Nichols writes: "President Obama's second inaugural address touched on the reality that the United States has a dysfunctional election system."
Florida voters waited in long lines to vote in the 2012 election, after the state reduced early voting and polling places. (photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
23 January 14
resident Obama's second inaugural address touched on the reality that the United States has a dysfunctional election system. Describing the nation's progress, as well as the ways in which the nation needs to progress, the president declared, "Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote."
Obama drew knowing applause when he spoke that truth in January 2013, as he did in November 2012, when just hours after his re-election the president noted that millions of Americans had "waited in line for a very long time" to vote. Then, in an ad lib that got more attention than his prepared remark, the president added: "By the way we have to fix that."
On Wednesday, the process of fixing the problem - and of moving America a few more steps toward democracy - accelerated. A little.
Continue Reading: The Infrastructure of American Democracy Is Dysfunctional
