Congratulations Mr. President!
Obama did what many pundits said was impossible--get reelected in a down economy, where unemployment remains above 7%.
By the last count--with more possibly coming--the president had garnered 303 electoral votes to seal the deal, proving his critics wrong.
For all the billions that were poured into defeating this president, with Karl Rove's SuperPac leading the way, we learned that money has it's limits--it can get your message out, even with ample amplitude, but it can't necessarily sell your message, despite the repetition, if it's a lie.
When the final count is in, President Obama may have won all the battleground states, but one, North Carolina, although his statistical margin wasn't all that great in many of them.
Much has been said about the president's firewall--battleground states that would protect his path to victory and the White House.
As it turned out, the president's "firewall," and "path to victory," weren't these states so much as those indefatigable workers that pounded the pavement to spread the word--promoting President Obama's achievements and vision for the future of this country.
It is to these workers, and those voters who stood in line, some as long as eight hours to cast their ballot, that I wish to acknowledge and thank. In the end, it was the voter, by refusing to be frustrated by the process, a process that had been designed to guarantee a win for Mitt Romney, that was the "firewall" (human firewalls) that created the "path" to the White House.
4 comments:
I'm wondering what you take is on the idea that voter supression efforts in Ohio, PA, and Florida backfired and resulted in greater turnout and resolve to vote? I noticed even here in Michigan turnout was the greatest I have seen in any election.
Ernesto, it's good to hear from you!
Those supporting the Romney campaign miscalculated. The polls indicated a lack of base enthusiasm for President Obama's second term, and I won't argue with that perception--it was possible.
Thinking that they could press their advantage by using one voter suppression tactic after the other, merely served to galvanized the president's base, especially among blacks--most of whom weren't oblivious to Republicans' disrespectful treatment of this nation's first black president--angered to the point that even after the election had been called for the president, they stayed in long lines well after the polls had closed.
The more Republicans attempted to suppress voter turnout, the more energized the President's base became.
I believe that the election might have been closer, given the sorry state of the economy, and Romney's supposed businessman's acumen edge, had Republican State Houses and governors in key battleground states not pursued the strategy that they did--reduced early voting hours, and insisted on strict, voter IDs from those exercising their franchise as voters.
Someone likened the black turnout to the "waking of the sleeping giant."
Although lacking in some respects, the characterization of the black turnout, and voters in generally, is arguably more accurate than Romney's pathetic attempt of an explanation of his failure by attributing it to "Democrat gifts," which supposedly turned the tide, and contributed to Romney's ignominious defeat--326 electoral votes to 206, and a large popular vote plurality.
You might say that in this election, Republicans were their worst enemy.
After slowly bleeding the president (with their picador obstructionism campaign) for the electoral kill that seemed inevitable, they put in the wrong matador, Mitt Romney, as spectators cheered more for the bull than the matador.
Now I wonder which path the Republicans will follow in the next two years. Try to remain obstructionist and hope the "sleeping giant" goes back to sleep in 2014, or actively court voter groups they have alienated?
They have been all over the place rhetorically since the election, but I think their big donors, who always call the shots, will demand more of the same.
"Try to remain obstructionist and hope the "sleeping giant" goes back to sleep in 2014, or actively court voter groups they have alienated?"
What's that old saw: "Stupid is as stupid does."
It appears that Republicans are up to their old tricks--obstructionism, and alienation of voters.
Elephants may have long memories, but it's clear: You can't teach Old Elephants new tricks when the old tricks work to perfection--at least from their perspective.
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