Obama Speech Good; More the Same

I’ve had time to digest the inauguration of our now 44^th President, Barack Obama. I must say, I was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed it. Aretha Franklin singing “My Country Tiss of Thee,” was a treat for the ears, and the great instrumental piece written by John Williams made me feel rather upper class.

Even Obama’s speech was something to send chills and the spines of the listeners, while it so vividly reminded us of the mess we are in. The way Obama referenced and tried to link himself to American heroes and former Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy was not only a brilliant speech move, but a relevant one.

Washington was thrust into the mess we call the American Revolution as he had to hold the colonies together, while Lincoln had to hold the Union together. All this while displayed a youthful energy and vigor that was reminiscent of Kennedy. Now, Obama has to hold this Union together. A Union that faces multi-trillion dollar debt, dual war fronts, and failed economy on top of a very long to-do list.

It was a brilliant speech, and yet it is all things we have heard from the last 43 Presidents. Every President that has preceded Obama has promised to do good things in his Inauguration speech, and left the nation believing that ‘maybe, he can do it.’

I’m no way saying that Obama will be a bad President, nor am I insinuating that he will be a great one. All I am saying is that we don’t need to coronate him King in his first official day of office.

The next 100 days are key. That is the time he will really get to move his policy, get his people in, and really get a feel of the Presidency.

What Obama needs to answer are these questions: How is he going to deal with the economic downturn and curb the debt? Is he going to continue the bailout which is in essence, spending money to get out of debt?

What is he going to do in Iraq and Afghanistan? Is he going to keep his word and pull out of Iraq and refocus our efforts on the original warfront? How is he going to deal with the failing health care and school systems? Is he going to end No Child Left Behind and not be controlled by the insurance lobbyists? All of these issues were addressed in his speech, but no clear answer of how.

I want Obama to succeed. If he succeeds, we succeed as a country. My issue is that he may be in too big a hole to climb out of in one term.

I, and the rest of America, should hold Obama accountable and be critical of his decisions when we see fit. We also need to keep in mind that he has to make decisions that none of us would dream of wanting to make.