Mandate for the President

This election represents a mandate for President Obama and for Democrats, nationally. President Obama swept the electoral college, winning 60% of the electoral college, not even counting Florida, where he is in the lead.  Democrats netted two Senate seats, and six congressional seats, nationally. Exit polling indicates that more voters blamed President Bush's policies for the hole this president had to dig our country out of economically during the last four years.  Polls indicates that Americans blame Republicans in Congress for obstructionism and partisanship.  The McConnell/Boehner approach of spending more of their focus trying to make this president a one-term president than on solving America's problems has resulted in net losses to the Republicans in both houses.

The president's focus on stimulus rather than austerity has worked.  A comparison with Europe makes this point.  We are on our way out of the recession; Europe is still knee deep.  Our unemployment levels are a point of envy compared to what is happening in Europe.  Our stock market is back to 2007 levels.  We would be even farther ahead today if it were not for the obstructionism of Republicans in Congress.  That obstructionism and partisanship has not worked and as a consequence, Republicans have lost seats in both houses and the presidency.  Their approach has hurt our country, and cheapened the GOP.

I hope Boehner and McConnell will learn their lesson from this mandate handed to the Democrats, and try to work maturely and responsibly with the President to solve our nation's pressing problems.