Who Lost the Election? We Did!

I am sitting here prior to the results even starting to be reported, but already I know who lost. We did.

Representative government lost – when candidate after candidate eschews compromise, represents contributors first and constituents second or when they so clearly represent only those who vote for them and not the whole of their district.

Democracy lost – when a select, few voices are allowed to so outshout the many.

National identity lost – when eleven states representing but 29% of us US citizens receive virtually all the appearances, ads and field work for Presidential candidates; when 79% of us went virtually ignored.

Education lost – when attention being paid was rewarded not with intelligent explanations of the issues, but with pandering, simplistic half-truths, empty slogans and personal attacks.

Trust lost – when the press, TV and radio are filled with stories about voter fraud, voter suppression, last-minute provisional ballot and ID constraints and other dirty tricks, and confidence in the fairness of our election process eroded.

International respect lost – America as exemplar of democracy sullied in the eyes of the world as we squabble, belittle our leaders, waste unbelievable treasure, and mud wrestle our way into the next phase of never-ending political campaigning and partisan gridlock.

Who lost? We did.

January 21st, 2013: What Would You Do…

…not say, do? And not Obama or Romney, but You!

Your inaugural address yesterday has been widely praised for its healing words and for your call to Congress to lay aside ideology, to come together pragmatically, to get to work on our nation’s needs and opportunities -- straight talk that thrilled the huge crowd on the mall and South Lawn and  television audiences around the world.

Now, this morning in the Oval office with your chief of staff, the thin winter light shining coldly in, it begins to sink in: now you have to act. What are the first things you will do to turn those words into action?

You face a House still in Republican control, with John Boehner having barely survived a coup led by Eric Cantor and his Tea Party allies and only then through support of Democrats. Cantor is again House Majority Leader; Nancy Pelosi had little trouble retaining her Minority Leader position. In the Senate, Harry Reid is still Majority Leader, the Democrats retaining its slim majority status with help from independents who caucus with them. Mitch McConnell turned back a revolt among some Senators to retain his Minority Leader post. And everywhere, lots of post-mortems, second guessing, finger pointing going on.

So, what will you now do to get Congress in gear? Grand words from the inaugural address and those platitudes and vague promises from the campaign are all fine and good … but now it’s time to act.

If you are a Republican President, what will you do?
If you are a Democrat President, what will you do?

PS, Fletch talking:
I raised this question at the Olympic Club a couple of weeks ago and have been reflecting on it since. It seems to me an insurmountable opportunity – one of the conundrums that make the Presidency America’s worst job (as the Onion wrote four years ago "US Gives Black Man  Worst Job in America.”) I can’t imagine a sane person wanting to tackle it.

Please post an answer in the comments space below (instead of sending me an e-mail which others cannot share) and tell us where you would start and what your first actions would be to get Congress moving.