Believe it or not, it’s over!! All the negative ads, the sound bites, the promises that may or may not be kept, the worry about wardrobes, about birth certificates, about age, race, religion, and the myraid other petty bickering and bantering that accompanies a political campaign have, at least for the moment, gone the way of the 8 track tape. So let’s toss a few things up in the air and see what lands.
First-The racial landscape of this country has most definintly changed. When I cast my first vote some 30 odd years ago (I voted for Nixon, the first and last time I voted for the Elephant) if some had told me that 30 years in the future a black man would not only be elected President, but would be elected by such a large margin, I would have laughed in their face. I am glad that I have lived long enough to see the racial barriers in this country begin to fall. The question remains-will he do a good job? That remains to be seen. But to add a question to that, can he do worse to this country than Bush did?
Second-America is giddy with Obama’s surge to arguablely the most powerful position in the world. But how long will that last. If the media has it’s way, most likely for a long time. We need to be realistic folks. The problems in this country are too great to be corrected in a short time. And Obama is already hedging on his promise of change by saying that he isn’t sure that the problems facing this country can be corrected in his first term. Sounds like he is campaigning for 2012 already. Maybe he’s also saying not to expect too much of him in only four years because after all it took Bush 8 years to get us here, how can things possibly change in only 4. Humm, I thought that’s what his battle cry of Change was all about; Taking the bull by the horns and turning things around economically, getting us out of a war we shouldn’t be in and restoring us to the greatness we once enjoyed. Maybe I misunderstood what his definition of change was. The measure of Obama will start with his Cabinet picks. The rest remains to be seen.
Third-Well, actually, there is no third. I won’t delve into the issue of race. That is a subject too deep and too dangerous to involve myself in. I will say that I believe what happened yesterday bodes well for future generations. It proved I was wrong 30 years ago. I’m just not convinced this particular happening at this point in history, with this particular person, will bring about the change people are expecting as fast as they are expecting it. I hope I'm wrong again.
Till next time, be safe, it’s a jungle out there.
