Well what can you say. What a wonderful day for our nation and the world. Even as I always believed Obama could do it, it still boggles the mind that he actually did it.
They say politics is the art of the possible. Well today, the bounds and shackles that hitherto constrained the practice of said art have been expanded far beyond our wildest ambitions. My hope is that the spirit with which Obama waged his campaign, with an optimism about our ability to do things formerly thought impossible, will propel his Administration. That he nor his aides accept that we cannot fix the economy, right health care, address the climate and restore our place in the world – because frankly we can’t afford to fail on any of these fronts now.
Two days ago, watching Obama speak under the austere and knowing gaze of the sculptured Lincoln, speaking on that monumental platform in the footsteps of Martin, I couldn’t help but think about whether he will live up to the high standards set by those leaders. I am optimistic that Obama will make a good president, and a great one when contrasted with those who have proceeded him in the office in recent years. But, to live up to Lincoln, Obama will need to be able to convince Americans to make sacrifices and accept tradeoffs now that will make us stronger for the future.
Lincoln, through four years of war and constant setbacks, was able to maintain the public’s support for the cause of the union and of freedom. To grapple with the challenges we face today, while maybe not as grave as those Lincoln faced, Obama will need to get Americans to accept that there is a price for real change and reform – but that it is a price worth paying together, to ensure our nation’s sustained greatness.
No small bar that. Our new President has already showed that much more is possible than many assumed. I am confident he can continue to expand the realm of the possible and live up to Lincoln’s standard for leadership. He must and we must.
… war tends to increase how much the public backs you. So to a certain extent, it probably helped him to “… maintain the public’s support…”.