Morning headlines read “Deja-vote,” but a long, drawn-out appeal process to decide who was elected president won’t be necessary this year – and the nation has John Kerry to thank.

President George W. Bush took 274 electoral votes as of Wednesday night – four more than needed to make him our president for the next four years. He is the first presidential candidate since his father to grab 50 percent of the popular vote.

Ohio – like Florida four years ago – was the deciding battleground state.

But unlike four years ago, the Democratic candidate – this time it’s Kerry – conceded victory to his Republican opponent. (Sure, third party and independent candidates were in the race, but let’s be serious, now.)

Kerry has taken the high road in this election, sparing the American public – and the legal system – the messy task of recounts and appeals.

“The outcome should be decided by voters, not a protracted legal process,” Kerry said in his concession speech Wednesday in Boston. “I would not give up this fight if there was a chance that we would prevail.”

What does prevail as a result of Kerry’s decision, however, is the electoral process. While the system allows for appeals and recounts, Kerry’s concession allows the United States to move forward instead of staying bogged down in electoral legalities.

“I did my best to express my vision and my hopes for America. We worked hard and we fought hard and I wish that things had turned out a little differently,” Kerry said. “But in an American election there are no losers, because whether or not our candidates are successful, the next morning we all wake up as Americans.”

Kerry is right. While he may not have won this election, his decision to put the interests of America first and concede gracefully proves he’s not the loser.