By CONOR FUCCI

COLUMNIST

The results are in, and Barack Obama has been elected to four more years as President of the United States. As was expected, it was the extremely tight races in the “battleground” states that ended up deciding the election. Obama will now be given the opportunity to serve over a nation that is starting to recover from one of the greatest economic recessions in recent history and bring the United States back from the brink to receive the credit he deserves. In his first term, President Obama has made great changes to our nation that have benefited every citizen. From Obamacare to the repeal of “don’t ask don’t tell,” America has indubitably moved in the right direction.

Having expressed my high hopes for this upcoming presidency, I do have some worries. Judging by this campaign season, it appears that Obama has not come up with any new ideas for what he wants to do in the future. Will there be any additional progress made with the economy? Will marijuana legalization be put on the table? Will Obama’s support for gay marriage turn into any real legislation? None of these questions have been answered yet, but they will be in the coming years. The answers to these questions could define the Obama presidency. Having expressed my worries, I have to say that if the Democrats retake the House and hold the Senate bills will get passed and progress will be made.

One of the more important things that will occur during the upcoming four years is the selection of a new Supreme Court judge. This judge will most likely be Democratic and change the total lean of the court from notoriously conservative to fully Democratic. This change could open the opportunity for more cases fought in the courts, such as gay marriage to be upheld and more progressive policies to be passed. This will not only have a major effect on the upcoming four years, but it will be important for the years to come. Even if the next president is a Republican, chances are there will not be another judge looking to retire for quite a number of years.

Reflecting upon the campaign itself, it took an enormous of effort by Obama and his campaign officials, which truly brought together all of the members of the Democratic Party, to re-elect a leader who will reach across the aisle to get legislation passed and move the United States in the right direction. The amount of fundraising, over three-quarters of a billion dollars, was put together not only by large donations but also by a strong grassroots movement, showing the common person was actively involved and wanted to make a difference.

Although this is arguably the most important election of my generation, I know that chances are there will not be too much of an immediate difference made. This is, however, a great opportunity to set plans in motion. There is a good chance there will be more problems to come for the Republican Party and their confidence as a whole. Now is the time to look to the next four years to see where Obama is going to take the United States.