic) are such that most Americans would be frightened to hire him as their children’s babysitter.

Sigh….

UPDATE:  Welcome, Pajamas Media readers.  As you can see, I’m bewildered by the election’s outcome.  I really thought Americans could do better — and that’s despite the fact that McCain ran a bad campaign and never was the best candidate.

After my first moment of bitterness, though, I’m moving on, with “moving on” being an effort to figure out what conservatives can do to tighten and refine their core values and message so that in 2010 and after, we are able to help Americans see that true conservatism is the best political approach for America, one that will create a rising tide in every area of American life, sufficient to raise all boats.

If that intrigues you, go to the main page of my blog, and see what other things I’ve written in a more optimistic and forward looking vein.