The war is over. The nation has spoken. Republicans are triumphant; Democrats are dazed and confused. And caught in this epic struggle is a tragic leader who, not even two years into his presidency, has been rejected by the nation. “Yes We Can” has changed into “No You Can’t.”
But rather than whining about the election results, we must both analyze the sources of the Democrats’ defeat and look ahead to the future of Washington in this newly divided rule.
How have Republicans gained control once again? The excessive distortion of facts and the promotion of polarization have played a big role. And the President is partly to blame–he has become the puppet of his opponents by being on the sidelines and saying too little, too late. Obama must not allow his progressive policies to be thwarted by bloody Washington politics. He has made it far too easy for his opponents not only to trash and spin his groundbreaking initiatives, but also promote widespread anti-establishment sentiments and shatter his approval ratings to about 40 percent, according to Rasmussen Reports. The flimsiness of the Democratic Party doesn’t help either. This election must cue a change in the nature of Obama’s leadership to one that involves more spine and voice as president.
Hopefully the election also engenders a transformation in the future relationship between Republicans and Democrats. The parties must now cope with each other on a more level playing space. Will the pandering, lies, exaggerations, and filibusters finally stop? Will real governing and bipartisanship begin?
Suchin Gururangan is a first-year in the College.