Tuesday’s election was a resounding victory for American progressives, but not just because of the decision to give President Obama a second term. Whether it was through key congressional elections or state-by-state ballot initiatives, liberal politics were advanced not because of the president, but in spite of him. Since the GOP marginalized many minority groups during the campaign, from women to Hispanics to LGBT Americans, Obama’s win can be chalked up more to a lesser-of-two-evils mentality than the optimistic hope that launched him to victory in 2008.

In regards to Congressional election results, those wanting stricter fiscal reform saw the triumph of Elizabeth Warren, former overseer of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in her Massachusetts Senate race. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, a staunch liberal on social issues, became the first openly gay U.S. Senator in history. And somehow, not a single Democratic incumbent for Senate was defeated.

In statewide referendums and propositions, advocates of traditional marriage were soundly defeated in Maine, Maryland and Washington, marking the first time ballot initiatives for marriage equality were ever upheld by voters. Meanwhile, Colorado and Washington both legalized the possession of marijuana for recreational use, a blow to drug war advocates who have long warned against its legalization.

Now President Obama has an important role to play if he is to continue this liberal trend. In his first term, he directed his Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act in court, putting him on the progressive side of marriage equality. We can only hope that federal drug enforcement does not get in the way of Colorado and Washington allowing marijuana to be regulated within state borders. Unfortunately, as the Drug Enforcement Administration pronounced their continuation of the Controlled Substances Act yesterday, that does not appear to be likely.

These results reflect the changing of the tides, naturally rolling towards equality and tolerance, more than they do the Democratic Party. But we still have a president who wants to cut the crown jewels of liberal programs — Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Whether the newly elected will stick to their guns and risk being labeled as ideologues or compromise values to be cooperative party-players remains to be seen, but the results show that the nation is striving towards a different, forward perspective. Obama, however, did not build that attitude. We did.

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Nov. 8 print edition. Email the Editorial Board at [email protected].