5 Things about Barack Obama’s re-election.

Politics is a dirty game and over this last round of elections we saw the battle fought to the most tiring and somewhat very negative degree and we were one TV ad campaign short of going postal. Democrats and Republicans alike were powerful and passionate in their support for their candidates. But in the end, this was bigger than politics, in the words of President Obama, “we remain more than a collection of the blue or red states we are and forever will be the United States of America”, which is greater than the sum of its parts, so here are 5 things the resonated with me from this election;

1. Women;

we are not a specialist issue, we are a deciding factor, a powerful force in society. And this election was won by the power of women; more women than men voted and Barack won the majority women’s votes by 53%. Over the cause of this election we saw certain Republicans wade blindly into issues they should have stayed away from, judging by their opinions; rape and abortion most especially Todd Akin tried to educate us about “legitimate rape” and the female reproductive system and Richard Mourdock informed us of his divine “expertise” when he said pregnancy as a result of rape, was a “gift from God.” If there is one thing this election should teach the politicians, it is that in this 21st century, issues of rape and abortion are not niche or solely women issues, they are part of the bigger problem, these are mainline issues. Not items to be ticked off on an agenda and so should not be attributed to a certain demographic and certainly not in binders.

2. Youth;

young people have an incredibly powerful voice, they crave to be heard and will often show support for the people who listen to and understand them. Barack Obama tapped into the minds of the young, and as a result through his first term to his re-election has been more relatable to them than his opponent was. Through the power of various mediums, social media most especially, the administration has been able to reach out to get the next generation more actively involved in politics and encouraged them to tap into the power of their voice. This was one of the most inclusive elections in recent times.

3. Minority-Majority;

this election was fought by two men deemed to be in the minority; by race, Barack Obama an African American and by religion, Mitt Romney a Mormon. The Latino population is the fastest growing population in the United States and their vote counted for a lot in this election, over the years they have formed a majority part of the population in some key swing states, which enabled Barack Obama win most of those states, all but two. Looking at the votes from years past, it is safe to say the power of the minority is on the rise, when Roosevelt was elected the population was 95% caucasian, sixty years later when Bill Clinton was elected it was 88% and sixteen years later with the election of Barack Obama the caucasian population is 72%.

4. Fighting ignorance,

It was refreshing to see contempt for the likes of Donald Trump and Ann Coulter, two of the most graceless people to walk the earth as they displayed such disrespect for the President most of which were personal and debasing. Regardless of your political or personal grievances there is power in showing grace, especially to the opposition, no one was ever thought less for it. But more than anything, there is grace in showing respect for a fellow human being and a deference towards a leader.

5. Leadership;

attitude inspires leadership; taking a stand for what you believe in even if it makes you unpopular is an admirable trait, Barack Obama repealed “don’t ask don’t tell”, openly showed his support for gay rights and same sex marriage, established Obamacare for a more inclusive healthcare policy despite strong waves of opposition, especially from the right, towards it. Making a choice between what is right and what is popular can often be a tough call but taking a stand in the face of adversity  speaks to your quality of leadership.

Ultimately, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, the last four years of Barack Obama’s presidency has met its up and downs, promises were made, some were kept others not so much. There are issues of the deficit, the closing of Guantanamo bay, employment, taxation…some of these have seen mild progression for betterment and others have not so much been touched. He came into office under such a great wave of hope and optimism, promising change and bi-partisan government some argue he has not done enough to effect change or encourage said bi-partisanship and others argue that four years is not enough for such change to be effected and effective. Considering the status quo of both houses, in light of these elections that change has never been more important.  Too much expectation was placed on Barack Obama he was thought to be the messiah, his administration swept us up in the euphoria of hope and change especially, being the first African-American president and one that promised so much, yet hasn’t delivered all. But we forget the grave legacy he inherited from the previous administration; a crippled economy, rising unemployment, an astronomical deficit, a declining housing market, an auto industry that had all but collapsed and that whole Wall Street Malarkey, amongst many other issues. Four years was never going to be enough.

Here’s hoping that the next four years brings more of the change we hope for.

Exit Poll Stats;

On race

Caucasian; Barrack Obama- 39% Mitt Romney 59%

African American; Barack Obama- 93% Mitt Romney- 6%

Hispanic/Latinos; Barack Obama- 71% Mitt Romney- 27%

Asian Barack Obama- 73% Mitt Romney 26%

Social Issues;

On abortion

For legalising; Barack Obama 67% Mitt Romney 31%

Against legalisation; Barack Obama- 21%  Mitt Romney- 77%

Obamacare;

those for expansion; Barack Obama- 92% Mitt Romney- 5%

Against expanstion; Barack Obama- 80% Mitt Romney- 19%

Repeal SOME of Obamacare; Barack Obama- 27% o Mitt Romney- 72%

Repeal ALL of it; Barack Obama 3% Mitt Romney- 93%

Same sex marriage

For legalisation; YES; Barack Obama; 73% Mitt Romney 25% legalise

NO; Barack Obama- 25% Mitt Romney 72%

source; skynews