The 2008 election was a discouraging, dark time for conservatives.

Columnists all over the country predicted Sen. McCain’s loss before the election even took place.

“”Political professionals are putting their bets on McCain going back to Phoenix, not rising like one,”” said Carolyn Lochhead in an Oct. 28, 2008 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle. This pervasive negativity led both conservatives and liberals to believe that the Grand Old Party had no future, at least for another eight years ? minimum.

I hate to break it to the Democrats, but conservatism hasn’t kicked the bucket yet. Far from it. Republicans are resilient, and the 2008 election was not enough to shy politicians away from involvement.

A little more than a year after President Obama was elected into office, Massachusetts, one of the most traditionally liberal states in the country, voted Republican Scott Brown into senate.

“”I think every state is now in play, absolutely,”” Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. told the Associated Press in light of Brown’s win.

A year into Obama’s presidency, his Kool-Aid has run dry and some of his bandwagon supporters have begun to see the aftereffects of their vote. Brown’s win speaks true to the way citizens feel about the current political situation, and Massachusetts residents should be proud to be part of a such a shocking historical change in politics.

Call me crazy, but I’m holding out for my home state of California to follow Massachusetts’s lead, see the light, and change accordingly. It’s wishful thinking, but conservatives deserve to be optimistic for once, especially considering the unpopular reputation that George W. Bush gave the Grand Old Party. For the first time in many years, there’s a true sense of hope for the Republican Party, and Democrats and liberals should welcome Brown’s ideas into senate.

Naturally, many commentators are gladly raining  on the Republican Party’s parade.

Zennie Abraham of Sports Business Simulations said the election result was “”a win for Scott Brown, not for the Grand Old Party. Only a charismatic, relatively young, youthful, cocky, and properous-looking white guy could get away with opposing aide to 9-11 volunteer workers and posing nude in Cosmo, yet still fill a seat occupied by the late, legendary Senator Ted Kennedy.””

Way to be bitter and demonize someone for being Caucasian. What would this author say about the blatantly shallow way in which many people elected Obama into office? There are countless unrepentant citizens who voted for Obama because it was the trendy thing to do, and this doesn’t even account for those who subconsciously voted for him to feel socially evolved.

It’s upsetting that people don’t always cast their votes for the right reasons, but it’s a political reality that Americans, myself included, must come to terms with. Obama may have been chosen to be president because his speeches inspired a lot of people, just as Brown could have been selected for his suave nature and debonair appearance. This kind of rationale is something that will forever shape a voter’s decision.

Brown’s victory proves nothing, but it shows that conservatives are crawling back to success. This accomplishment may even encourage newly apathetic conservatives to participate in future elections and take an active role in electing Republicans into office. Regardless of how other states vote in the aftermath of this particular event, things are beginning to change for conservative politics.

So, my fellow Republicans, let loose and break out into a victory dance, for even better things are yet to come for us.

— Laura Donovan is a senior majoring in creative writing and a proud California Republican. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.