There was also a Republican speaker whose name I can neither remember nor conjure from the CNN “coverage” pages. His message was there was much to respect from each party and that there are similarities in goals and actions (sometimes). His also was a message that we are together – not each of us huddled in our own cave trying to hunt mammoth by ourselves.

We are a nation – we are a nation that has differences but we can listen and talk and compromise and work things out if we can. We are a nation that needs leaders – leaders that may seem different in some ways but are, in fact, people that have had to listen and talk and compromise and work things out – just like the rest of us.

I took away from the evening a sense that whatever might have happened in the past, whoever may have contributed to the turmoil, there are people and there are leaders that are able to stand up and fill the vacuum that will be left by the departing administration.

And so I wish it. Wes Poteet