Mr. November
President-elect Barack Obama.
When those words flashed across television screens Tuesday night, a grueling campaign season came to a close.
But more than that ended: Eight years of bullish unilateral foreign policy, of grossly inequitable health care, of the wanton invasion of privacy, of the blatant disregard for basic rights for foreign detainees -all of those are soon to come to a close. An Obama administration marks the complete repudiation of the Bush administration and all it represents.
This is worth celebrating. Though Obama's calls for change may seem melodramatic, it is important to keep in mind that his policies do mark substantive departures. Skeptical remarks that Obama is all talk overlook the meaning behind his rhetoric: His plan for the country is an egalitarian shift, and finally takes seriously the necessity of fair equality of opportunity. His proposed tax breaks for small businesses -compensated by slight tax increases on larger businesses - are emblematic of this.
Moreover, Obama will not renounce the values upon which our country is founded. Obama is not a socialist; he does not propose to significantly eliminate private ownership. Shifting tax burdens is not socialism. Insofar as it ensures fair equality of opportunity, it is just. Providing a public health care option does not eliminate private insurers; it only assists everyone, regardless of preexisting condition, in finding affordable care.
However, his presidency carries tremendous promise not only because he is a sterling leader. He will have a cooperative Congress; both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives now have significant Democratic majorities. He has legislators who will support making his changes into law. Obama need not worry about being stonewalled by right-wing ideologues.
Of course, he has his work cut out for him. Obama's inherits a precarious economy, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a resurgent Russia, a crippling dependence on fossil fuels -and the list goes on. The country has seen better days.
Can Obama fix everything? Probably not. Four years is not enough time to disentangle this mess. But he can make marked improvements. He can strengthen the middle class by reducing their health care costs and tax burdens. He can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by providing substantial federal investment in renewable energy, creating incentives for innovation that the market otherwise would not provide.
But more than that, he can restore our standing in the world. Obama does not see the world through the friend-or-foe glasses of Bush. Hard diplomacy is not bullheaded diplomacy: Obama will strive to understand differences before fighting against them. He is articulate and thoughtful. Bush is not.
The nation -and world - is watching with bated breath to see how Obama handles his presidency. There is more than hope. There is potential.
