The election is over but the end of partisan politics and party bickering seems long from over.

A split country continues to critique its leaders with vitriol and fringe groups continue to drive the nation’s narrative, it seems.

The political rancor sank to a new low this week. In the wake of President Barack Obama’s re-election petitions were filed in more than two dozen states seeking permission to “peacefully secede” from the United States.

Obviously this is a farce, and anyone signing such a petition should have their heads examined, but that some minority of the population sees this as a viable solution to our problems is a problem in and of itself.

It’s time for our leaders to do what we sent them to Washington to do in the first place — lead.

No matter what side of the political fence one falls, hopefully we can all agree that there are better things our leaders could be doing to make all of our lives better than being a party to idiotic notions like secession.

President Obama and numerous other Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been elected to new terms and have the chance to prove their worth to the country. They should all be judged harshly on their ability to reach across the aisle and work together for a change.

That ability will be tested immediately as Congress and the White House attempt to avoid tumbling over a “fiscal cliff” in the coming weeks.

Somehow they must negotiate $1.2 trillion in cuts to the deficit before the end of the year or face automatic spending cuts to defense and domestic programs that most experts agree will push the country back into recession.

Both sides have to give a little to get a little and this world of absolutes our politicians have been living in leading up to the election needs to be shattered.

For the greater good, these men and women have to reach some kind of agreement before we all have to pay the price.