Sen. Barack Hussein Obama is going to be our next president. While some of us may disagree with many or all of his campaign positions, it is now time to put aside our differences and wipe the proverbial slate clean. Sen. John Sidney McCain III did not win the election and we cannot allow party politics to continue to divide our nation.

Yes, I’m disappointed that McCain did not win, but I’m pledging my support to our new president and sincerely hope that he can make good on most of his campaign promises. Now would be the time for anyone who does not want to support Obama to take to heart McCain’s slogan of “Country First.”

While this election is a historic one and cause for great celebration for many Americans, Obama cannot pause to celebrate for long. He has the unenviable task of trying to clean up the incredible mess that he will inherit on Jan. 20, 2009.

Every president-elect has always had pressing issues to deal with, but Obama’s job will be more difficult than most. The state of affairs in our nation is grim and the rest of the world is watching us, waiting to see what we will do.

Our economy has spiraled out of control, the financial sector is relying on handouts from taxpayers, and big businesses are collapsing left and right.

American families are finding it difficult to keep their heads above water; they are facing job losses, decreased home values, foreclosures, plummeting 401(k) plans, and rising costs for necessities like groceries and utilities. Obama is also inheriting an incredible deficit and an unfinished, unpopular war.

McCain supporters need to take the high road now and pledge to work together in the interest of our country. We are not just our party affiliations; we are first and foremost Americans.

I hope my fellow McCain backers will join me in supporting Obama. As the 44th president of the United States, he deserves to be judged from this point forward not by his campaign, but by his words and deeds as an American president.

I admire anyone who has the strength of character to put themselves and their families on display by running for any political office. I think both candidates are good men.

I’m trying to forget the campaign and all the negativity surrounding it. Obama was elected by American citizens and I trust that he will not take that duty lightly.

I don’t think all McCain supporters should just give up their ideals and start Obama fan clubs, but I believe that we live in a great country and Obama has been elected to the greatest office in this nation and, as such, is due the respect of that position.

Our country benefits from many different points of view, but we must respect one another. I feel the constant belittling of our president, whether we voted for him or not, does not improve any situation.

There has never been a president that everyone has agreed with all the time. It seems that many of us were so focused on the fight to win the election that we neglected to look at the positive aspects of the opposing candidate. Obama deserves a chance to lead. He has won that right.

Regardless of how we voted, one thing is clear: American voices rang out in unison yesterday for change, and change is definitely on its way.