Obama Moves Forward

President Obama reenters the White House
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

On Sunday, January 20, 2013 at about noon, President Obama will place his hand on a Bible, raise the other one and take the Oath of Office from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. He will then give his second Inaugural Address.  After that, he will no doubt attend some balls and some fun celebratory events.  Then, the heavy lifting begins all over again.

By electing President Obama to a second term, Americans have done something that, over the history of the United States has not been all that common even though five of the last seven Presidents have sought and won second terms (not counting Gerald Ford).

President Obama has been given four years to finish the job he has started. There’s no do-over now. He has to get results, and it appears that the GOP is finally ready to move his direction. While the economy is clearly improving, our country is in a tough situation economically, and we need a President who will hold Congressmen and women accountable for what they do on the job. President Obama’s elections are over. For other candidates, the 2014 campaign season begins now. Obstructionism cannot be tolerated. It’s time for leadership.

For those on the other side of the aisle, this was no fluke. President Obama was reelected because he won every battleground state but North Carolina. There, he only lost by two percentage points. President Obama won because he had a broader and more diverse coalition of supporters, and people in those areas believed that the progress over the four years is worth continuing. The GOP and the opposition to the President simply have to recognize this and realize that these voters aren’t simply going to disappear or go away.

Now begins the business of governing in a second term. It’s not going to be easy, and it’s going to present new and different challenges to Barack Obama. That said, we know that he’s been tested by the Washington pressure cooker and on the world stage.  That's why he got the second term.  FORWARD!