Break on through the colossal stalemate caused by political partisanship

Opinion

Discussion

November 7, 2012

Break on through the colossal stalemate caused by political partisanship

Anonymous Enid News and Eagle The Enid News and Eagle Thu Nov 08, 2012, 08:50 AM CST

ENID, Okla. — As in the last election, every Oklahoma county voted Tuesday against Barack Obama and for the GOP nominee. Not surprisingly, most Oklahoma voters are disappointed by Mitt Romney’s defeat.

Elections are tolerable only in moderation. For now, we can forget about super PACs and attack ads. We’ve overdosed, and now it’s time to move on.

We’re tired of the toxic gridlock generated from two parties that have grown beyond the power of our founding fathers’ intentions.

We agree with Romney that our nation is at a critical point. With the election’s end, we call for a moratorium on political posturing and partisan bickering. We’re challenging voters to rise about the fray as our leaders reach across the aisle for a vision shared.

Honesty and integrity aren’t characteristics monopolized by a single political party. And job creation and investment aren’t wedge issues.

This is your country, and you control its destiny. You can act with resolute character in actions that would make your grandparents proud, and you can set a great example for your children.

Now that you’ve cast your vote, cast off political cynicism. Our union is far from perfect. Elections are complicated, noisy and messy. Now’s the time to sweep up the contentious campaign’s aftermath and forge a common bond.

We don’t need lip service. We need real bipartisanship. We need governing with a centrist philosophy to break through the stalemate caused by political partisanship.

During the election cycle, a variety of issues were put on the backburner that must be addressed immediately. We need leadership to pull this country back from another economic collapse.

The looming “fiscal cliff” is real. Unless Congress strikes a deal by year’s end, taxes will increase for nearly 90 percent of Americans in January, and the White House will have to carry out almost $100 billion in automatic budget cuts to the Pentagon and other agencies, the Washington Post reports.

Obama’s victory doesn’t provide a mandate on taxes, and lawmakers can no longer use the election as an excuse.

We hope the fiscal cliff forces true bipartisan compromise.

We agree with Congressman Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, that America must have a farm bill. The lawmaker has been waiting for Congress to come back into session.

The House Agriculture Committee is the least polarized of all House committees, despite the differences of some of the members. Lucas has been able to reach a consensus through open debate and the legislative process.

Let’s have more discussion and less discourse. Bridge the divide to find compromise.

Text Only

Opinion

Search Results

Discussion

Break on through the colossal stalemate caused by political partisanship

Site Map

Contact Us