For the past four years, we might not have seen the true Barack Obama. When an idealistic visionary steps into an office that is so loaded with tradition and meaning that it might not even have anymore, chances are, his idealism doesn't survive if there is no revolution breaking with what doesn't serve anymore. The revolution didn't come, instead, we saw Barack playing less basketball, growing some grey hair and becoming increasingly statesman-ish. However, (I want to say Dude, but I will say:) Mr. President, that was not what people expected from you. They wanted and have now confirmed to you in what was hopefully a great lesson for you, just YOU, the real you! So let the tiger out now and go play, so we can solve those problems ahead. Don't tip-toe, step on some toes, do what you think is right, no matter what your advisers or public image polls tell you.
The best thing about Obama winning his second term, is, that finally there will be less talk of Mr. Romney. Not that I have something against him personally. But he stands exactly for the United States of America that is losing every day more of its importance in the world -- and doesn't (want to) notice. Not that it is important to be the leader of the free world, but if you no longer feel the urge of playing policeman wherever on the globe it serves your economic goals, you may have more energy and money to focus on your own country and make sure that truly everybody can participate in the pursuit of happiness.
Romney stands for those Republicans, who are proud of military actions, want a higher military budget and favor the wealthy -- when at the same time the gap between wealthy and poor people in their country is getting bigger and bigger, when millions of people have to deal with having no job and no perspective, when so many live on the streets and or can't even afford to get treatment for their health issues. The United States have a different reality from Mr. Romney's, who, for my taste, got stuck somewhere in the 1980s, where greed was good and Wall Street heaven.
The world has changed, the Republicans haven't. Which is why they might soon face extinction as the other dinosaurs before them. Not the people, but the collective thinking of them. Behavior like lemmings is always a problem, I think. But to make this point, I think that Barack Obama should soon talk with Mr. Ryan and see how they can work together.
But back to the winner: Among the young voters between 18 and 29 years, he convinced 60 percent; 93 percent of the Afro-Americans have elected him; and this time most importantly, 70 percent of Latinos were convinced that Barack Obama is the better choice to navigate the U.S..
Young people and immigrants or minorities -- all of them are touched directly by the main promises of this campaign, to increase taxes on wealthier families (because mostly, they are not), to increase public investment in alternative energy and education (because their future consists of dealing with what today's leaders leave them) and to revamp U.S. immigration law (because, frankly, many of them are). Barack, your voters, the people you are grateful for electing you again, are as idealistic about you in your second term, as you might have been about your first term. Show them, that they have been right and that truly everything is possible!
In the victory speech, Barack Obama started out saying, that his victory came "200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny" -- something he had promised in 2011 to a major group of Latinos and which could be his first real sign of 'saying is doing.' Because also yesterday, there have been elections in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico -- combined with a poll about the Commonwealth's future. Its Latino people, who are not allowed yet to vote for the president as long as they live on their island (and don't move to the continental states), despite bearing U.S. passports, voted with a whopping 61.15 percent for becoming the 51st State of the United States.
Over a sandwich with the now Governor-Elect Alejandro García Padilla in June 2011 in Puerto Rico, President Obama promised to stand by whatever the Puerto Rican people decide about their status. The people have now spoken, while their Latin compatriots have ensured Obama's re-election. That should be reason enough to quickly get to it.
Barack Obama won these elections because of his personality. People understood that with the problems that lie ahead, like the "fiscal cliff" or soon hitting the borrowing limit again, he is the more likely candidate to navigate through that; for me, he seems to be the person with the higher integrity, even if the political achievements weren't that high during his first tenure. But they weren't there not because of BO, those achievements were hindered by the way politics are. Of all people, that must have demoralized and frustrated President Obama the most -- coming in with all this enthusiasm and then being slowed down by advisers and receive unreasonable opposition, the just-because-opposition, from the political opponents.
Now, Barack, it is time to play the Offense of your Life! You've got nothing to lose. Look for the best players in all fields, no matter what party they are from and get the things done, that will make you look back and say "In the second term, I did really, really well!" Honor what you have promised during the campaign, but more importantly, do instead of talk, push your convictions through and cooperate where you have to.
Mr. President, the Obama I saw speaking before his first elections, seemed to be a very different person from the president he subsequently became. Before, you seemed to be this ideal-driven young man, who would go for his goals no-matter-what -- after, the full weight of the office and the complications politics seemed to bring with it, might have frustrated and tamed you. But that tame version of you, is not your real self and I hope you can give room to let your real one come out now.
I hope you can, I hope we can, I know, yes, we can.