The marathon has ended. The American people said President Barack Obama deserves four more years. Now it is time to go forward.

Myriad problems affecting the entire United States still exist. Talk of fiscal cliffs, tax hikes and Obamacare will rule the agenda in the coming weeks. The national debt and out-of-control spending by Congress and the president soon will have to be tackled.

The most daunting hurdle, however, will be repairing the divide that threatens the well-being of this nation. Congress — the Republicans hold control of the House of Representatives while Democrats control 53 of 100 Senate seats — is still mired in gridlock. The fight between limited-government thinkers and government-first thinkers will continue. The legislative bodies have proved over the past four years that working together for the people is impossible.

Congress will ballyhoo a new start of “bi-partisanship” and “reaching across the aisle,” but forgive the people if the words fall hollow. A line of thought does exist, however, that the less Congress accomplishes, the better off the people will be. But we believe that it is possible to work together.

If they find a way to work together, the out-of-control spending binge will have to be rectified. The current path our elected officials have put us on is not only unsustainable, but insane. A report released Monday showed that every American man, woman and child is on the hook for $53,400. That number shows no signs of declining anytime soon.

According to usdebtclock.org Wednesday:

• The national debt — what we owe creditors — is $16.4 trillion.

• Federal deficit — what we spend per year compared to what we take in — $1.2 trillion

• Social Security liability — what the government has promised — $16 trillion.

• Medicare liability — $84 trillion.

• Total unfunded liabilities – $122 trillion.

The absurdity of what we owe and what we have promised in the future is a clear and present danger to the future of this country.

In putting Obama back into the presidency, the American people have decided that the looming fiscal disaster is not so looming. Though he campaigned on cutting the deficit, his actions tell a much different story. Each budget he has produced is laden with deficit spending. It cannot go on forever.

But the people have spoken. The race in 2012 is complete. The people have spoken.

Now, will the country move forward, or continue to digress into a land of divisiveness and fiscal insanity?