November 8, 2008 4:19 AM

Once the euphoria wears off, then what??

George Monkey Bush, saviour of democracy. The current economic meltdown, a fumbled response to Hurricane Katrina and a banner reading "Mission Accomplished" are but a few of the things that will make up Bush's legacy. But it can be argued that through his ineptitude, Bush has shaken the electorate out of their apathetic daze, and in doing so, strengthened democracy in the United States. How's that for irony?

Don't get me wrong; I'm as excited as anyone that Barack Obama is our President-elect, and that in 73 days, Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader © will be deservingly consigned to the ash heap of history. I'm beyond ecstatic at the breathtaking scope of Obama's victory and the degree to which it represents a complete and total repudiation of the past eight years. Those of us who have wandered in the political wilderness for the past eight years have every right to not only enjoy this moment, but also to luxuriate in it. We deserve it.

With each passing day, though, a bit of the euphoria wears off, and the enormity of the task facing us becomes more apparent. Let's face it; if things were good, it's not likely that Obama would have doubled up on John McCain in terms of electoral votes. If things were good, McCain would probably be the one measuring the drapes in the Oval Office, and Caribou Barbie would be firing up the moving vans needed to get the Wasilla Hillbillies out of Alaska. No, if things were good, we'd be having a much different conversation right about now. The reality, however, is that things are not good, and they haven't been for quite some time. Barack Obama is the right man at the right time in this nation's history. To say that he faces a daunting task wouldn't begin to do justice to the mountain he and his Administration must climb.

Change may be on the way, but will change alone be enough? Let's face reality, shall we? The sun is not suddenly going to come out once Obama takes the oath of office on 1.20.09. The country the new President will be inheriting is the political and economic equivalent of an orange '69 AMC Pacer with two brown doors and three bald tires. There's a LOT of work to be done, and my hope is that the American Sheeple will be patient enough to allow the new Obama Administration to work through it's priorities. My fear is that Americans will view this new President as George Steinbrenner views the manager of his New York Yankees- you were supposed to win a World Series yesterday. Don't deliver an immediate championship, and...well, don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out of town.

I fear that Barack Obama may ultimately become a victim of eight years of Republican incompetence, avarice, corruption, and ineptitude. No matter how much he and his team are able to accomplish, I'm afraid that he may not be able to deliver fast enough to make some people happy. Never mind the reality that he's tasked with cleaning up after eight years of The Worst President EVER ©. Obama may have to spend his entire first term undoing the damage of the past eight years. That's how bad things are in this country today. Change is coming, but it's not going to happen overnight. It's going to take all of Obama's considerable rhetorical and inspirational skills to persuade Americans to stay the course. If we can keep faith with him, we may come out the other side in far better shape in a few years. The future may look promising, but the present sucks...and getting through the present will be the biggest challenge facing our new President.

It's an amazing thing to be part of history as we witness it being made. I can only hope that our future will look brighter than the past eight years. WE DESERVE BETTER.

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About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on November 8, 2008 4:19 AM.

Denial: yeah, it ain't just a river in Egypt, knowhutimean?? was the previous entry in this blog.

Paper ballots would be good right about now.... is the next entry in this blog.

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