Obama's Day - America's Day

Everywhere I turned in recent days I've heard reporters asking people if they ever expected they would live to see the day when an African-American would be elected president. And every one has said no. As for me, I always thought I would. And I was fairly sure from the start of the election cycle that Barack Obama would be the one [Not to invoke "The One" imagery the GOP mocked]. When I heard that first national speech, I commented that he was "a little bit of Kennedy, a little bit of King", and that first impression only grew as his march to the White House gathered steam. Obviously, the President-Elect had a heap of trouble on his plate, and perhaps his hardest job will be to manage expectations. But if the concert at the Lincoln Memorial is any indication, we can at the least expect an inspired, media-conscious four years. [By the way, read this NY Times column about the dedication of the memorial, which notes another president who was there, the President of The Tuskegee Institute, who despite the honor of being invited, was forced into segregated seating.] For those still employed with some money in their pockets, mid-day today would be a great time to go shop. The stores should be empty. Office phones may go unanswered. Across much of The Unites States, the drama in Washington will be the central, virtually the only focus of the day. Not unexpectedly.