Believe it or not, the election is finally here. A year and a half of campaigning for the highest job of the land is coming to an end. The day has finally come. After primaries, conventions and four harsh debates, this ever-so-important day in American life is coming. Americans will be exercising their right to democracy at its finest. When the champagne is popped and confetti is poured, President Obama will address the fired-up Chicago crowd waiting for his rousing victory speech, and the Republicans will not wait until the crack of the Wednesday morning dawn to start planning 2016.
When the history books write of this campaign, they will mention the fretting, smears and money. It was one of the nastiest campaigns in American history, perhaps second to the race of 1828, when Andrew Jackson's wife was called a bigamist among other smears by the rival campaigns. This campaign made ordinary people lose hope in the system. This campaign showed the ugly side of American democracy, with constant smearing and bickering, and a record amount of money, trying to buy every single vote.
This election was supposed to be won by the Republicans -- not because their way is better for America, but because they should have been the fieriest opposition to President Obama's policies. They did not step up their game this election season. It's tough to run a campaign against a sitting president when you are a default candidate. Mitt Romney was not nominated because he is Reagan #2 and the savior of the GOP. He was nominated because the other primary challengers were too conservative and not practical against Obama. And when there is a default trying to pose as an alternative to the real deal, it does not leave much room for victory for the GOP.
If 2012 was supposed to be won by the GOP, 2016 for them must not even be a question. The GOP must start grooming and scouting so they don't end up with a default candidate who will be too mediocre to inspire and touch American's hearts. 2016 will come after four more years of President Obama, who has put America on a steady road to recovery. Unemployment is down thanks to President Obama. Jobs have been added, citizens will start receiving proper healthcare and families will not be broken. People will continue and start to live in respect, under the caring policies of this administration.
Obama has put America back on track, and there is no reason to ruin it and start all over from scratch. This second term of Obama will be a term where Americans will go forward more than ever before -- gay marriage will pass. Women will be able to decide for themselves about their bodies. Jobs will continue to be created and America will continue to be the most powerful player in the world. Obama's America is doing better. With all this, who needs Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to come and ruin four years of real progress?
2016 will be a test as Obama's second term. If the President delivers, as expected, then he can groom himself a predecessor and his legacy will move on. If no, it will be the perfect setting for a GOP candidate to take on the presidency. 2016 will be an open election, with no incumbent president, meaning that the field will be wide open to new faces. 2016 will have to be an election of a newer generation of the GOP. The GOP must show that they are not a party of old men, and to that end, I am sure that former vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan would jump in. Ryan and Christie are going to run in 2016. It was between them when it came to Romney's VP selection. They will be the leaders of the GOP when Romney loses. Somewhere inside of them, perhaps they have a little wish for Romney to lose, so they can be on the ballot in 2016 on the top of the ticket.
Hurricane Sandy was the October surprise. President Obama was stately and presidential. It sounds bad, but this hurricane refreshed people's minds about the president. It was time for Obama to be the president of all Americans, getting out of the campaign trail and going onto the American recovery trail. Even Karl Rove said that Sandy helped Obama. Obama is the president of the United States, and at this moment of truth, americans, at the ballot box, as Jennifer Granholm stated so clearly will have to choose between D for Drive and R for reverse. America cannot afford to go backwards with Mitt Romney and the Republican party. Not on november 6th, January 20th 2013, and in 2016.