This election will perhaps go down as one of the most important in American history. The election of either man would have significantly impacted the course of our nation, but with an Obama win, a few things have become certain now about the future of the United States.
The fight for gay rights, including the right to marry, has gained major momentum during Obama’s presidency. Still, most Republicans have continued to speak out against gay rights, citing the divine law and the inevitable moral decline of society after gay marriage legalization. But now with an Obama election, the first openly gay senator elected in Wisconsin, and gay marriage supported on the ballot in at least four states, it seems now that the momentum the gay rights movement has gained in the last few years will continue to increase.
Undoubtedly the hardest legislative battle fought by Obama and his Democratic supporters was for the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. After about two years of legislative review and revision and battle, it was passed by an extremely narrow margin, and cost many Democrats their seats in Congress.
Republicans have continuously vowed to bring down the Affordable Care Act since it was first created. They have called it socialist and a major government overreach. Mitt Romney promised to replace it as soon as he possibly could. After it passed, Republicans immediately took the law to court, citing its “unconstutionality.” But the Supreme Court did not agree and upheld its legality.
Though it is not nearly as liberal as similar laws in other Western nations, the Affordable Care Act is one of the most liberal pieces of American social legislation in recent history. The majority of the individual aspects of the ACA — such as the rule that children can stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26 and that coverage cannot be denied because of pre-existing conditions — are supported by the American people, but the overall idea of the bill is scary to many. The government is mandating that people purchase some sort of insurance for the good of the entire population.
But even if Obama simply sits in the Oval Office and twiddles his thumbs for the next four years, his presidency will ensure that the ACA will continue. The Supreme Court decision will be extremely difficult to combat, and Congress will not be able to successfully overturn it with a Democrat-dominated Senate and Obama in the White House. In addition, essentially all parts of the law will be put into effect by 2014, so Americans will begin to see for themselves how beneficial the law is, widening the medical insurance coverage Americans have the right to. Women’s rights will especially be protected under Obama with the ACA.
It isn’t all good news with a second Obama term, however. Obama has made unprecedented movements in increasing unilateral presidential power in foreign affairs. He has waged silent drone wars in the Middle East, murdering thousands of civilians in the area — all without congressional approval or significant oversight. He has reaffirmed the executive branch’s power to indefinitely detain anyone suspected of terrorism, including American citizens. Without increased outcry from the American public against these atrocities, these unilateral, life-or-death practices by President Obama are not likely to change.
The biggest thing that I hope for under a new Obama term is increased bipartisan cooperation in all parts of the government. Both sides need to stop fearing and hating the other; both sides need to respect each other as human beings with what we hope is genuine passion and care for their constituents. The Obama election has guaranteed certain outcomes, but the nation will remain historically, miserably divided without some sort of change of heart of our closest representatives.
— Lindsay Lee is a junior in mathematics. She can be reached at [email protected].
