In the last few days, I have picked up on an argument among conservatives about whether we should be supporting out new President and wishing him success or dreaming of his failure and plotting his defeat. I have a simple answer to the question of whether I hope for success or dream of failure.

I don’t care.

Now, please don’t take my answer as apathy. I care about many things. I care about America and about the future of North Carolina. I care about our children receiving an education that provides them with the skills they need in an ever-changing global economy. I care about the prosperity of families who are trying to buy their first home, put their kids through college, or just pay the bills at the end of the month. I care about the thousands upon thousands of our neighbors who have lost their jobs in a difficult economy. I care about preserving our Constitution as the foundational document of this great country. I care about our nation living up to the true meaning of our creeds and I care about fulfilling the promise of equality, justice, and opportunity for all. I care about protecting human life, both for the unborn and those born into despondency, disease, and despair. I care if our elected officials choose to serve the people or serve themselves with the spoils of office. I care about our troops overseas spending each day making sure that the air I breathe is still free and I care about those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to give us hope that we may see the end of tyranny in our lifetimes. I care very much about protecting the American values of ingenuity, self-reliance, and perpetual optimism even in the face of great difficulty.

I don't care if President Obama suceeeds. I care if these values succeed. If President Obama wants to be a part of that, then he is welcome to join our cause. In every action that he takes to support our common values, he can expect the support of conservatives. In every action he takes to oppose our conservative values, he can expect a fight. I won’t hope for failure and setbacks for our country out of an entirely cynical desire for the President’s defeat. I won’t oppose America just to oppose President Obama. That’s what many Democrats and liberals did for eight years to President Bush. It was unpatriotic, undignified, and un-American to do so then and it will be no better for us to do it now. As conservatives, we are better than that. We can be better than that. We can oppose President Obama on ideas and policies without wishing ill and misfortune on the man and by extension the country. We can sink to the depths liberals sank to during the last eight years or we can rise to the occasion to cast a conservative vision for our future. We can protect our values by living up to them.