I have opposed Barack Obama since his campaign for President began. To me, it represented a disturbing populist uprising that was far more concerned with personality than politics, and more focused on ethnicity than ethics. I was afraid that with the country in the midst of troubling economic circumstances, our governmental and financial structures were vulnerable, and that Obama might use the country’s relative weakness to push a socialist agenda. But if there is one thing I dislike more strongly than the current President’s politics, it is the way some choose to express their opposition.

President Obama’s failed campaign to bring the 2016 Olympics to Chicago and his much-maligned Nobel Peace Prize were latched on to by frustrated Conservatives who thought these exemplified the President’s inability to deliver on his promises.  The obvious problem is that many Conservatives have chosen to oppose the man, not his policies. The failures of the Obama administration are trumpeted as personal failures. Even the success of health care reform, which is becoming more and more difficult to pass, has been placed firmly on Obama’s shoulders, even though he has very little to do with what form it takes in Congress. Conservatives must start thinking about how they can help themselves and the country rather than how they can hurt their President.

The election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts is different, however, and will hopefully set a clear precedent. Brown’s election is a direct reaction to widespread disapproval of President Obama’s policies. The seat that he will inherit is in one of America’s most liberal states, and it has been held for half a century by arguably the most liberal senator in Congress: the legendary Ted Kennedy. The seat up for grabs was even referred to as “Kennedy’s seat.”

But in the weeks before the election, something amazing happened. The citizens of Massachusetts realized that the seat in question didn’t belong to the Kennedys; it was the people’s seat. With that understanding came what must have been a startling realization for the citizens of Massachusetts, in which Obama took every single district in 2008: the Democrats were failing to live up to their promises. Spending was out of control, the economy was showing little sign of recovery, Gitmo remained too high on the priority list and was still unresolved. Come to think of it, had anything been accomplished in 2009?

Republicans can, and I think will, learn that real progress is made by addressing real issues. Obama’s physique, his cult-superstar status, his adoring European fans, and his personal life are easy targets. But ad hominem attacks are ineffective and serve only to alienate independents, unify liberals, and distract conservatives. Substantive issues drove the recent election in Massachusetts. It was the central issues of limited government, wise spending, and responsibility that broke the Democrats’ super majority and marked the beginning of the return to traditional, mainstream values in Washington that will come full circle in the midterm elections later this year.

The country will always be in need of those who oppose the President. Disagreement is a fundamental part of the American system—just ask James Madison. Many of us even feel that it is our patriotic duty to stand apart from the President. Right now Republicans take a special pride in displaying their patriotism, and a key part of that is opposition. But an equally important part is support. Those who are sincere in their desire to see America prosper in foreign and domestic affairs understand that there comes a point when we all have to be on the same team. How many hours have been wasted debating whether or not President Obama is a citizen, although it has been unquestionably proven that he is? How many dollars have been wasted on campaigns to discredit Barack Obama, although he genuinely loves our country?

One year ago, at President Obama’s Inauguration, conservatives acutely felt the bitterness of defeat. The nation sent Washington a mandate, saying that it was ready for something new. Today, the nation is reflective as one of its most liberal states has elected a “tea party” Republican. When the President speaks to the nation in his State of the Union address, expect him to be on the defensive. The reaction from the right has been varied, but has revealed that conservatives present a worthy and powerful opposition only when they learn to separate the man from his politics, fact from fiction, and patriotic duty from impassioned indignation.

Dan is a senior studying political science and Russian.