With the election now over, it’s time for both the American public and Washington to move on from partisan rhetoric and strive toward national betterment. As shown by the very close margin in the popular vote, there are many disappointed voters who would have preferred to see Romney in office for the next four years. Unfortunately for them, this is not the case. And it is pointless, in fact it is regressive, to complain and be bitter about the loss. Instead, the two parties need to coalesce and strive to do what’s best for the country for the next four years.

To all the Republicans out there (especially those in Washington), there is a message for you: Obama can not be president again after these four years, so you might as well work to make the country better. It’s time to stop ruffling your party’s feathers and to stop licking your wounds. Instead, there is a great opportunity at hand for the country to once again move onto the right track. Without bipartisan support, Congress will remain inactive and nothing will get done. The economy will sour even more than it already has, already-stalled immigration issues will worsen, foreign policy will suffer, and more. But with help from the right, Obama can help right these issues (especially if he is provided with bipartisan, equal, and compromised plans to work with).

And to all the Democrats out there (especially those in Washington), there is also a message for you: There is no time to spend thumping your chests or high-fiving your party mates, especially when it is in front of those from the other side. Instead, you must also be willing to work in a bipartisan manner. As the incumbent party, it is imperative that you take the next step and extend your hand even more to the right, fostering a sense of compromise and effectiveness in government.

There are many issues facing President Obama in his second term. There are many things that he still needs to address, or needs to address better than in his first term. However, the one thing he should not have to deal with is partisan gridlock. As George Washington forewarned in his Farewell Address, the party system has only come to hinder America’s growth and stall her progress. That culture needs to be changed, and it needs to be changed immediately if this country has any hope of returning to its glory and position firmly atop the rest of the world as the best nation on Earth.