he's a very smart guy. he's an amazing orator with a down-to-earth (as opposed to down-home) demeanor. he's a breath of fresh air. he's the opposite of Bush in every imaginable way. but he's still a human being—without a ton of political experience—and he cannot repair even a fraction of the items on the must-fix list that grows longer every day.
this was something my dad and i discussed way back in the primary days (which feels like 100 years ago now). Hillary Clinton didn't have the buzz or the hype or the cool-factor Obama had, but we both had the sense that she was a smarter choice. actual experience in Washington, in the White House, perhaps a more realistic view of what she could accomplish, what she could promise her constituents. we talked about all the young people who'd idealized Obama as a sort of Messiah or political magician or hipster-approved version of JFK. we talked about how deluded they were.
and yes, it's wonderful that so many people felt compelled to vote in this election, it's amazing the level of interest being paid to our country and the political system these days, all because of Barack Obama (and, let's not forget, the serious sucking and screwing up by our still-President). but i can't help thinking that in the weeks following January 20th, 2009, there will be some seriously disillusioned Obama supporters.
ain't no magic wand up his sleeve, my friends. it's like George Steinbrenner buying Alex Rodriguez from Texas and expecting the World Series titles to just pile up. it's not as easy as plopping someone—even someone truly exceptional—down into a new, critical role. they have to not screw up, listen to the exact right people and handle all the impossible-to-foresee bumps in the road without pissing everyone off.
and that's hard for any person to do, especially when the expectations are stacked this high.
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