Election Results: Obama Victory Could Result in More Gridlock

Now that Obama has won reelection, what is going to happen? This has been the most contentious race in my memory, and I have a long memory. The vitriol we’ve seen from the right in their refusal to work with the administration is likely to continue. Obama’s lame duck status won’t matter if the Republicans continue their stated goal of stopping the president at all cost.

It is disheartening to hear the level of hate speech increasing from the electorate. Thankfully, the ignorant diatribe from Senators Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock was settled with a clear rejection of their stupid comments about God’s involvement in the crime of rape. Unfortunately, there are people who agree with them, and those people will continue to vote.

Our country faces some difficult issues in the coming years; some of those issues cannot be resolved without cooperation from members of the Republican Party. If they continue to hold fast to their insistence on creating gridlock they might well make matters worse. It is my hope that enough of them will choose to support the country, instead of people like Grover Norquist. We cannot make progress in a vacuum.

We are not, or should not be, a nation of haters, especially in congress where the oath of office mandates some effort to work toward a healthy government. It’s not about Democrats vs. Republicans, it’s about strengthening our economy and preserving our place in the world economy. The philosophical differences have become a wall instead of a basis for compromise. When will the members of congress begin to respect the role we’ve elected them to play?