new President, new world

On Tuesday, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America. His campaign strongly referenced the simple ideas of "Change" and "Yes We Can," positive messages which have been sorely lacking in politics for quite some time. I found it refreshing to watch a candidate who was eloquent, well-educated, and clearly made his own decisions about policy. I voted for President Obama, and his election brings me hope that the next four years will see improvements in many areas of American government and policy.

In Obama's inaugural address, he stated the following:
"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over ocnflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."

Those statements sum up, in a nutshell, why I feel that President Obama is the right choice for this country today and why I think he will do a very good job. He has risen above the petty muckraking that so many other politicians indulge in, and he seems to be truly humble and accepting of the great responsibility -before- the great power of his elected position. When watching the inauguration on CNN Tuesday morning, I was struck by how serious Obama was, as he radiated calm and gravity from his very person. This is in sharp contrast to other politicians who have come to office with a huge "shit-eating grin" on their faces, as if to highlight that they have only been given their due and now have all the world to play with.

President Obama is clearly his own man and while he will take advice, he will make and own his decisions on policy during his presidency. I firmly believe that once a leader is elected that they should be left to lead as their position dictates, and that at the end of their term they should be judged based on what they have accomplished. This has been difficult to do with President Bush, as he has not made his own decisions so it is difficult to judge him based on any firm track record, leaving him appearing to be a simple puppet who has done nothing but break things. If nothing else, President Obama will be his own man and will be judged upon that, which is a powerful thing.

Many people are unhappy with President Obama and are letting their unhappiness ring out in varying degrees and methods. To all of you, I say this - let the man do his job before you bury him. Let there be open and honest discourse, untainted by vicious personal attacks and hatred. And let there be hard work put into the country by ALL of its population, no matter what color or creed, so that tomorrow will be a brighter day.