Battling the Giant with Five Smooth Stones
By Mildred Robertson
It is now 3 days since the 2012 Presidential election. It has been a brutal slog from the mid-year elections in 2010 to the Tuesday night victory acknowledging Obama’s effort to right our ship. We waded through billions of dollars worth of attack ads spewing hate and misinformation, and somehow found the truth. Americans acknowledged that Barack Obama led us through harrowing times, and was, for the most part, successful. As I watched the returns come in late into Tuesday night, I have never been more proud to be an American.
Historians will be writing about this election for years to come. They will deconstruct every moment in an attempt to determine how Obama defeated the monolithic machine designed to make him a one-term president. I believe the answer is simple. The opposition underestimated the American people and the hand of providence in this administration.
It is a much used cliché to equate daunting struggles with the tale of David and Goliath, but I believe it is an apt comparison in this case. With hoards of dirty money flooding the airwaves, Obama and his team fought back the tide with $3 and $4 dollar donations from folks like you and me.
A handful of millionaires and billionaires were positioned to buy this election, but were struck down by the miniscule donations of millions. The part of this battle that the opposition did not understand is that every one of those $3 and $4 dollar donations represented a vote. Each one of those donations said, I believe in what you are doing. I believe you will bring us through this harsh economy. I believe you can keep us safe. I trust you.
Those are all things that money cannot buy.
The trust that the American people put in this president does not mean that his path will be easy. He must still fight with a Republican House not invested in his success. Tough issues like the looming “fiscal cliff,” the implementation of “Obamacare,” high unemployment, and the recent natural disaster all demand his immediate attention. But I believe he is up to the task, and so do the majority of Americans.
As we transition from campaign mode to that of governance, let’s not forget what we were able to do together. We were the stone that brought down the giant. As long as we continue to support this president, he can overcome the obstacles that face our nation. If we work to keep our elected officials on track, we can make real progress on the hard issues that face us.
We must not become weary. We must continue to be five smooth stones.
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