Inauguration of a Lifetime

It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime moment that hits you right at the core!  An African-American man is elected to the highest office in the United States of America.  From a historical perspective, what a statement – look where the country has come, look at what you can do if you work hard, this is how the glass ceiling breaks, in fact, shatters!

As I watched the inauguration on ABC TV’s webcast, I was filled with awe.  It was not just the poignancy of the moment or the history I was witnessing that got to me.  It was also the ocassion and the environment – the cold morning with its gleam of fog, the sheer masses of people on the Washington Mall, the large screen TVs raised so that people could see what was happening at the Capitol, the look on peoples’ faces as they awaited the inauguration, the limousines carrying the Vice-President Elect Joe Biden and his wife entering the White House to be followed by President-Elect Barack Obama and Michelle, the calm on Obama’s face!  It was a moment where I felt speechless and carried away by the immensity of it all.

Long-term, I think Obama’s election has wonderful prospects for growing the nation and the world.  Long-held strong and subtle prejudices will be challenged and not easily defeated, if not won, because of the power of the presidency and the person holding it.  Enemies of peace can be approached by one of their own.  Well, sort of.  At least enough to make a difference.  I hope.  Obama can affect change within people and among people just by who he is not to mention by all he will bring forward in terms of policies and plans.  Yes, it is not just the message that matters. The person who delivers it makes a big difference.  The way it is managed can make or break acceptance, positive response, and mutual gain.

Short-term, Obama will bring perspectives and action to fiscal and economic policies that come with him being a Democrat, although he is a centrist.  He will invest in new forms of energy, education, and healthcare.  Senator Kennedy, an icon of his party that has pursued these causes for decades, will have a real opportunity to see healthcare reform enacted.  Investment in schools and infrastructure will happen.  There is a lot of stimulating required and Obama is going to do it.

The upside is huge.  We all know that.  The wars and the economy the way it is means it will be hard for him to go wrong.  He won’t go wrong by making wrong choices.  He will only go wrong by not taking action.  Obama has a license to take risks and bold steps and he’s a man suited for just that.  The one major downside is that another terrorist attack happens.  No matter how much he improves the economy and how quickly he brings the wars to an end, a successful attack on the United States will be his fall.  That’s the only downside that has any significant depth.  Improving the economy will take time and he won’t be blamed for it as long as he tries.  Well, he may be blamed for it, but it won’t stick.  He inherited a mess.

With Obama’s election, it is a time of doing for the country, for the people, and for the president.  Let’s see where we end up in 4 years.  I suspect we will be surprised by how distant January 20, 2009 will look.