YOU CAN COME HOME AGAIN

          As I pored over the post-election statistics and analysis, what struck me most is the feeling that America came home again on Tuesday.  I’d like to think of it as America coming home to its better self, but that depends on where one stands politically, I suppose.

But, however one interprets the election results, the turnout and the voting underscored once again that America is still a diverse nation of immigrants and, theoretically at least, a land of opportunity for all its citizens.  The Obama campaign clearly understood that and the coalition that led it to victory was spearheaded by women, African-Americans, Latinos, gays and lesbians, and the young.  That speaks volumes.

For example, more than 70 percent of Latinos voted for President Obama and made the decisive difference in States like Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, and even Virginia.  Nationally, women favored Obama by a substantial margin.  Older white men voted strongly in favor of Governor Romney, as expected, but fortunately the days when white men called all the shots, politically as elsewhere, are disappearing as the demographics of America develops a darker, more diverse hue.

What was especially heartening for me about Tuesday’s vote was the role that women played in the outcome.  Conservative pundits are saying it was just the reproductive rights issue that tilted women in favor of Obama.  But, it was much more than that.  It was about equal pay for equal work and a host of other economic, social, and family issues.  To their credit, the bottom line for women tends to be much broader than reproductive rights or the last line of a spread sheet.

As it is for all the other segments of the Obama coalition, such as African-Americans, despite Bill O’Reilly’s assertion that so many who voted for Obama are just interested in “getting things.” That being the case, they vote for the Democrats who give them “lots of things,” he concluded.  He’s right in one respect:  African-Americans and other ethnic groups, including poor Whites, do want “things,” like respect, equality, and a fair chance at the American Dream – not handouts and welfare checks, as O’Reilly and other bigots would suggest.

To be fair, many top-level GOP strategists woke up Wednesday morning and realized their party had shrunk badly and was flirting with irrelevance or extinction unless it became more inclusive.  That transformation would be a god-send for the GOP and for the country generally.  But, it will take a long time, I fear.  Too many in the Grand Old Party are still in denial suggesting that the next few months, if not years, will be heavy sledding.

Meantime, the real people have clearly spoken and they have reminded us of the bedrock, conservative values on which our country was founded: We are an immigrant nation that promises opportunity and equality for all.  And, a country where, as the President has reminded us, “we are all in this together…that’s who we are.”

Gerald E. Lavey

A FRESH VOICE ON WHAT’S AT STAKE TOMORROW

         Over the weekend, I received this message from Mark Voss, a longtime friend and former colleague whom I have not seen in maybe 50 years.  He forwarded a message he had received from his daughter Molly.  I was so taken by it, I asked Mark and Molly for permission to run it in its entirety and they graciously agreed.  Please take a few moments to read it: 

“Dear family,

“I originally wrote this email to one Republican-leaning loved one, and I decided to write to all of you now instead....

“I'm sending you this email because I love each of you and trust our relationships enough to be honest about feelings and beliefs. I feel really passionately about this election. I understand everybody has a right to their own opinion, and | also understand that this election poses some very serious choices - that aren't easy decisions, especially for business owners. So I just want to share some thoughts. Please pass along to anybody who you think might think openly about this. And it's not just Ohio that matters - Northern Virginia (and Wisconsin, Dad) could be a tie breaker. We all need to take this so seriously, no matter your perspective and who you vote for - too much is at stake.

“The Economist in this week's addition wrote what I think is a very fair assessment of Obama's first term as well as what we would see under a Romney administration. It is not a liberal magazine and is very pro business, but at the end of the day it endorses Obama. Here is the link:http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21565623-america-could-do-better-barack-obama-sadly-mitt-romney-does-not-fit-bill-which-one

“Also this week Mayor Bloomberg, who certainly understands and values business, and also values common sense and moderation, endorsed Obama.http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-01/a-vote-for-a-president-to-lead-on-climate-change.html

“As a mom, I want the best education available for Catherine, I want her to have the right to make choices about her own body. I want her to grow up in a society where it doesn't matter who you love, you can marry him or her and have the full benefits (and responsibilities and even hardships!) of being someone's spouse. I want her to have a government that is responsible fiscally but understands that part of that fiscal responsibility is ensuring safety nets for those who most need them. A society with as much wealth and poverty as we have - real poverty - and the growing gap between the rich and the poor - is not good for anybody, and not moral.

“I've been working internationally now for nearly 13 years. I can't tell you the difference in how Americans are perceived abroad since Obama took office, especially after the disastrous international arrogance George W. Bush projected, when I honestly was accosted for being an American in many places, and often felt embarrassed to admit where I came from. I've been across Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, and I promise you, we are more respected and more admired now than ever during the preceding 8 years. That is important - we live in a global society. We need to work with other societies, respect them, learn from them, make decisions with them - not without and not for them.  The risks of not doing so are too great.

“And climate change is real. In working with scientists at the Smithsonian, I've seen presentations by some of the top climate change scientists who look deep into the fossil record to understand what is happening to our climate today, and project what will happen in the future. It's a scary picture and we must take it seriously - maybe even more seriously than any other issue. President Obama hasn't done enough for climate change yet, but I am certain he will do far more than a president Romney.

“I have personally witnessed how hard the last 4 years have been on small businesses by watching my own husband and mother-in-law struggle with a small family business they loved dearly, ultimately making the very hard decision to sell. I know things have not been easy in the least. But I feel strongly things would be worse under Romney, across many platforms.

“Love you. I know this is a lot to take in and may seem random and way over the top...maybe it's the jet lag.... And some of you probably vehemently disagree with me (my husband is likely in that mix even!)....

“From London in the middle of the night, on my way to Abu Dhabi.

“Molly”