A New Perspective on the Election

The debates are finally behind us. It has been a contentious election. The character and competence of both candidates has been called into question. These one time colleagues have turned into the bitterest of enemies.

The candidates represent vastly different philosophies of government. Both are deeply concerned about foreign relations, and domestic concerns threaten to embroil us in foreign wars. A recession looms in the near future. One candidate believes in a strong central government--the only kind of government he believes can save us from war and keep the nation strong. The other is more liberal and argues the value of change and reducing the power of the federal government. He wants us out of foreign intrigues. There were times when it looked as if the candidates might cross the boundary of words and come to blows. It will be a wonder if the two men speak for a decade.

Sound familiar? This is a fairly accurate description of the election of 1800 and 2008. In 1800, the year John Adams, Arron Burr, Thomas Jefferson battled it out to become the nation's third president, the Federalists--those who favored a strong centralized government--had held office for a decade.

Today, we don't realize how remarkable a peaceful transfer of power is. We expect whomever "overthrows" Bush to do so with no violence. In 1800, there were worries about a civil war between the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. Jefferson--a Democratic-Republican--won only after a constitutional crisis and the election was resolved by the House, not by a popular landslide. In the Electoral College, Jefferson tied for President with Arron Burr, the guy who ends up being Vice President and who kills Alexander Hamilton. Jefferson !!! won by the narrowest of margins.

The nation and the great experiment survived. I suspect it will survive McCain and Obama. There probably won't be a duel. If there is, my money is on Palin.

A Cherokee comic, Will Rogers, once said,

It’s a show that no American should miss. It’s entertainment, and it’s enlightening….as bad as we are, and as funny as we do things, we are better off than the other Countries, so bring on more conventions. The bigger, the noisier, the crazier, the better. No nation likes any ‘Hooey’ like we do. We are all cuckoo, but we are happy. (July 10, 1932)

Colonial Williamsburg, a place you might visit Saturday afternoon following our morning tour of Jamestown, recently published an "interview" with Jefferson concerning his own contentious election. Follow the link to read and understand that 2008 has more in common with 1800 than you ever might think:

An Interview with President-elect Thomas Jefferson on the Election of 1800

You might also listen to the podcast, "The Will of the People," on the election of 1800 and our inheritance of contentious politics. Find it here:

http://www.history.org/media/podcasts.cfm

Last but not least, you might read Jefferson's first inaugural address, the one where he pulls the nation back together by reminding us--regardless for whom we vote--we are all Americans. Ex-President Adams quietly leaves town rather than attending Jefferson's address. Can you imagine Bush not showing up for the inauguration of whomever wins? We've come a long way.