An Historic Day

For the record, I did not vote in the 2008 presidential election. Both candidates had positions with which I agreed, and positions to which I am utterly opposed. My DeeDee always said that voting was choosing the lesser of two evils--and this past fall, I simply couldn't see which of the two candidates fit that description. That's not to say I think McCain or Obama are evil...just that I'm still not sure which one would do the least harm. Granted, at this particular point, I don't know how much harm can be done to the present situation lol.

All that said, I am cautiously optimistic about Obama as president. I was impressed with the way he conducted himself at today's inauguration, and impressed with his family's conduct as well. I can only hope that being in the White House fishbowl doesn't change those two seemingly-sweet girls into spoiled holy terrors. I got the impression that Obama and his wife are basically nice, good people who truly want to do good by the nation. Of course, they were in front of hundreds of cameras all day long, so I must take that impression with a grain of salt.

Anyway, on to Obama. I thought his speech was well-worded, if emblematic of my reasons for caution. He has big dreams for our nation, some of which I agree with. He seems very driven, and optimistic, as well as seeming to grasp the challenges ahead. That said, I am highly skeptical of how far his idealism will get him along his path to his dreams. I think if he had a time frame extending for more than 4 (or even 8) years, that he could well accomplish his goals. However, he really only has 2 years until a mid-term congressional election, and then he has to get reelected two years after that. IF he gets elected then, there might be a better chance of progress.

That said, I'm not meaning to imply that I think NO progress will be made. I just feel that, with the economy being what it is and the international scene being what it is, Obama has plenty on his plate at the get-go without following up on medical care reform, education reform, immigration reform, etc. Also, I think so many people have pinned their hopes for economic salvation on him, when Congress actually controls the purse strings. Granted, the President has quite a bit of sway, but still.

So, I hope for the best, and realize thee reality will actually fall somewhere in between the best and worse case scenarios. I just hope its closer to the best case :-).