What's Apparent - To Me, Anyway

It was a late night. That wasn't because the results of Election 2012 took that long to become known. It was because yours truly decided to stay up and watch Mitt Romney's gracious concession speech and President Obama's inspiring victory speech. This election has made me more politically aware than any other in my lifetime. Here are a few observations:

• President Obama is not a radical left socialist - not even close.
• Make Election Day a national holiday. If we have to cpombine it with Veterans Day, so be it. Voting should be as accessible as possible. While we exercise our right, we should take time to recognize our veterans who served to make this happen.
• Obamacare is essentially Romneycare. You can run but you can't hide from that.
• Romney never spelled out an original economic plan. His projections for North American energy independence and adding 12 million new jobs are the same as what many economists expect to happen if we stay with Obama.
• Paul Ryan didn't help the GOP cause. The VP choice excited many conservatives who weren't going anywhere else anyway. Romney's debate coach Rob Portman could have helped them win Ohio, while Ryan's home state of Wisconsin has been terribly polarized by its governor's union-busting.
• Mitt Romney's 47% speech video showed his real attitude. It would have been over after that if it hadn't been for President Obama's lackluster first debate performance.
• Ethnic demographic trends are working against the Republican party. Generational changes are hurting them as well. Go with what resonates with the mainstream and not with what the average right wing talk show listener wants to hear.
• Mainstream Republicans - what's left of them - need to stand up to the Tea Party members. As Obama found out in 2010, a wide mandate does not last forever. Achievements through compromise can.
• The primary system has become an ideological litmus test that produces candidates who will say anything to placate their base while dragging more and more big money into a longer and longer political season leaving much of the electorate on the cynical sidelines.
• Money can't buy enough votes. Linda McMahon taught that valuable lesson.
• All in all, America still works!