I think Obama is a talented leader. I think the country can now move forward. I hope WE all can work together. The left shouldn't take this as a mandate to increase taxes unreasonably, to push through more heavily liberal legislation on businesses, and the right should work to move legislation to middle instead of just saying no to every thing. Unemployment and economy is improving but still fragile. We have a crap load of problems in this country, not caused solely by either side but by complacency and entitlement. I'm left leaning but I ain't even happy. This is a start, let's get working... together.
Uh huh, this was an ass kicking. The American people pulled back their leg and kicked neocons, bankers, bible thumpers, and war mongers right in their nuts. Hard. The mandate is fair taxation, no war with Iran, job protection, pro science, cleaner air, and that's just a start. The GOP held the House, but only for two more years if they don't smarten up and wake up.
An ass-kicking would be taking back the House and getting a super-majority in the Senate. This was more of an "OK, we'll give you another shot, I guess..." or a "the other guy sucks worse" sort of situation. With Obama's victory speech and Romney's concession speech, along with the statement from Boehner about working together, and combined with that some of the Tea Party nutjobs have been ousted, I have some hope perhaps the gridlock will unravel slightly in Congress. Hope, but not exactly expectation.
Fair enough, but, psychologically, I think the pressure's off. I think you'll see a "No Fear" type of president in the next couple of years. You'll see someone who will be more decisive -- but (hopefully) won't come across as shoving things down everyone's throat. He can now be a risk-taker -- which, overall, I think will be a good thing. He's got nothing to lose, considering he's already such a polarizing figure. I'm optimistic if only for the reasons that, all things considered (the economy especially), the next four years might not be "better" (that's arguable on both sides), but it sure won't be as bad as the last four years. (And I anticipate those Bush tax cuts --a major compromise on his part -- will expire, as they should be.)
We'll see what happens with the "fiscal cliff", a mostly politically generated crisis.. I'm guessing more of the same. Some extensions (kicking the can to the next election date) and a fake compromise that no one likes.
Honestly, it's exactly this sort of wishy-washy attitude of people that creates politicians who sit there twiddling their fingers. If you really want to fix something, have it done CORRECTLY, not have it done by some wishy washy okay to raise taxes a little bit, and regulate a little bit, but not too much. Regulations should be about fixing a problem, not try to be "not too much, not too little." If the meat packing industry puts out tainted meat, you don't want to regulate it to have 50% tainted meat. You regulated to have no tainted meat. If you want to solve the debt, you don't raise the taxes just enough so people don't complain. You raise it to the point where it actually solves the problem. But yeah, I have absolutely no faith that the government will do the right thing over questionable compromises. Still, I prefer Obama because with Romney, things will just get worse. At least with Obama, I feel like things at least stay at the same level.
