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Obama Wins: How Would You Tackle America’s Problems as President?

As President Barack Obama prepares for another four years, we want to hear your thoughts on the direction of the country.

The votes have been counted–in most states–and the speeches made. Gov. Mitt Romney had to concede and President Barack Obama gets to celebrate victory.

Now it’s time to look ahead to the next four years and the challenges we face, not as Democrats, Republicans or Independents, but as Americans.

That’s where you come in Tampa Bay! We want to hear your thoughts on the obstacles our country faces and your ideas for tackling them.

What are your hopes for the next four years? What concerns do you have? What problems are America’s biggest? How would you solve them if you were president?

Share your thoughts, ideas and solutions in the comments section.

Harborite November 10, 2012 at 06:19 pm
Nov. 6th, 2012 was a great day for America. The people clearly stated that we will not allow the Republicans to turn the clocks back on women's rights, that we support many things including: diversity, the middle class, the people who go to work for a living (unlike Mitt Romney), that everyone will be treated equally, and that our government will not only favor the wealthiest in society. The biggest losers of the election were Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Karl Rove, Todd Akin, Richard Mourdock, and of course the Romney/Ryan team. These people and their failed policies are clearly on the wrong side of history and we can only hope that they will all just disappear into the history books.
Gary Price November 10, 2012 at 10:58 pm
USA, Born Again 11-6-12
Samuel Clemens November 11, 2012 at 12:30 am
Gerald Foster:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4UnkyNJGmw We be living in bizarro world.
Samuel Clemens November 11, 2012 at 12:44 am
Hey Joe C., what about the "rights" of all those aborted woman?
How about the "rights" of those now forced to purchase a product they do not want? What about the "rights" of the innocent woman being slaughtered in foreign lands due to Americas intervention? What about all of our "rights" to not have the fruits of my labor stolen to fund so many things we do not agree with? Please stop believing the D's have the moral high ground in this country......have you not seen it's practically a 50/50 split when it comes to Presidential elections? Being that you have yet to address anything I pose to you, I'm guessing you will ignore this as well......but one thing you cannot ignore is morality. I'd love for you to really ponder the morality in what I am asking you. Who are you or any other person to tell me I must have money stolen from me to pay for others?? I'm all for helping fellow man.....and do.....but do force us to fund so much of the insanity at the barrel of a gun is wrong........and from reading all of your comments, you seem to advocate the use force, which is against everything America actually represents. By the way, America died nearly 100 years ago.
Mike Chubre November 11, 2012 at 01:38 am
Hey Sam Clem WHAT ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF THE FATHER??? I keep hearing all this noise about womans rights !!! I assume the father made the baby ??? Where do my rights come into play ?? The main two things I have against Obama are his stance on marriage and abortion . The surpreme court back in 93 really had no right to make abortion legal . And my bible says Adam and Eve NOT Adam and Steve ! But the gays can do what they want thats their business . But marriage between 2 of gays is not ok. The main reason they want marriage is so they can adopt . Iam against this . They may great parents even better than some , however its just NOT right
Mike Chubre November 11, 2012 at 01:40 am
abortion in 73 my mistake
Whale Ofaguy November 11, 2012 at 02:55 am
The election is over. Mr. Boehner has been warned that he and any other legislators stupid enough to fool with the immediate financial well being of this country WILL BE FIRED at our earliest convenience.
Four years of partisanship has nearly bankrupted all of us. It's over. Get with it or step to the side so that those who CAN solve the problems immediately before us can do so to prevent further ruin of a great nation. Wall Street is ready to cooperate and assist. Is that clear Mr. Boehner???
Gary Price November 11, 2012 at 03:38 am
How can someone be pro-life and not pro contraception?
http://youtu.be/2BOTS9GAjc4
Dee Dokumaci November 11, 2012 at 04:09 am
Wow Mike, I didn't know you felt this way, I'd like to ask you & I am assuming correct me if I am wrong from your previous posts you were supporting President Obama & at the time all of us knew he was for gay union & abortion so knowing all this why did you support him?? now if you ask me what my thoughts are on these 2 sensitive issues, all I can tell you is I am neither against it or for it as long as nobody crams it down my throat & tells me I have to choose, with that said we also need to think about another point you made gays being able to adopt again I am not against it or for it, if a child is being abused by his/her natural parents & was going to be able to live in a loving non abusive home with a gay couple give it a trial period as long as the gay couple uses discretion some things are meant to be kept private which goes for a straight couple as well, now as for your rights as a father, you should have the same right to be able to adopt & not be turned down just because you are single & same thing goes for a single mother who wants to & is able to provide a wonderful home to a neglected child who is being tossed around different foster homes, this system needs to be implemented so that every child is properly taken care of in a wholesome environment...
As for abortion, I am against it but I don't think it is governments business to make that decision, also everybody needs to think about the consequences whether they are ready for a baby, if not use protection!
Dee Dokumaci November 11, 2012 at 04:32 am
I ran out of room, to continue with abortion issue if everybody is cautious when they get into a physical activity or relationship there really wouldn't be a reason for abortion which realistically is impossible in this generation so best to ask yourself if you are ready for pregnancy & if the answer is no use protection to avoid being in a position you are not ready for.
Mike Chubre November 11, 2012 at 04:54 am
Dee When I spoke of fathers rights, i was not speaking of adoption by a single man , i was speaking of the rights of the father when it comes to the mother getting an abortion or not . If I conceive a child , today I have no rights to stop a woman from getting an abortion ??? And YES I knew Obama was ok with gay marriage and abortion , however Iam sure most people dont agree with 100% of both the dems and the reps ?? Right ?? Also Dee , Children need to have a mother and a father , end of story . No ifs ands or buts about it . Anything else is unnatural
Dee Dokumaci November 11, 2012 at 04:54 am
Hey Gary correct conclusion to your question is many of us are pro contraception but we are not willing to pay for somebody else through our taxes.
Mike Chubre November 11, 2012 at 05:04 am
The last few years have been the only years I have ever heard that the president is responsible for making jobs and helping our business grow??? Why is this ? Being in business for many years myself, I never once put the blame on anyone but myself. Its easy for people to point fingers , however maybe Iam not in the type of business that depends on the governments actions ? Gov Scott has claimed all year long he has brought many jobs to Florida ? One reason Romney could not be seen with Scott this election as they would of contradicted each other BIG TIME.
Gary Price November 11, 2012 at 05:16 am
Dee,
Who are you talking about when you say "we"? Gary
Dee Dokumaci November 11, 2012 at 05:29 am
Mike I see your point unfortunately father's rights is right out the window now because the mother is the one who carries the baby for 9 months & if she doesn't want to not much can be done about it which is a tough call as for not agreeing with 100% of dems & reps, you are so right, I wonder about something President Obama is for abortion & gay union, I wonder how he would feel if he was faced with that within his family, its a tough call.
As for children needing a mother & a father, I was blessed to be raised like that but I have cousins who got divorced & raised their children as single females which was very difficult & now their children is all grown up with many problems.
Samuel Clemens November 11, 2012 at 05:51 am
Mike Chubre,
I've been questioning others about the "rights" of the father since I was a teenager. It has never made sense to me how the State can force a man to financially provide for a child.......regardless what the father thinks..........but the very same State will not allow the same father to have a say whether a conceived child lives or dies. Ultimately, men do not have any reproductive "rights," only the female. How's that for equality? By the way, the Govt has no business being involved in the marriage business. Like many things, remove the Govt from being involved and more problems will be solved.
Samuel Clemens November 11, 2012 at 05:54 am
"Wall Street is ready to cooperate and assist"
Assist whom?
Samuel Clemens November 11, 2012 at 05:57 am
Gary............contraception..........in the form of the female "birth control" actually allows for conception to take place. Due to the nature of the control, the body believes it is pregnant and doesn't allow attachment to the uterine wall. So to those of us who believe life begins at conception, theoretically the majority of the birth control options equate to abortions.
Who knows how often conception occurs, but rest assured, life is created and destroyed due to most contraception.
Samuel Clemens November 11, 2012 at 06:08 am
Of course the Gates are hellbent on lowering the population.
The father of Bill Gates sat on the board of Planned Parenthood.........originally called "The Birth Control League." That lovely "liberal" group founded by Margaret Sanger, a fervent believer in the destruction of the "negroes." People hail Planned Parenthood as some sort of social justice center, when it was created to stifle the black community. 60+ millions aborted black babies......I'd say they've accomplished what they set out to do and we have so many of the D's applauding this liberation of the po' folk. And if you really want to understand the madness.......look into Eugenics. The Gates are Eugenicists............oh, sure, they are hailed as Philanthropists, but they are straight killers. Yes, I know, I am crazy..........but where would a crazy person come up with this stuff? Especially stuff that can be easily researched by any person who can access the internet. For all you who back Planned Parenthood, Google: Margaret Sanger and Eugenics. Same with Bill Gates and Eugenics. I'm not the crazy person..........these people are.
Dee Dokumaci November 11, 2012 at 07:09 am
Gary, you are nit picking but I'll indulge you we as in tax payers, now let me ask you how would you feel if a complete stranger came up to you & wanted you to pay for her contraceptive;
A. Sure I'll pay for it. B. Let me get to know you & we'll see. C. No, I will not pay. So Gary the choice is yours & you only get to choose one!
Dee Dokumaci November 11, 2012 at 07:50 am
President Obama's campaign promise was to make small business strong so we shall see if & how this can be done, in the meanwhile all we can do is wait & pray!
As for how things go for survival of small business, my business relies on sales but if the economy is shaky & unemployment is high the demand for my merchandise goes down, consumers are forced to cut their spending then all my hard work goes down the drain, how do I feel about that?? not very well, how is my outlook?? I am depressed, what am I going to do about it?? hope things change!
Gary Price November 11, 2012 at 02:35 pm
Dee,
Wasn't nit-picking, just wanted clarification. With the knowledge I have today, and the three options you provided, I would go for option "A". Make contraception available to everyone, via direct funding and/or regulation of health plans. Melinda Gate's has my vote regarding this topic. Samuel, The majority of the population (US & World) disagrees with your views on contraception, and I would assume the Gate's family. I personally know more Catholics & Christians that believe in using modern methods of birth control. Watch the Melinda Gates video again. I know, it's long (25 minutes) but well worth it. That's where the mainstream women's opinion is today. Time's and people change.
Gary Price November 11, 2012 at 02:42 pm
Samuel,
You can't believe everything you read. "Mike Adams is proof positive that there are conspiracy theorists out there who are so reality-challenged that they’ll believe virtually anything." http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/02/02/microsoft-merck-and-bill-gates-eugenicists/
David Conkle November 11, 2012 at 05:22 pm
Forward and straight on to morning... The first thing our representatives need to do is implement meaningful campaign financing reform to get the unlimited monies out of the process. Who really gives massive amounts of campaign contributions expecting nothing in return for their investments? We need to level the playing fields making them more equal for all the people. When corporate CEO's make 500 times more than the average worker, whose wages have been stagnant over the last thirty years, then it is well past time for a change. We need to rein in the Wallstreet Banks too. Think about it, what tangible items do these entities produce? They are like vultures circling over the dead & dying carcasses of the masses. To fix the economy, more income needs to be made available to middle class workers who drive the ecomomy. One wealthy family can only consume so much, however, millions of middle class families that are earning a fair day's pay for a fair day's labor are able to consume much, much more. This in turn, would create more demand for more supply which would create more jobs in the private sector and generate more tax revenues to pay down national debt. It would also help small business owners like you, Dee. Until we tackle wealth inequality in our country though, the rich will continue to become richer, the middle class will continue to diminish in joining the ranks of the poor who will continue to become even poorer. Is this a country we want to leave for our children?
Gary Price November 11, 2012 at 06:24 pm
+2 for you David! Straight to the point, well stated and a conversation based on results, now we are getting somewhere. Rather than a conversation about ideology and hypothetical rhetoric.
Do you have any reference on CEO(s) making 500 times more than the average worker. I have seen studies showing 300 to 400 on average, but not the 500 you referenced.
Dee Dokumaci November 11, 2012 at 07:10 pm
David thank you for including me in your post, this is the type of communication I am talking about, I always enjoy reading posts from David, Michael, Samuel, Mike Chubre & Ed Harris, I am happy to say these fine gentlemen offer solutions & I thank them for being so kind, I urge all of you please listen to what they have to say, it will make a difference, It did for me & gave me something to look forward to, I would also like everybody to visit my blog which was published today, you can find it on the homepage, David was the first to visit & post :)
Michael D. November 12, 2012 at 02:36 pm
Samuel,
I haven't had a chance to read the actual bill, but the information I ready on it it, i was an .03% tax on all Wall Street Transactions. Which for long term investors wouldn't really make much of an effect, but mass traders would really effect. They are the ones that effect our economy. So far I like the idea.
David Conkle November 12, 2012 at 05:27 pm
Hey Gary, according to a recent study by CNN the CEO of Apple Tim Cook made $378million last year and it would take 6258 employees with an average salary of $60,400 to make up for what he is compensated. Michael Duke, CEO of Walmart made $17.6 million last year and it would take 792 employees with an average salary of $22,100 to make up for what he is compensated. So, yes there are a number of CEO's that are compensated more than 500 times the average worker out there and it is an obscene and morally wrong practice when so many in our society are struggling to get by and barely making ends meet.
Gary Price November 12, 2012 at 09:55 pm
Thanks David,
Before I repeat a statement I like to have a reference behind it. Additionally, I feel the same way you do about employee's compensation/benefits, and the direct correlation to the morality and humanity of our society. My brother is a truck driver. Today he makes less than his father-in-law did 30 years ago, doing the same job. My brother's father-in-law retired in 1988 making more money than he does today. Additionally, he worked about 13 hours a week less, has a pension and way better health insurance. The average worker lost significant ground over the last thirty years, and it's directly related to your comments about campaign finance. Certainly the wealthy need not steal any further from those that provide.
David Conkle November 13, 2012 at 01:21 am
No Problem, Gary. I have read or seen the average CEO making 500 times the average worker from numerous sources. Finding the truth in today's media is like being a gold miner and having to shift through yards and yards of dirt to find that one nugget of truth. The truth is always there, you just have to seek it out and following the money usually aids in that endeavor.

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