Why Complain About Government Gridlock? After All, Our Votes Created It

Was Tuesday's election, in which Democrats lost control of the U.S. Senate, as predicted, a referendum on President Obama?

Personally, I think the president is unfairly being blamed for a set of circumstances that are beyond the control of any one leader. He just happened to take office during a time in history in which an unprecedented set of challenges are snowballing all at once:

Growing income inequality and jobs that once paid well with just a high school diploma becoming extinct. The global economy is now much more competitive than in generations past and workers need to obtain college degrees to succeed, but the cost of higher education is skyrocketing.

Increasing racial tension over incidents like the deaths of unarmed black teens Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin. These incidents have shown that blacks and whites still hold extremely different views on how to address police brutality, reform the criminal justice system and improve race relations, in general.

Polarizing debates over immigration. A constant influx of new people enhances the richness of our racial and cultural diversity, but also strains resources and increases competition for scarce jobs.  

A more complex set of terrorist threats than ever before from groups like ISIS.

Extreme weather and widely differing views among liberals and conservatives on whether "climate change" even exists.

We get the government we deserve, based
on how we vote - or don't vote.

Both President Obama and Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who is expected to become the new Senate majority leader, have vowed to work together to find solutions to these and other issues facing the nation and the world. But if gridlock in Washington escalates, the same voters who are responsible for the results of Tuesday's election will become increasingly cynical.

I think we get the government we deserve, based on the way we vote - or don't vote. Complaining about gridlock in Washington, when your vote (or lack thereof) is what led to this stalemate, is like looking out the window, seeing that a storm is coming, and then being surprised when you go outside without an umbrella and get drenched.