While it is nice to think our fellow citizens don’t base their votes on the misinformation and twisted facts presented in political ads, this notion was, unfortunately, proved wrong in Tuesday’s election.

It seems the most popular candidates across the country were Republicans, most of whom used tactics like claiming their opponents were “exactly like Obama” or that a vote for said candidate was a vote for Obama or said opponent has contributed to the ruination of our country by supporting Obama in all of his policies.

Okay, we get it. He’s not the most popular guy, but the job’s not easy. President Obama has done the best he could with the situation he came into, and it would be interesting to see if any of the candidates bashing his policies could do any better under the same circumstances.

A horrible new American tradition has emerged recently in which hating the president somehow makes you a better citizen, and it seems extremely contradictory. Why now? Why Obama? And how does that make one more American?!

We don’t have to agree with the president. We don’t have to like his policies. But he is the ultimate representative of our country and if we aren’t showing him the respect he deserves, how do we expect the rest of the world to take us seriously as a nation?

Yes, we have issues in our government, issues with our human rights and issues with policy, but, all in all, Americans have it pretty good. If you care about an issue, fight for it and make your voice heard, but don’t berate our elected officials for things that probably aren’t entirely the fault of one individual.

We, as American citizens, are very well off. Whining about policies and disrespecting the people whom WE elected as a democracy makes us come across as immature and out-of-touch with reality.

By electing a Republican majority Tuesday, citizens have demonstrated their desire for change — we just hope for the sake of our country’s future that the change came about because voters honestly agreed more with the campaign platforms of the Republican candidates and not because they were concerned more with not electing anyone who supports Obama or his policies.

Voter turnout was poor in Tuesday’s election, and those who chose not to vote are sending a message as well. Were there really no candidates they felt were worth voting for? Or were people, particularly Democrats, turned off from voting because of the stigma surrounding democratic candidates due to their support (real, or implied) for the president and his policies.

Either way, the voters of America have spoken, and only time will tell if they did so for the right reasons or just to follow a trend.