Alright, I’m a Democrat. And I’m damn pleased Barack Obama was reelected President for a second term—but that’s aside from the point. While November 6th was a triumph for the Democratic Party, it’s very well possible that the next four years can be a triumph for both sides of the aisle. Republicans, take note.
The viciousness of the last election was scathing to say the least, and it was characteristic of both sides. Many Americans became disgusted with both candidates. On election night, I scrolled through an obscene amount of tweets from friends proclaiming their exodus to Canada in response to Obama’s reelection. And as I looked through these tweets, I realized that many Democrats would probably be doing the same thing had the night gone in Romney’s favor.
American politics is brutal and extreme—but we’re at a very delicate stage of history. We don’t have time to bicker and scream at each other over who is in charge of what. We don’t have time to debate silly “debt ceilings” and “fiscal cliffs.” We need to invest in science and nurture our sluggish economy. We need to fix education and healthcare and create jobs.
There are 36 months to go until the next election, 36 months for both parties to work on their résumés. So without further ado, let’s get to work.