Obama-Rama
By the time I wake up tomorrow there will be a new President ... one of the advantages of living in Hawaii is that the first two-and-a-half hours or so of the workday on the east coast occurs before I get up at 0530. I know that in the federal government nothing will really change tomorrow. It will not be a workday for anyone in Washington (except the Secret Service, the Military, and the caterers). In the rest of the country and the world there will be a "change" in attitude.
I was not for Obama originally. I distrusted his "change" mantra without specifics (or at least without any specifics that separated him from Hillary) but so far I have been impressed with his choices and I am now pretty happy with the way things are headed. That does not mean that I think things will be peachy from here on out. I just think that, much like after 9/11, but for different reasons, the country will be energized with a feeling of duty and patriotism that can lead to positive collective action.
But, I am also a realist, or some my say a pessimist. I know, quoting Merlin from "Excalibur", that "it is man's doom that he forgets" (when he says it it sounds a lot cooler). Obama will have missteps. He has warned you of them already although I am not sure anyone is listening. He will spend his political capital and eventually it will be gone and he will have to deal with the realities of Beltway politics. So, a year or two from now when the luster starts to fade remember how you felt today.
That is an internal concern. It will take much longer for the rest of the world to see the US the way they did during W's second term. Even the French now feel socially inferior looking at why their politicians do not reflect their population's diversity. No matter what happens within the country, the international community will once again view the US as a country of potential and promise.
That is enough rambling for now. Time to go watch some old TV shows (Kingdom Hospital on DVD) and have an ice cream bar and maybe play with the puppies.
I was not for Obama originally. I distrusted his "change" mantra without specifics (or at least without any specifics that separated him from Hillary) but so far I have been impressed with his choices and I am now pretty happy with the way things are headed. That does not mean that I think things will be peachy from here on out. I just think that, much like after 9/11, but for different reasons, the country will be energized with a feeling of duty and patriotism that can lead to positive collective action.
But, I am also a realist, or some my say a pessimist. I know, quoting Merlin from "Excalibur", that "it is man's doom that he forgets" (when he says it it sounds a lot cooler). Obama will have missteps. He has warned you of them already although I am not sure anyone is listening. He will spend his political capital and eventually it will be gone and he will have to deal with the realities of Beltway politics. So, a year or two from now when the luster starts to fade remember how you felt today.
That is an internal concern. It will take much longer for the rest of the world to see the US the way they did during W's second term. Even the French now feel socially inferior looking at why their politicians do not reflect their population's diversity. No matter what happens within the country, the international community will once again view the US as a country of potential and promise.
That is enough rambling for now. Time to go watch some old TV shows (Kingdom Hospital on DVD) and have an ice cream bar and maybe play with the puppies.