It has been a quite interesting electoral campaign season. However, it is over (Let’s not all shout out in excitement all at once!). President Barack Obama has been re-elected for another four years. Whether you are interested in packing your bags and headed to Canada or whether you’re excited and ready to see what is in store for the next four years, it is going to be a journey for both the Democrats and the Republicans.
Whoever you voted for in the election, it matters, but what matters right now, at this moment in time, is the progress that needs to be made and the work that must get done. This election needs to be a re-evaluation for not only the Republicans, but for the Democrats as well.
The Republicans will need to consider the majority in order to gain more votes in the upcoming election. Many have failed to see that not only did the African-American vote increase, but so has the Hispanic vote as well. Republicans are going to have to take into consideration that the minority is vastly growing. If they want to gain more votes in elections, they are going to have to reach out to the minority population in better ways in order to sustain that vote come 2016. It may also be time to let the states decide on social issues, such as religion and marriage equality.
The Democrats on the other hand, have done well on reaching the minority. They will need to reconsider their social ideas and come to a consensus on the issues of spending and ways to decrease the national debt. However, it may not be bad for the democrats to reach out to the southern states and others who would normally vote Republican.
Yes, the year 2016 may seem so far away, but we have to start thinking in not only the now but in years from now. Speaking in the terms of both parties will have to start working both the social and economic issues fairly soon to reach out to the changing society.
In the meantime, it is time for us as citizens to look ahead as well. Whether you voted for President Obama or Gov. Mitt Romney, progress needs to be made and the work has to get done. We are currently in four more years with the same president working with the same people. So what are we to expect out of this? We’re the ones who put these people in office, so we have to make this work just as well. It is only beneficial that we stand with our rights and beliefs and fight for what we want. We must write our congress men and women, and even our senate leaders and remind them of why we put them there. We must make them work for us.
These next four years are not going to be easy; however, there cannot be another four years of a divided government when there are critical things on the agenda. That, my friends, is time that we just cannot afford.
