Was this vote worth it?

Top 10 reasons to re-elect Obama:

1) The loss of millions of jobs.

2) Is anti-colonial.

3) Is pro-abortion.

4) A trillion-dollar cut from the military.

5) $716 billion from Medicare to pay for Obamacare.

6) Blaming Bush for another four years.

7) More vacations for the first lady and family courtesy of American taxpayers.

8) Another credit rate drop.

9) Wants us to be a socialist country.

10) Consistent drop in the stock market.

Good choice, America. For those of you who got the free cellphone for your vote, hope it’s worth it.

BOB VINCENT, Boise

Now, we must make our politicians govern

The election is over and we have done our civic duty by voting. However, our job as citizens is not finished because we have voted. Our country is facing serious problems. The country cannot solve those problems unless we, as voters, come together and insist that our representatives work together and compromise on solutions. The recent past has proved that hidebound partisanship and ideology accomplishes nothing.

I urge each of you to contact your representatives and tell them you will not stand for more gridlock and delay. Let them know that you will be watching and vote them out of office next election if they do not take positive action to address our problems. And do it. Make a personal pledge right now that you will not vote for the incumbent next time unless that person has made progress on these problems.

Our responsibility as citizens does not stop at the voting booth. Now that we have elected our representatives, we must make them govern.

BRAD MALONE, Boise

A national suicide

As I gazed in horrified disbelief after the train wreck and the re-election of President Barack Obama — as he and his lovely family appeared on the Chicago stage surrounded by legions of cheering, flag-waving supporters to give his victory speech — I had a flashback to the words of Senator Padme Amidala in the movie “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.” At the conclusion of the Clone Wars, after Chancellor Palpatine, in his true form, purges the Jedi Order, destroys their temple, massacres Jedi Knights across the galaxy and is now announcing the creation of the Galactic Empire, Amidala remarks, “So this is how liberty dies, to thunderous applause.”

Congratulations, America, you just committed national and spiritual suicide.

DUANE A. COATES, Meridian

Following a path to Greece

The election is over and I suspect like many Americans, I am sick at heart. A great evil was done at the ballot box. America was given a clear opportunity to reject a pro-abortion, pro-homosexuality, pro-illegal immigration, anti-military, failed socialist president and begin to dig its way out of the economic and moral mess it is in. America answered by saying, “No thank you. We’d rather continue on our road to ruin. We’d rather become Greece.”

Geographically, the vast majority of the nation did not vote to supply more of the rope with which it will hang itself. The vote was tipped by urban centers where minority populations and union thuggery are most prominent. Ironically and deservedly, when the bread and circuses of the welfare state and corrupt Hollywood inevitably fail and society’s fabric further unravels, it will be these cesspools of liberalism where the unrest is most keenly felt.

I have never before in my life witnessed a scent as repugnant as that of the fawning, adoring crowd of Obama supporters in Chicago, many of whom had the audacity not so much of hope, but to wave American flags.

NEIL PARKER, Boise

GOP obstructionism must come to an end

Nationwide we took the first step toward saving our country Nov. 6. We proved that the money from the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson, Frank VanderSloot and Karl Rove could not buy all of our elections in spite of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling.

However, we have not completed the job until we convince our four representatives in D.C. and their Republican colleagues that they need to stop blocking nearly every piece of legislation that will move our nation forward.

Since the Democrats took control of the Senate in 2007, Republicans have filibustered about 370 bills. This means that it takes 60 votes to stop debate and vote on a bill. Of course, it normally only takes 51 votes to pass a bill. The tea party House has spent the last two years passing environment- and job-destroying nonsense legislation.

The Bush tax cuts were to be temporary to stimulate job growth. They were a miserable failure and just made the very rich more so. Every Idahoan needs to contact our four obstructionists in D.C. and demand that they support reasonable legislation that creates jobs and increases the rich’s taxes.

LEO E. FADDIS, Kuna

GOP must change its beliefs and behavior

There was much to digest in the electoral rejection of Republican prescription for the country. A few of the morsels were changing demographics, gender equality, PACs, the religious right and taxation. One hopes the Republican Party can adapt and change not only their articles of belief but their behavior. Otherwise they may risk becoming even more irrelevant and lacking a voice in the nation’s future. We need all the help we can get.

BEN MCCONNELL, Boise

Obama voters must accept responsibility

I was visiting a sick brother, Doug, in Nebraska the week of Nov. 6. Doug’s wife raises chickens. I have another brother, Basil, that was in his glory about the re-election of Obama. Basil brought my sister out to visit Doug and she was worried the conversation would turn political. Basil hastened around his car to help my sister into her wheelchair and hollered at me, “Look out for the chicken ****!” And I responded, “I thought we were not going to talk about President Obama today!” Basil wouldn’t even shake my hand hello.

President Obama takes credit for killing Osama bin Laden. He should be equally intent on accepting credit for the deaths of four ambassadorial men in Benghazi. Those who voted Obama back into office need to accept the responsibility for what happens in the next four years. Obama’s first term was terrible. I do not believe he is capable of changing personally, politically or intellectually. What he is capable of doing is taking more of my money, religious freedom, constitutional rights, gun rights and health care rights! Bad deal for your grandchildren.

Cup of tea, anyone?

GILBERT J. BOLEN, Boise