At the end of a close race, George W. Bush has been re-elected President of the United States. Sen. John Kerry conceded the race Wednesday and Bush declared victory.

In this metaphoric game of Texas Hold 'Em, America put all its chips on the table and went all in. And now that Kerry's folded, about half of the voters are disappointed. So, Republicans and Bush supporters, go easy on your Democratic friends. They're probably not in the mood for an "I told you so."

Make this your first step to calm the storm between Republicans and Democrats.

Both candidates acknowledged that we are now a more divided country. In his concession speech, Kerry said America has a "desperate need" for unity. For his part, Bush promised to bring the people of the United States back together. From this one goal, Bush cannot back down. If we're to move ahead after this election, America's going to need to come together under one flag once again.

Kerry supporters, we know what you're thinking, but moving to Canada or Europe is not going to help. Running away never solved anything. Instead, stay within the American political system and fight harder. Right the wrongs you still find out there.

Maybe that's what John Edwards meant Wednesday when he said the fight was only beginning. Take that energy, that passion you had and bring it back to American politics on every level.

Change, like Sean "P. Diddy" Combs said, doesn't always come easy. Nor should anyone expect it to. And we all believe Puffy.

To repair relations inside and out, President Bush will have to put in a lot of hard work. He's going to have to make big concessions to keep everyone happy. And we have a few suggestions:

First, recover the federal budget deficit. Spent a couple hundred billion on war? OK, now pay for it.

Bush also should back off on a federal gay marriage ban. The gay rights movement suffered a major setback in 11 states Tuesday, when each voted to enact a ban on gay marriage. By leaving the U.S. Constitution alone, Bush would end a lot of worries.

We also think Bush should listen to U.S. allies. Listening does not necessarily mean obeying, or placing national security in foreign hands.

All we ask is that the president take the global consequences of his actions more seriously. The cowboy, shoot-'em-up mentality Bush has displayed in the past needs to be toned down. There's nothing wrong with strong military action, but there's something to be said for strategic use of military resources.

Bringing the country closer together might entail Bush keeping religious rhetoric out of his speeches - especially those concerning terror. These aren't the Middle Ages - the modern world has no place for the word "crusade."

Injecting personal faith into politics will not help Bush win over any moderates. If anything, it will only drive them away. He's going to have to keep this in mind.

It's likely Iraq won't be the last stop in the war on terror. For any new terrorist threat, America will need allies to back it. Between Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military has its hands full. This time around, Bush will have to enlist more allies actually willing to pledge a substantial number of troops. It's regretful that he considers consulting with allies a form of weakness.

Any future battleground will have to be a shared one. In no way should our country have to bend to terror. As we continue, America should have a healthy, realistic view of terrorism. Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida still represent a clear and present danger to the United States. Instead of fearing terrorism, we need to better understand the threat America faces - a threat not to be taken lightly.

Even if you don't like him, Bush will have to pull America through some potentially tough times. Our hope is that the upcoming years are better than the last four.