After what seems like an eternity of campaigning, the showdown between President Barack Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney has finally come to a close. The entire country — still waiting on Florida — decided it indeed was ready to move “Forward.”

Yes, Obamacare is here to stay, and, as BuzzFeed’s Andrew Kaczynski tweeted, “Big Bird has lived to fight another day.” Women will not have to be confined to binders, and 47 percent of Americans can be rest assured that they are cared about.

Moving forward proved to be the most beneficial choice for this country, but it was also clear that Mitt Romney was not providing a concrete alternative, which was one of the major flaws of his campaign. The Republican presidential candidate hindered his chances at victory long before voting started. It began with his lack of consistency and his inability to maintain a concrete opinion on a variety of issues. It soon ended with his total disregard of 47 percent of Americans.

In a September interview with Meet the Press, Romney stated he would not get rid of President Obama’s health care reform. A day later, he decided the legislation must be completely repealed. 

Romney then hummed the same tune about abortion. In early October, Romney seemed to have no intention to change abortion laws and told the Des Moines Register that “he saw no legislation with regards to abortion that I’m familiar with that would become part of my agenda.” Just 24 hours later, he said that if elected, he would lead the country as a pro-life president and discontinue the funding for Planned Parenthood. He also added that he would ban the use of federal funds by private organizations to pay for abortion procedures. 

His constantly changing mind, or what President Obama referred to as “Romnesia,” is what contributed to Romney’s loss. Voters realized that they would rather be led by a president who has shown what he is capable of rather than one who is not too sure. 

When trying to make informed decisions about political candidates, voters want to know what that candidate represents and believes in. And because Romney would later pick an interest and then decide to disregard it, voters could not be too sure what to believe.  

As if amnesia weren’t enough, Mitt Romney failed to provide many details of his plans for the country’s future, as evidenced during the presidential debates. Romney would either respond to a question with an unrelated answer or avoid it altogether, confusing many viewers.

The last and most damaging incident to the Romney campaign was his neglect of the 47 percent of Americans and his failing to reach out to diverse demographics. In September, a secretly recorded video was released from a May 2012 fundraiser capturing Mitt Romney disregarding 47 percent of Americans who would vote for President Obama regardless. He characterized this group as dependent upon government and one who feels they are entitled to handouts from the government.  He then went on to say that his role “is not to worry about those people.”

This hinted at the uncertainty that lay within the mind of Mitt Romney. While it may not have been his role to worry about it during his Bain Capital days, the group he excluded would be a key concern as president of the United States.

Romney should have used better judgment. This fundraising video caused uproar and completely turned off large portions of voters from his campaign — and for the right reasons. Again, people want to be led by a president who has their best interests in mind, and when it comes to the election of the president, voters want to choose a candidate who will best serve everyone.

Not one who will only serve half of the country.

Political analysts and other members of the Republican Party have said the Romney-Ryan campaign failed to reach certain minorities, which cost them the election. Former Gov. Mike Huckabee said: “I think Republicans have done a pathetic job of reaching out to people of color. That’s something we’ve got to work on.” Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly also commented said: “The white establishment is now the minority. The demographics are changing: It’s not a traditional America anymore.”

I’m not too sure what a “traditional America” is, but I agree that his failing to connect with diverse groups of people hurt the campaign.

In the end the race between Obama and Romney woke America up. People turned out in record numbers to vote because they understood the premise that actions speak louder than words. And while Mitt Romney may “Believe in America,” believing is not enough to move us “Forward.”

Ta’les is a junior in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].