The recent presidential election was fascinating to watch. Obviously, the normal Republican and Democratic economic perspectives were front and center, and all of the usual issues were addressed. Hard core Republicans see Obama as a dangerous socialist, and hard core Democrats see him as a man of the people.
Something else happened in this election though. Not since JFK was elected in 1960, have we seen a tangible belief within many Americans that a real change of direction is possible. The very genuine emotions expressed by many African Americans on election night was a humbling experience to observe.
To some people, Obama is the nearest thing to God on earth. To others he's a dangerous enigma. But one thing is certain, he's a different kind of politician.
A part of me worries about his 'spread the wealth' approach. That part of me asks "what is the point of me working really hard and being an achiever, if someone is going to take a heavy percentage of my earnings and give it to people who are not as motivated or as hard working as me?
There's another part of me though that asks "if this man can level the playing field a little, and create opportunity for people who would not have believed that such an opportunity was open to them, then isn't that what America is all about?"
I want to see what President Obama achieves over the next four years. He has a healthy majority in Congress and the Senate, so there's no room for excuses. If he learns from the disastrous first term of Bill Clinton, then he may actually surprise some of his opponents.
Time will tell.
