HISTORY: Our America Elects Barack Obama; the President-Elect is Circumspect

And the people have a new job to do

By Kimberly Krautter

Indeed, our hands are once again on the "arc of history," and we are bending it to the hope of a better day. I have never been so proud of our America.

There is a lot of Wednesday morning quarterbacking going on right now. To the surprise of some no doubt, I am not going to get into that. There will be plenty of time to parse the woulda, coulda, shouldas, and to certainly examine the possibilities. Next week, I will publish my "cabinet dream team" and open up that for discussion.

Instead, today, I wonder if some of you were likewise struck by the sober tone of Obama's acceptance speech last night. Here's a guy with a mega-watt smile and a stratospheric oratory style. And yet, each "Yes we can" was delivered with such prudence.

Take a look at the speech. From the moment he walked out on stage, the President-Elect held a posture that indicated he was wearing the mantle of the office. He delivered his message with measure and deep circumspection.

At a time of enormous jubiliation in our country and shared global celebration; when the light of American Liberty once again shone so brightly, Barack Obama, the man who was the cause of that revelry was startlingly reserved.

Personally, I felt a pull in my stomach. My heart was soaring, but my gut was listening to the undertones.

I have heard from some national security insiders that each new President is aghast when he is finally presented the file that shows the actual state of our national security. I've been told that the Defense and State departments as well as the Treasury department had made appointments with each candidate to meet with whomever won the election within 48 hours to begin the briefings.

For Obama, this means no time for a victory dance. No time for rest. The game is afoot. And it is a big one.

Pundits will say that the stakes are extraordinarily high for the Obama Presidency not only because of the issues of our time but because of his unique place in history. I am struck from his speech last night and from insider insights that we, the body politic, have a certain responsibility to bear as well.

This moment, this election is as much ours as his. Obama's success is wholly dependent upon our support. Just as it will be incumbent upon the President-Elect to lead from the center and to act bi-partisanly, it is vital for us to put aside our own partisanships and vested interests to become educated on what it will take for our nation to turn the corner towards peace and prosperity.

We have applauded loudly many times as candidate Obama called the nation to service. With his election, it is our turn to step up, share the mantle and put our money/time where are cheers are.

Our job as citizens did not end with casting a ballot yesterday. It only began. A successful Obama presidency will forever secure the blessings of history on our nation. It will change the DNA of our nation and greatly impact the world. But that success rests on our shoulders as much as his.

Comments

[Robert Malin]

Joe Cool makes it to the White House and his first new politix move is to put a crony & right of center Dem as the gate keeper to who get's the prez's ear. Hmmm, not too hopeful. Ya think Emmanuel will want to let the progressive's in? Obama has been trying to tell us that he is conservative all along, but is he smart enough to see the new paint economy peeling off the wall even before it can dry? That's because they never scraped off the undercoat which is rotting.If he actually takes the bait that the economic low road we are on can be fixed then he will get the blame & the Republicans can run on their incredible shrinking government trickle down trick again. After all, 4 years of corporate welfare on steroids isn't a bad thing for the elite now, is it?

[Ken Krautter]

Wonderful writing. I invite all the people, The Body Politic, to consider the following mutual pledge on Our Republic Walk to be our first step together toward our task at hand:

"When in the Time of Republic Teamwork, United Sovereign People hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Children are concieved in Liberty by Love of the Creator and of each other and deceived into Debt by Fear of Sovereign Government and of each other until We the People, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor to assume among the Powers of the Earth the separate and equal E Pluribus Unum Station in Novus Ordo Seclorum Republic Teamwork Principles of the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God that ordain and establish The Republican Form of Government where all Sovereign Citizens are united by Communication & Cooperation & Coordination in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty and Peace on Earth to ourselves and our Posterity on Our Republic Walk together with the Creator to protect all children forevermore in Our Republic Walk MARKET Economy of Mind"

You are so right! We are all in the same boat and the time has come for We the People, The Body Politic, to row together.

Love, Daddy

[Stuart O'Neill]

Well said. I also noticed the subdued tone and especially his facial posture at the end of the speech and on-stage celebration.

I felt as if the weight of the office, combined very likely with enormous physical fatigue, had finally come to rest on his shoulders.

There are 3300 positions that an administration must fill. That effort generally takes a year to complete. There are, however, immediate staffing needs that have to be done to effectively interact with the transition team already in place. I don't envy slamming together that terribly important team in short order.

I wish I could be one of the 3300 but reality dictates otherwise. Truthfully I think being a member 'bee' of the transition team might be more interesting.

Good insights again, Kimberly.