Tuesday was no ordinary day. I think it’s safe to say that we’ll forever remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard that historic announcement.

While most of my peers were partying it up with the Dems at some local celebration-popping champagne, high-fiving and hugging, and chanting about change—I was (not by choice) at the GOP’s “Election 2008 Victory Party” in Orange County.

Woot! Woot! Some victory.

I surveyed the room early in the evening. Most folks still had hope that the American people would pull through for their candidate. Twenty minutes after McCain gave his concession speech, the same folks still had hope—for Proposition Bigot.

McCain hit the big screens, started talking, and you could hear a pin drop. The room was silent and attentive. I was hoping to snap a photo or two of Republicans shedding a few tears while falling to the ground, looking to the ceiling, and asking God why he had forsaken them—but that didn’t happen. When McCain mentioned Palin, however, the room erupted into applause. No joke.

And then, Barack Obama stepped into the limelight.

The bustle in the room stopped, the Republicans looked over at the big screens, my heart was about to burst—but wait. Two minutes into the speech, some punk Republican walked onto the stage, stepped up to the podium, and said, “I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of this.”

With that, the volume went out.

Obama was still on the TV, but his voice was gone. The next president of the United States had been silenced.

I mention this because I think it’s indicative of what lies ahead for President Obama. He has massive support from a good portion of the country—but the other portion is adamantly against him. And those voters may never budge, despite Obama’s achievements.

I have no doubt that the man will be a leader of a lifetime, but he has no control over his opponents and if these people stubbornly decide to undermine and disrespect him, then—divided, we will fall.

Call me naïve, but I was expecting more out of the Republicans. I was expecting grace and humility. I was expecting something a little more maverick-y and a little less South Park: