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Those that lived this day, and see Social Security, will stand yearly on the eve, entertain their friends and say, “tomorrow is Election Day.” Old men tend to forget, and all may be forgotten, but they will remember with clarity, what votes they cast that day. Then will their names, familiar to every schoolchild, Joe the Plumber, Biden and Palin, Obama and McCain be newly remembered. And this story shall the good sons and daughters of today teach their children, and Election Day shall never go by without these events recounted. And Americans not yet of age will consider themselves cursed, and those that did not register or pull the lever, will consider their citizenship cheap, while we spoke with one voice, and cast our vote upon Election Day.
It was a historic campaign, a historic election, and it will be a historic inauguration. On January 20th, 2009, Barack Obama, the first African American president-elect, will raise his right hand and solemnly swear to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, which at this country’s birth declared him three-fifths of a human being, as the 44th president of the United States.
The symbolism of the moment and its historical impact does not escape anyone, but now many Americans, including the president-elect, are left to ask a vital question. “What’s next?”
No president-elect faces a more crucial initial 100 days of their presidency than Barack Obama. He will need to replicate FDR’s first 100 days if he wants to capitalize on the success of his campaign. FDR was able to pass fundamental relief legislation that formed the foundation of the New Deal in his first 100 days in office. He fulfilled many of his campaign pledges and set the 100 day standard that all of his predecessors have been judged by.
The danger Barack Obama faces is the letdown from the campaign. He campaigned as a transformational leader and now upon his election, he must deliver the change that he promised. Americans will expect Obama to sweep into Washington and monumentally alter the way the Capitol operates and the politics which govern it. That may be a nearly ungovernable task in 100 days or one term. A sentiment echoed Tuesday night during Obama’s victory speech. “We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.”
Just as FDR did, Barack Obama will inherit an economic crisis. Also like FDR, he will be propelled into office in a huge Democratic upswing. The Democrats extended their slim majority in the House to 254 seats, with 8 seats undecided and 56 seats in the Senate, with 4 seats undecided as of November 5th. Obama will be positioned well to implement his agenda, unburdened by a divided government; however, the Democratic controlled Congress is both a blessing and a curse.
The Senate and House leadership of Pelosi and Reid will enjoy unprecedented power and influence and may hamstring Obama’s attempts to reach across the aisle as he has promised to do. Obama must reign in a Democratic Congress that will be less inclined to eliminate gridlock and court bipartisanship than in exercising its political power.
Obama’s Democratic coalition must govern prudently. If they do not, it will imperil his presidency. A presidency predicated upon changing politics as usual.
Obama will have to facilitate the recovery of the economy, execute a withdrawal from Iraq, a re-deployment to Afghanistan, and navigate the trappings of the majority without damaging his legacy.
Obama needs to assemble a staff of the best and ablest, ready to implement his initiatives effectively on January 20th. The magnitude of the problems they will inherit and the mandate that Americans granted them demand quick and decisive action.
The enthusiasm that his campaign garnered, the expectations that it raised, and the historic implications of his election heighten the intensity of the judgment of the present. For Obama to succeed, he must translate his poetic oratory into reality, and survive the daily grind of Beltway politics. We can only hope. |
