A lot has been said on both sides of the aisle about the seemingly imminent decline of the United States. I think Tuesday night gave us a pretty good indication that the rumors of our national death have been greatly exaggerated.
President Obama’s victory over Gov. Romney wasn’t a landslide, but there’s no question it was a mandate for both the President and the Democratic Party.
In every election since 1992, the Democratic candidate has only lost the popular vote once. Romney came up to bat and struck out in every swing state save for North Carolina. The electoral math for the Republicans going forward is becoming increasingly difficult as a new generation of Americans, more diverse than at any point in our history, takes the reins of political power.
The American people chose to stick with a president that has laid the foundation for a new prosperity built on American manufacturing and clean energy. Obama’s first term saw American oil imports drop below its oil exports for the first time in a generation. It also saw the first growth in manufacturing jobs since 1997. This is big stuff.
The President’s stimulus program has made key investments in a number of areas. He’s done more to rebuild American infrastructure than any president since Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Republican. We are laying the groundwork today for a smart power grid that saves us all energy in the long run, a network of high speed rail and better fuel efficiency standards – with every vehicle having to meet a 55 mpg standard by 2025.
Speaking of cars, that’s really what won the President a second term. The President’s unpopular decision to bail out Detroit ultimately turned out to be the right thing to do – as anyone working in a new Chrysler plant building a new line of Jeeps will tell you.
America might not yet be back on its feet with a full bill of health, but its recovering. Nearly four years of economic growth, record corporate profits and falling unemployment tell the tale.
America is once again respected (and feared) abroad. We have rekindled our friendships with our allies and sent a message to our enemies that nuclear proliferation and terrorism will not be tolerated – not by this President and not by this administration.
Perhaps the President put it best in his victory speech Tuesday night, “The best is yet to come.”
America’s still got it. With our president’s leadership, we can go forward – together.
Column by Devin Griggs, opinion editor. Devin serves as vice president of finances for the Murray State College Democrats.