Election 2012 The Day After

I stayed up until 11:00 p.m. watching the election results.  At that point my body wouldn’t let me stay awake.  When I went to bed I knew that Obama had won—but wasn’t sure about the Amendments or the final results for the Minnesota House and Senate.  I woke up at 2:30 this morning to learn that this election is one that the Minnesota Democrats and Democrats across the country will remember for a long time. 

 

There will be plenty of time for plenty of people to offer plenty of analysis.  On this day after I’m asking all parties to go out of their way to find ways to work together for the common good.

 

The problems of our country and state cannot be solved by one political party.  Unless the Democrats are willing to work with the Republicans and vice versa we will be looking at more gridlock down the road.  The majority of our country and state are more interested in results than having a partisan agenda (no matter from what party) jammed down our throats.    

 

If anything this election should be a repudiation on an agenda-driven politics run by one-party.  The Tea Party had their day in 2010.  However their unwillingness to compromise brought down the Republicans in the Senate and certainly in Minnesota. 

 

If the Democrats aren’t willing to reach across the aisle, they will be bemoaning their results in two and four years.

 

I’m praying that bi-partisanship can be the model for the future.  That’s the lesson I’ve learned on the day after.