As I started to write this column on Election Day, polls were open and votes were coming in. By the time this is printed, very early Tuesday morning, we will most likely know who will be inaugurated in January as president of the United States.
The next president will face a variety of issues from day one. From dealing with automatic budget cuts and tax reform, to managing a hyper-partisan Congress, the commander in chief will have to get to work immediately to avoid fiscal crisis.
By the time I wrote this, the campaign had long reached its climax and had essentially concluded.
Disclaimer: I recognize that should I be proven wrong, this piece will be wholly irrelevant. If that is the case, do not hesitate to regard this as another “Dewey defeats Truman” moment.
Approaching Election Day, I expected President Barack Obama to remain in the White House.
Yes, I remain firm in my belief that momentum gradually shifted toward Gov. Mitt Romney since the first debate, and I would be surprised if he didn’t win Florida.
However, with respect to the Electoral College, Obama has too diverse a path to victory, while Romney must win the majority of swing states, including Ohio, which no victor in several election cycles has lost. Polls in Ohio shifted toward the President Monday, according to the New York Times.
We can all agree that the Obama campaign’s tremendous voter registration efforts and national organization has played a large role in his re-election. This effort has undermined the opposition’s attempt to paint him as a failed incumbent in light of former President Jimmy Carter.
The fallen potential of the Romney campaign could be attributed to the bitter Republican primary process in which the GOP nominee pandered to a volatile platform for far too long. Having been under constant attack for nearly two years, both Republicans and Democrats successfully put constant doubt of Romney’s political positions in the minds of voters.
As such, the president has an advantage as the incumbent. Benefiting from an extended general election rather than being torn down by an extended nomination process, Obama seems to have been uplifted by a united Democratic party in addition to gradual progress with respect to the marginal improvements in the job market and in consumer confidence.
There is no time for celebration, however.
The President must get back to work instead of remaining the “campaigner in chief,” as his opposition may label him. America has made progress, but the nation still has a long way to go to repair partisan divisions in rebuilding our economy.
I hope that Republicans will work with President Obama. I hope that President Obama will work with Republicans.
There is no denying that Republicans, like Romney, have tangible and meaningful experience to offer another Obama administration. Romney’s trademark statement, “I’ve worked in the private sector, I know how the economy works,” should not be overlooked. We can all agree that to unite the nation and solve our issues, we must compromise on legislation development.
It would be encouraging to see the Obama administration and Republicans reach out to one another to overcome our nation’s challenges.
After all, that’s change we really should believe in.
Matthew Schnur is an economics freshman at UF. His column appears on Wednesdays. You can contact him via opinions@alligator.org.
