Editorial: Let’s move forward during Obama’s second term in office

And just like that, the 2012 Presidential election has ended.

For now, or at least a few months, we put aside the signs, speeches and divisive Facebook posts.

Barack Obama will be president for four more years. He leads a nation more divided now than at any point in his term. While inauguration 2009 was a euphoric moment in which a massive crowd reveled in a historic spectacle, this year it will be an orderly transition into a second act after a rough campaign that was dominated by the question of which ideal should lead the country.

The first act was met with obstruction and slow economic growth. Not everything was spectacular; a contentious climate on Capitol Hill left the country on the brink of default and unable to address some serious long-term problems.

But in theater, the first act allows characters to establish their roles in the plot and conflicts to arise. It is a necessary element to the arc of any narrative.

Yesterday, voters decided that they want to see that second act. They don’t want to leave the theater yet.

Obama has laid the groundwork for a health care program that brings the country to the previously unattainable goal of health insurance for all Americans, regardless of income. He has laid the groundwork for a new wave of infrastructure programs, partially funded by asking for a bit more from those most fortunate. He built the foundation for a strong economy, buttressed by a positive mix of government intervention and free markets.

Because we have the same leader, the chances of these things coming to fruition is higher than it was on Nov. 5. We want to see the finale we were promised four years ago.

There are signs the second act could bring unexpected plot twists, too. Republicans, now rebuffed for their political brinkmanship, may experience clashes within their own party in regards to establishing firm long-term plans for managing the deficit. Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey has opened up to the possibility of tax increases for a budget deal. Conservative Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, senior member of the House Budget Committee, even said before the election that he saw the election as a tax referendum, and that a re-election of Obama would mean “taxes are going up” for the wealthiest households. However, John Boehner, who was re-elected speaker of the House, declared yesterday that there would be “no mandate for raising taxes.”

Well, he won. We can now move forward, with both parties aware of what the public wants.

Yet undoubtedly, the most important character in Obama’s second act will be you. As we have seen, Washington D.C. cannot be changed by one man; it remains a Newtonian network of lobbyists, legislators and judges that can, at times, be frustratingly slow.

So if you want to change your life, the lives of others or society as a whole, you will need to take the initiative yourself.

Stay politically involved, even though the excitement of the elections is over. Staying up-to-date on political news will take more effort than it did pre-election, but it’s still important to be informed about the actions of the leaders we’ve chosen.

There are also ways that individuals can improve society other than being directly politically involved — through volunteering, for example.

Regardless of how act two proceeds, individual citizens should strive to positively change society and to stay politically aware.