11/07/2012

Opinion roundup: Where to go from here

A blur of waving flags greeted President Barack Obama's victory speech at an election night event in Chicago, Illinois.A blur of waving flags greeted President Barack Obama's victory speech at an election night event in Chicago, Illinois.
President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden look ahead to a second term and vowed to fight for equal opportunity for all.President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden look ahead to a second term and vowed to fight for equal opportunity for all.
Flags fluttered in Chicago as President Barack Obama delivered his victory speech after being reelected for a second term.Flags fluttered in Chicago as President Barack Obama delivered his victory speech after being reelected for a second term.
First lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden hugged and will spend four more years in the public eye. First lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden hugged and will spend four more years in the public eye.
Red, white and blue confetti snowed down on President Barack Obama after a victory speech that promised brighter days ahead.Red, white and blue confetti snowed down on President Barack Obama after a victory speech that promised brighter days ahead.
A supporter listened intently to President Barack Obama's victory speech in Chicago.A supporter listened intently to President Barack Obama's victory speech in Chicago.
"We know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come," President Obama said in a victory speech met by prolonged cheers."We know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come," President Obama said in a victory speech met by prolonged cheers.
President Barack Obama embraced Vice President Joe Biden after delivering his victory speech at McCormick Place in Chicago. President Barack Obama embraced Vice President Joe Biden after delivering his victory speech at McCormick Place in Chicago.
With first lady Michell Obama at his side, President Barack Obama gave the crowd a wave at an election night celebration in Chicago. With first lady Michell Obama at his side, President Barack Obama gave the crowd a wave at an election night celebration in Chicago.
Children climbed trees outside the White House in Washington as people celebrated President Obama's victory at the polls. Children climbed trees outside the White House in Washington as people celebrated President Obama's victory at the polls.
A South Korean woman carried a cardboard cutout of Republican Mitt Romney at an election night party in Seoul. South Koreans watched the race closely. A South Korean woman carried a cardboard cutout of Republican Mitt Romney at an election night party in Seoul. South Koreans watched the race closely.
President Barack Obama rode a wave of broad support from minorities, women and moderates to win re-election. President Barack Obama rode a wave of broad support from minorities, women and moderates to win re-election.
Emotion washed over an Obama supporter as the newly reeleted president deivered his victory speech in Chicago.Emotion washed over an Obama supporter as the newly reeleted president deivered his victory speech in Chicago.
President Barack Obama embraced first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia moments before he delivered a rousing victory speech.President Barack Obama embraced first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia moments before he delivered a rousing victory speech.
Obama supporters beamed and cheered as he delivered an inspiring and inclusive victory speech.Obama supporters beamed and cheered as he delivered an inspiring and inclusive victory speech.
Victorious, President Barack Obama was joined onstage by first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia.Victorious, President Barack Obama was joined onstage by first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia.
Young Obama supporters watched the president stride onto the stage to deliver his victory speech. Young Obama supporters watched the president stride onto the stage to deliver his victory speech.
President Barack Obama clapped onstage in Chicago as the crowd cheered his reelection. President Barack Obama clapped onstage in Chicago as the crowd cheered his reelection.
 President Barack Obama walked onstage with first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia to deliver his victory speech. President Barack Obama walked onstage with first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia to deliver his victory speech.
People gathered in Times Square in New York City and celebrated four more years in office for President Barack Obama. People gathered in Times Square in New York City and celebrated four more years in office for President Barack Obama.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney conceded and hugged his running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney conceded and hugged his running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin.
People celebrated in front of the White House in Washington after Barack Obama won a second term as president.People celebrated in front of the White House in Washington after Barack Obama won a second term as president.
Mitt Romney slowly walked offstage in Boston after conceding the election to President Barack Obama.Mitt Romney slowly walked offstage in Boston after conceding the election to President Barack Obama.
Republican candidate Mitt Romney hung his head and smiled as he strode onto the stage to give his concession speech. Republican candidate Mitt Romney hung his head and smiled as he strode onto the stage to give his concession speech.
Mitt Romney waved to a crowd of supporters before conceding the presidency.Mitt Romney waved to a crowd of supporters before conceding the presidency.
Romney supporters sought comfort in each other as his chances for the presidency faded.Romney supporters sought comfort in each other as his chances for the presidency faded.
An Obama supporter clutched a flag and a smart phone at an election night rally in Chicago.An Obama supporter clutched a flag and a smart phone at an election night rally in Chicago.
Obama supporters attentively watched televised election results at an election night event in Chicago. Obama supporters attentively watched televised election results at an election night event in Chicago.
A supporter checks his smart phone while he waits for Republican Mitt Romney to give his concession speech in Boston, Massachusetts.A supporter checks his smart phone while he waits for Republican Mitt Romney to give his concession speech in Boston, Massachusetts.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama embraced Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden moments after the election was called in their favor.President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama embraced Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden moments after the election was called in their favor.
Keesha Patterson, left, proposed to Rowan Ha during a rally at Obama headquarters in Chicago. The women live in Maryland, where voters approved same-sex marriage.Keesha Patterson, left, proposed to Rowan Ha during a rally at Obama headquarters in Chicago. The women live in Maryland, where voters approved same-sex marriage.
Ajay Narayan cheered in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the election was called for President Obama.Ajay Narayan cheered in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the election was called for President Obama.
Obama supporters celebrated the president's projected victory at a watch party at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Obama supporters celebrated the president's projected victory at a watch party at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.
A huge screen gave Obama supporters in Chicago plenty to cheer about: The president won a second term. A huge screen gave Obama supporters in Chicago plenty to cheer about: The president won a second term.
President Barack Obama's supporters were exuberant as the news got better and better on election night. President Barack Obama's supporters were exuberant as the news got better and better on election night.
A dejected supporter of Republican candidate Mitt Romney slumped on the floor in Boston, Massachusetts.A dejected supporter of Republican candidate Mitt Romney slumped on the floor in Boston, Massachusetts.
President Obama's young supporters in Chicago cheered and waved flags. President Obama's young supporters in Chicago cheered and waved flags.
The Empire State Building in New York City was lit in Democratic blue after President Obama won the hotly contested election. The Empire State Building in New York City was lit in Democratic blue after President Obama won the hotly contested election.
A Romney supporter teared up as the presidency seemed to slip out of grasp. A Romney supporter teared up as the presidency seemed to slip out of grasp.
Obama supporters in Chicago, his hometown, shared their joy at the president's projected victory. Obama supporters in Chicago, his hometown, shared their joy at the president's projected victory.
Obama supporters raised their hands in victory at an election night watch party in Chicago. Obama supporters raised their hands in victory at an election night watch party in Chicago.
Romney supporters in Boston were tearful and subdued as the numbers told a story they didn't want to hear. Romney supporters in Boston were tearful and subdued as the numbers told a story they didn't want to hear.
A Romney supporter's bowed head and slumped shoulders revealed that it wasn't going to be the Republicans' night. A Romney supporter's bowed head and slumped shoulders revealed that it wasn't going to be the Republicans' night.
Big boards in Tampa reported results at an event sponsored by the Republican Party of Florida. <a href='http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/26/politics/gallery/campaign-trail/index.html' target='_blank'>See the best of Romney and Obama on the campaign trail. </a>Big boards in Tampa reported results at an event sponsored by the Republican Party of Florida. See the best of Romney and Obama on the campaign trail.
Party-goers wearing 'Stars and Stripes' clothing awaited results at an election night party at the U.S. Embassy in London.Party-goers wearing 'Stars and Stripes' clothing awaited results at an election night party at the U.S. Embassy in London.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was photographed aboard his campaign plane Tuesday in Boston, Massachusetts.Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was photographed aboard his campaign plane Tuesday in Boston, Massachusetts.
Voter Sheresa Walker used a flashlight for poll worker Lloyd Edwards in a tent set up as a polling place in Queens, New York. The area is still reeling from Superstorm Sandy. Voter Sheresa Walker used a flashlight for poll worker Lloyd Edwards in a tent set up as a polling place in Queens, New York. The area is still reeling from Superstorm Sandy.
Shadows were cast on a wall next to a television advertising "Election Night 2012" inside the Boston Convention &amp; Exhibition Center, where Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was scheduled to speak Tuesday evening.Shadows were cast on a wall next to a television advertising "Election Night 2012" inside the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, where Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was scheduled to speak Tuesday evening.
A volunteer prepared ballots at a polling station in San Francisco, California. A volunteer prepared ballots at a polling station in San Francisco, California.
Justin Stucki, Leah Quirk, and Kenady Pettingill, left to right, urged drivers to vote for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in Spanish Springs, Nevada. Justin Stucki, Leah Quirk, and Kenady Pettingill, left to right, urged drivers to vote for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in Spanish Springs, Nevada.
A sign directed voters to the gymnasium at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.A sign directed voters to the gymnasium at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney spoke with journalists during the last flight of his presidential campaign.Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney spoke with journalists during the last flight of his presidential campaign.
Raena Lamont, 3, wore a Captain America costume at a polling center Tuesday in Staten Island, New York. Raena Lamont, 3, wore a Captain America costume at a polling center Tuesday in Staten Island, New York.
 A voter cast his ballot Tuesday in Mansfield, Texas. A voter cast his ballot Tuesday in Mansfield, Texas.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney took a break from last-minute campaigning to greet workers in Richmond Heights, Ohio. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney took a break from last-minute campaigning to greet workers in Richmond Heights, Ohio.
A voter's bicycle leaned against a wall at a lifeguard station, home to a polling place in Hermosa Beach, California. A voter's bicycle leaned against a wall at a lifeguard station, home to a polling place in Hermosa Beach, California.
Voters walked past a plethora of campaign signs after casting their ballots at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Voters walked past a plethora of campaign signs after casting their ballots at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kansas City, Missouri.
Jesse James, whose home was damaged by Superstorm Sandy, prepared to vote in a makeshift tent set up as a polling place in Rockaway Park, a neighborhood in Queens, New York. Jesse James, whose home was damaged by Superstorm Sandy, prepared to vote in a makeshift tent set up as a polling place in Rockaway Park, a neighborhood in Queens, New York.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney waved to supporters at Pittsburgh International Airport in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney waved to supporters at Pittsburgh International Airport in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania.
Workers prepared for President Barack Obama's election night rally at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.Workers prepared for President Barack Obama's election night rally at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.
A street scene was reflected in the window of a gift shop near the White House in Washington, DC. A street scene was reflected in the window of a gift shop near the White House in Washington, DC.
Mike Wegart, 30, stood in line to vote at the Venice Beach lifeguard station in Los Angeles. Mike Wegart, 30, stood in line to vote at the Venice Beach lifeguard station in Los Angeles.
Obama supporter Tonya Lewis rallied for votes outside a polling station in Tampa, Florida.Obama supporter Tonya Lewis rallied for votes outside a polling station in Tampa, Florida.
Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan left a campaign plane in Cleveland, Ohio.Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan left a campaign plane in Cleveland, Ohio.
President Obama greeted supporters outside a campaign office in Chicago.President Obama greeted supporters outside a campaign office in Chicago.
A jogger on The Strand in the Los Angeles area community of Hermosa Beach passed a directional sign to a polling place at sunrise.A jogger on The Strand in the Los Angeles area community of Hermosa Beach passed a directional sign to a polling place at sunrise.
The stage was set for Obama's election night event in Chicago.The stage was set for Obama's election night event in Chicago.
James Tate, 45, held a sign in support of the Republican ticket in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. James Tate, 45, held a sign in support of the Republican ticket in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
A nun waited in line to cast her vote in Janesville, Wisconsin.A nun waited in line to cast her vote in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Children's books about politics lined a wall where citizens waited to cast their vote in Janesville, Wisconsin.Children's books about politics lined a wall where citizens waited to cast their vote in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Volunteer David Bowser peeked outside the Pinellas County Democratic Party headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida.Volunteer David Bowser peeked outside the Pinellas County Democratic Party headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Election inspector Jim Nodorft prepared to hang the U.S. flag outside the Smelser Town Hall as polls opened at 7 a.m. in Georgetown, Wisconsin.Election inspector Jim Nodorft prepared to hang the U.S. flag outside the Smelser Town Hall as polls opened at 7 a.m. in Georgetown, Wisconsin.
People headed to a polling station at Washington's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on Tuesday.People headed to a polling station at Washington's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on Tuesday.
The sunrise was visible through a bus window on Election Day in Chicago. The sunrise was visible through a bus window on Election Day in Chicago.
Voters entered Washington Mill Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, to cast their ballots Tuesday. Voters entered Washington Mill Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, to cast their ballots Tuesday.
Rain did no deter voters from waiting in line in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Sunshine State -- with its 29 electoral votes -- was a key player in determining the next president.Rain did no deter voters from waiting in line in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Sunshine State -- with its 29 electoral votes -- was a key player in determining the next president.
A young girl peered out from under a voting booth as her mother cast a ballot at the Bishop Leo O'Neil Youth Center in Manchester, New Hampshire. A young girl peered out from under a voting booth as her mother cast a ballot at the Bishop Leo O'Neil Youth Center in Manchester, New Hampshire.
William Carpenter, an assistant fire chief, put up an election rules sign at the entrance of a firehouse polling station Tuesday in Port Royal, Virginia.William Carpenter, an assistant fire chief, put up an election rules sign at the entrance of a firehouse polling station Tuesday in Port Royal, Virginia.
Poll worker David Smith used a tape measure to mark a boundary at a Bowling Green, Ohio, school to keep local politicians 100 feet away from where voters cast ballots. Poll worker David Smith used a tape measure to mark a boundary at a Bowling Green, Ohio, school to keep local politicians 100 feet away from where voters cast ballots.
Precinct official Bill Partlow inspected a voting machine before polls open Tuesday in Pineville, North Carolina. Precinct official Bill Partlow inspected a voting machine before polls open Tuesday in Pineville, North Carolina.
Voters in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, waited shortly after midnight to cast the first Election Day ballots of the U.S. presidential race. For the first time in the village's history, there was a tie.Voters in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, waited shortly after midnight to cast the first Election Day ballots of the U.S. presidential race. For the first time in the village's history, there was a tie.
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  • CNN contributors and analysts assess President Obama's re-election
  • Paul Begala: Obama's 2012 win was far more difficult than his historic first
  • Donna Brazile: Election gives president chance to move U.S. to "more perfect union"
  • Julian Zelizer: Challenges of second term are immense but give Obama opportunities

(CNN) -- Finally, the results are in, and contributors to CNN Opinion weigh in on what they mean:

Julian Zelizer: Challenges of second term will be immense

President Barack Obama comes away with a victory, but it won't allow him to rest easy. He pulled off the Electoral College votes that he needed, securing wins in states that Republicans once thought to be secure and preserving Democratic strength in other areas.

Mitt Romney failed to carry most of the key battleground states that were essential to his victory. The Republican failure to appeal to key constituencies, such as Latinos, has proven to be more costly with each election.

Julian Zelizer

But the challenges of Obama's second term will be immense. Polls show that the electorate is unhappy. The House will remain under the control of Republicans, and Romney ran a competitive race. This is not what any incumbent hopes for, especially with a Washington that is so gridlocked. Presidents want a commanding victory, hoping for another 1936, 1964 or 1984.

Obama will quickly need to find areas of possible compromise on issues such as deficit reduction and immigration reform, where Republicans may see an incentive to negotiate. This is what Ronald Reagan did with tax reform in 1986.

Such breakthroughs have the potential to steal some of the thunder from the GOP, even if they anger members of the president's own party, allowing him to enjoy some policy victories that will strengthen his historical legacy.

Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the author of "Jimmy Carter" and the new book "Governing America."

Paul Begala

Opinion: Obama's victory won't transform America

Paul Begala: Obama overcomes the odds

It is hard in the moment to find the proper perspective for President Barack Obama's re-election. Political strategists like me fall back on the strategic and the tactical: This ad worked, that debate performance soared, that state's get-out-the-vote effort failed. Such analysis is inadequate to the task.

Obama's 2012 re-election was infinitely more difficult than his first historic election. With a stagnant economy, a bitterly determined and zealous opposition, and the risk of sagging enthusiasm among his true believers, the odds against the president were nearly insurmountable. The economy alone would have sunk nearly any other politician. But Obama has always beaten the odds.

The president kept his party united and avoided a primary challenge, Job One for any incumbent. He assembled a remarkable team, from the high command in Chicago to the farms of Iowa and the factories of Ohio. He even reached out to his golden-tongued predecessor and a raspy-voiced rocker: Elvis and the Boss. His funny, feisty, fiery vice president was an underrated asset. And so was first lady who never stooped to the level of the critics and awes all of us who struggle to raise good kids in tough times.

The Republicans have a lot of soul-searching to do. But for now, let me congratulate our president and his brilliant team for a victory that was as hard-fought as it is well-deserved.

Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist and CNN political contributor, is senior adviser to Priorities USA Action, the biggest super PAC favoring President Barack Obama's re-election. Begala was a political consultant for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in 1992 and was counselor to Clinton in the White House.

Analysis: Obama won with a better ground game

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Anne-Marie Slaughter: Good news for rest of world

Obama's re-election was good news for the world. And judging by the congratulations and jubilation coming in on my Twitter feed from all over the globe, the world knows it. Aziz, my Moroccan hairdresser, told me Wednesday morning that his entire family (proud new members of Morocco's emerging middle class) was as jubilant as his neighbors in New Jersey.

The most important implication of Obama's victory, at least in the short term, is continuity. Given the fragility of the global economy and the number of ongoing crises and conflicts, this is no time for a sharp change in America's course.

Change is coming in China, Japan and undoubtedly a number of European countries as part of the fallout from the euro crisis; governments are new or in transition across the Middle East and North Africa; speculation continues about the health of Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Erdogan. A steady hand at the helm in the White House will be more important than ever over the next four years.

Equally important, a newly elected Obama will be in a position to do a number of things that the world badly needs.

First is to get serious about the U.S. approach to climate change. The combination of his re-election, the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Sandy and the dawning awareness among even very resistant Americans that weather patterns really are matching climate scientists' predictions, and the possibility of raising much needed revenue from a carbon tax or cap-and-trade schemes all augur well for serious federal legislation at last.

Next is immigration reform, which was on Obama's 2008 agenda but now must come to a head. Republicans staring at U.S. demographic changes over the coming decades, changes that were already visible in this election, would be suicidal to block it.

Finally, the president will return to his global zero agenda, working decisively to put the world onto a clear path toward a future without nuclear weapons.

Countless additional issues, crises and conflicts await the president and his new foreign policy team. But for today, Obama's campaign slogan has actually won the day -- forward.

Anne-Marie Slaughter is a professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University. She curates foreign policy on Twitter at: @slaughteram

William Bennett

William Bennett: Four more years of the status quo

The American people have chosen, and they chose, rather than change, four more years of the status quo -- Barack Obama as president, a Democrat-controlled Senate and a Republican-led House.

The result is surprising. Many, including me, thought the country was tired of the last four years of partisan gridlock, economic malaise and mounting debt and would pitch back to the right.

That did not happen. However, fewer Americans supported the president this election than in 2008. According to the latest tallies, Mitt Romney was behind in Florida, and lost Ohio, Virginia and Colorado by fewer than 400,000 votes for the four states combined. 

But a narrow loss is still a loss, and the results tell us several things. First, it is incredibly difficult to beat an incumbent, especially after a brutal and costly primary fight. Second, it appears that Obama's negative advertisement blitzkrieg over the summer defined Romney in a way he could not overcome. Third, if the economy was the key issue in the election, which the exit polls indicate, then clearly voters blame Republicans and George W. Bush for the state of the economy more than Obama.

But perhaps the biggest takeaway from this election is the state of American culture. A majority of Americans reaffirmed Obamacare, Obama's foreign policy, high unemployment, bigger government and more dependency on government services. There is an alternative, but people must learn what it is.

For this we can point only to the education system and character-forming institutions. So while Republicans must broaden their coalition to include minorities and young adults, which they can do with future leaders such as Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, it is more important and consequential that they fight to take back schools, families, communities and the culture because those institutions cross all demographic barriers.

Republicans can no longer be the party of only business and individualism. Otherwise, they will be grasping for a shrinking, narrowing electorate and coming up short again in future elections.

William J. Bennett, a CNN contributor, is the author of "The Book of Man: Readings on the Path to Manhood." He was U.S. secretary of education from 1985 to 1988 and the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H.W. Bush.

Donna Brazile

Donna Brazile: A mandate to move America forward

Does President Barack Obama's impressive victory give him a "mandate?" That he won re-election itself seems to be a sufficient answer; how he won doesn't matter. Those who say, "yes, but..." are carping. An election victory is what you make of it.

Overwhelming results occur only once in a presidency: FDR's second term, LBJ in '64, Reagan's second term. One could argue that Obama '08 was such a landslide. Landslides require three elements: an extraordinarily charismatic leader on one side, a non-consequential candidate on the other and historical circumstances that overshadow the common political dialogue.

Besides, the last three "mandates" -- or "landslides" -- happened before the advent of the Internet, the unfettering of corporate money in politics and the removal of the Fairness Doctrine, which required a measure of real balance in reporting.

What constitutes a "mandate," anyway? By any standard, Obama's re-election was not only convincing, but also significant. This election was a test of the truth as no other -- keeping track of Mitt Romney's misleading statements was head-spinning. It was also a test of patience and investment -- hallmarks of Obama's first four years. There will be much more to say about the nature of the president's leadership, his style, in the weeks to come.

After all, Obama's campaign went negative, too. But a look at how Obama won tells us he indeed has a mandate. Obama won Latinos, blacks, the young, and especially single women (unmarried, divorced or widowed) by overwhelming, historic proportions. He lost the white male vote, but not by a degree greater than one should have expected, given the candidates and the electorate.

His mandate, then, is to continue -- to "forward" -- the policies that support diversity, inclusiveness, empowerment, choice and opportunity (we are the "land of opportunity"). His mandate is also to find a way through the right-wing noise machine and reach the middle-aged and elderly whites who see an economy shifting and a country growing in unfamiliar ways and are scared they will be left behind or lose out.

Obama indeed has a mandate: to move our country once again toward that "more perfect union." That is the best way forward.

Donna Brazile, a CNN contributor and a Democratic strategist, is vice chairwoman for voter registration and participation at the Democratic National Committee. She is a nationally syndicated columnist, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and author of "Cooking With Grease." She was manager for the Gore-Lieberman presidential campaign in 2000.

Opinion: Five things Obama must do

Analysis: Obama's new Democratic majority

Bob Greene

Bob Greene: As one campaign ends, others begin

And so begins campaign 2016.

Those words are intended not as satire or as whimsy. The purported finish line represented by Tuesday's re-election of Barack Obama is someone else's starting line. The phrase "permanent campaign" has evolved from winking hyperbole to irrefutable reality. Presidents come and presidents go; the never-ending campaign endures.

The demise of the long 2012 presidential race is replaced by the instantaneous birth of new ambitions in each major party, even as the candidate who came up short (Mitt Romney, this year) is beginning to grieve for what might have been.

There are people and entities -- partisan websites all along the ideological continuum, news-oriented television channels, radio talk shows, campaign strategists-for-hire, political consultants, pollsters -- whose livelihoods depend on the presidential contest that never ceases. To them, Election Day itself is little more than a signpost along the road and certainly no reason to slow down.

The public may have grown weary of this year's politics, but the professionals are already picking sides and players for the next one. Governing can be dreary; campaigning always promises exhilaration. Legislators doing their jobs seldom hear the cheers that are the soundtrack of the campaign trail. And there will forever be an audience; people, whatever their protestations, like to watch a fight.

So, even as the newspapers Wednesday morning, with their banner headlines, declare that President Obama is heading back to the White House for the next four years, other men and women are hearing a proclamation that, although literally silent, is to their ears as distinct and loud as a blaring announcement over the public-address system in some vast sports stadium:

"Will the runners please report to the starting blocks. . . ."

CNN Contributor Bob Greene is a best-selling author whose 25 books include "Late Edition: A Love Story;" "Fraternity: A Journey in Search of Five Presidents;" and "Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen."

Opinion: Obama will get little time to celebrate

Ruben Navarrette Jr.

Ruben Navarrette Jr.: Obama should thank Latinos

If President Barack Obama wants to thank one group of voters for holding the line -- especially in the critical battleground states of Colorado, Florida and Nevada -- he should say "muchas gracias."

According to exit polls, Obama won an impressive 71% of the Latino vote. In many states, the percentage was higher.

Romney couldn't keep up. Having joked at a campaign fund-raiser that he should have been born Latino so he'd have a smoother path to the White House, even that kind of transformation might not have been enough to have done the trick.

Now Latinos have a marker. And Latino activists were quick to make clear how they expect to have it paid. They want Obama to do what he didn't try very hard to do in his first term: deliver immigration reform.

Eliseo Medina, a Latino union leader, cut to the chase. "As we congratulate President Obama for winning re-election," Medina said in a statement, "we also send him and the new Congress a message: 'We expect passage of comprehensive immigration reform next year. We don't want promises; we don't want debates. We expect action.' "

Good luck with that.

The presidency didn't change hands in this election. Nor was there any change in the political reality that has kept immigration reform on the back burner all these years.

Latinos need to keep the heat on and demand what they have coming.

Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a CNN contributor and a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group. Follow him on Twitter: @rubennavarrette.

LZ Granderson

LZ Granderson: Romney, in the end, had no anchor

Some Republicans are going to try to sum up President Barack Obama's re-election this way: black people. Mitt Romney lost because all of the black people voted for Obama. I heard it in 2008 and heard it repeatedly this year. I sum up the president's victory this way: Michigan, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Just as I felt Al Gore was undone by not winning his home state of Tennessee, Romney was defeated because the man didn't win three states to which he is supposedly connected. Not the state where he was born and raised. Not the state where he's lived and served as governor. Not even the state where he kicked off his campaign.

There is something to be said about a politician who has no place to call his political home, no core constituency. And when you think about it, Romney being defeated in this fashion makes all the sense in the world. With his cynically shifting positions, he'd been accused of having no moral anchor, and he lost every state that was supposed to be his physical anchor. Adding insult to injury, his running mate, Paul Ryan, didn't win his home state either.

Republicans of the bitter variety -- the kind who like to deface Obama campaign signs with racial epithets -- can say Romney lost because of blacks. But the truth is, when the voters who know you best don't support you, it should come as no surprise when strangers don't either.

LZ Granderson, who writes a weekly column for CNN.com, was named journalist of the year by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and is a 2011 Online Journalism Award finalist for commentary. He is a senior writer and columnist for ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter: @locs_n_laughs

Opinion: Romney couldn't overcome contradictions

Maria Cardona

Maria Cardona: GOP must turn attention to Latinos

America makes history yet again by re-electing the first African-American president after a hard-fought and often nasty campaign. So much will be debated from here on out about what happened to Mitt Romney, where he went wrong, and where he goes from here. Now will be a time for soul-searching for my Republican friends about the direction of their party and how they talk to women, young people and minorities. Especially Latinos. And for President Barack Obama, it will be a time to map a path to deliver on the promises he made to the coalition of voters who gave him a second term. Especially Latinos.

I have written many times about the power of the Latino vote and how it would be decisive in this election. And the question I would always get is: Will they come out to vote? They did. In fact, I suspect that the Latino demographic will be central in many Republican conversations about where they are going wrong as a party.

It is not as though Mitt Romney didn't know the challenge that faced him with Latinos: Some very smart people in his own party continually said that the GOP and Romney needed to take a different path when it came to Latinos. Romney showed no interest in doing so, and it seemed clear that he had written off the Latino vote early on. Instead, this would have been the time and place to employ his shape-shifting ways to woo them.

The numbers don't lie. Neither do demographics. The country has changed, and Republicans had better change with it or risk being in the minority for their own lack of minorities.

Obama, for his part, will need to work with and for the coalition of Latinos, women, young people and African-Americans that held together for him. He must deliver on the issues they care about, which are the issues he has talked about throughout the campaign and that will be a big part of his second term.

He will also need to find willing Republicans interested in working with him to solve the nation's greatest problems, among them, the need for comprehensive immigration reform. This moment of necessary GOP introspection and attention from Obama to solve the immigration issue may present the perfect storm needed to actually get something done.

Maria Cardona is a Democratic strategist, a principal at the Dewey Square Group, a former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton and former communications director for the Democratic National Committee.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the authors.

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