Manning the Post

T. J. Willms November 4th, 2004

"This is the Man I voted for..."

Throughout the campaign when the "polls" looked bleak, I waited. When during the debates he looked to be letting the "ball" slip through his fingers, I waited. (As a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan I have experienced this phenomenon all too often.) Upon seeing the early and now discredited exit poll numbers on Election Day, I waited. Even after the concession and victory speeches had been given and broadcast to the nation I still had not seen the guy who had won my confidence in 2000.

I watched and listened in astonished amazement to the President speak at his first press conference as the president-elect for the second time and my heart swelled with pride as I shouted Yes to my T.V.! This is the Man I voted for, not the candidate struggling for a response in the first debate. This is the Man I was waiting to emerge during the campaign but never really saw during the nightly news coverage regardless of where I searched. This is the Man who lead our country decisively through those darkest days after September 11th, and the outset of the war on terror. This is the Man I told my family, friends, and coworkers, was Leading our country and needed to remain in that post, not some indecisive "Metrosexual" who tipped his sinuses to the winds to consult their position before making even the simplest policy decision.

The fiery communicator who entered that room with a "feisty" swagger took the time to thank the very reporters who had done everything within their power to influence the public falsely and help unseat him. In that press conference November 3rd I finally saw the President my vote helped send to Washington way back in 2000. He exuded confidence, spoke with clarity, and authoritatively answered some rather twisted questions from the press corps. While laying out his agenda for the next four years I didn’t once have to consult a dictionary to seek out some possible nuance beyond what he said. It is my sincerest hope that he will hold that tone throughout his time in office even beyond the midterms.