What Mandate?

It's over. Thank goodness. The only thing worse than four more years of Obama and Biden would've been four more years of Obama and Biden after a protracted election dispute.

I stayed up late enough to see the results, but not late enough to hear Obama's victory speech. Tonight, I risked physical illness to listen to the full speech. (I can't help it. It's how he changes the intonation depending on his audience...and that clipped cadence that tap dance on my very last nerve.)

First, let's digress a moment and talk about the phrase "give back." That implies that the fruits of Romney's and Ryan's labor were given to them in the first place. Well, 'cause you know, you didn't build that. {sigh} 

And secondly, the girls are charming young ladies, but some of us have not, and never will, fall in love with Michelle. She's a little too condescending and always looks likes she's just smelled something foul. She's just not nice. And as much as the media would like to make you believe it, wearing a teeny-tiny belt under an understated bustline does not make you a fashion icon.

But on to the main topic of my second rant of the day. In case you never went back to look, the final results were:


Barack Obama    60481384 50%
Mitt Romney 57678451 48%

It wasn't a cake walk...and he wasn't handed a mandate. Even ABC News admits that. We didn't all get together, hold hands and sing Kumbaya and validate his policies and his vision for moving forward to "perfect" our nation (the implication being that only he can make it perfect...grrr). He needs to remember that 48% of us didn't want him in office again. And, oh, by the way, there were some of those others who only considered him the lesser of two evils, not necessarily a candidate they really wanted.

So, President Obama, you wanted four more years? You've got it. But we're watching more closely now. A little bit of the bloom is off the rose. Even the mainstream, leftward-leaning, selectively-editing media calls you out...every now and then. The comedians have started having a little fun at your expense. You've been fact checked and found to have a somewhat loose relationship with the truth. 

Hope is broken and the change has been disappointing. We all have wounds from these last four years, even if we're fortunate enough to remain gainfully employed. My husband and I are extraordinarily fortunate, but even so, we've lost $50,000 in the value of our home (in spite of spending a small fortune on a full kitchen renovation) since I last had it appraised two years ago. That was well into your watch, Mr. Obama, so let's not blame good ol' W for that, K?

The time has come to roll up your sleeves for more than a photo op. You've spent the last four years campaigning, but you don't have that excuse anymore. It's time to quit blaming Bush and making excuses, park the big, fun airplane and do the job you've been avoiding. Let your celebrity friends have parties without you. Golfing and basketball will have to wait. And those daily security briefings? You should probably take those in person instead of on paper. You may even want to ask a question or two. Jobs council meetings? Perhaps those are important too.

You've promised to get things done. Some of us know that sequestration was your administration's idea to begin with, and now it's your cross to bear. Fix it. Obama-phones, Obamacare, birth control pills and Margie's food stamps aren't guaranteed in the Constitution, but the federal government's responsibility to provide for the common defense is. The fiscal cliff is looming, and the military who will provide our defense is at risk for going over the edge. And, just in case someone forgot to tell you, bipartisanship doesn't mean "the Republicans always concede." It means you'll have to learn to communicate without a teleprompter and make a few concessions of your own.

And after you make sure the military won't suffer, you should probably mend fences with the intelligence folks you threw under the bus after the spin you created to protect your "Bin Laden is dead and Al Qaeda is on the run" myth backfired on you. We need them to provide information to the military about the enemy. Don't worry, though. Even if the worst is revealed when the truth comes out, no one will talk about impeachment. Choosing Joe Biden instead of Hilary Clinton for your VP was a great strategic move. 

Never forget, there is another election in two years. Another opportunity for Republicans to put forward better candidates than Richard Mourdock, and you just might lose your Senate majority. You haven't seen a lame duck like that the one you'll see in the mirror if that happens. 

You're one of the most incredibly arrogant and narcissistic human beings I've ever seen, so you should be happy now. All eyes are on you. But you're lucky. Even those of us who don't like you, love our country. We'd like nothing better than to see you succeed and have to admit that we're wrong. On the other hand, if you don't clean up this mess, Hell hath no fury like the next Democrat candidate will face...or, like what her husband will turn on you should your poor performance makes it impossible for her to achieve her dream. I wouldn't want anyone with the last name of Clinton that upset with me.