My Sunday Feeling

Now comes the hangover. When Barack Obama takes the Oath of Office next Tuesday he will inherit a constellation of problems left to him by easily the most completely incompetent administration in my lifetime if not in history. Let us tick off all that he has on his plate Tuesday night.



2 wars. A deficit of historic proportions. A financial crisis not seen since the Great Depression. Massive unemployment. Anticipated closures in the banking and automotive industries. The rebuilding of the Gulf Coast. A jittery housing market. War in the Gaza. An increasingly bellicose Iran and North Korea. Tensions between nuclear powers Pakistan and India. Of this parade of trouble, the recession is the least problematic. Hell, that will get increased on purpose as the Obama Administration tries to kick start the economy.



And as if this weren't sufficiently daunting in and of itself, Obama is trying to quit smoking and his mother-in-law is moving in.



I don't know what he drinks, but in the famous words of Lincoln when there were complaints from the field about Grants' fondness for whiskey: " Find out what he drinks and I'll buy a case of it for the rest of the generals." If I knew what Obama drinks I would be tempted to buy him a case of it myself. He's gonna need it.



Despite the troubles that are sure to come ahead, January 20th will be a singularly important day in history of this country. On that day a black man will take the Oath of Office while standing on the stairs of a building that was at least partially built by slave labor. There is no way to downplay the importance of this moment. Some of my black friends are staying home to watch the entire day play itself out. And who can blame them? We are not so far removed from the civil rights struggles of the sixties. Indeed, I always thought I would see a woman elected before a black person. An amazing thing, indeed



But we should remember that there is trouble in the wind. Mistakes will be made. Policies will either not work or create unintended consequences. Things will go wrong occasionally because that's just what things do sometime. Barack Obama will have his ups and his downs. He just will. And he is already taking positions and making appointments that are disappointing his supporters. As James Carville says " During the election you punish your enemies. During the transition you punish your friends." In other words, Barack Obama may be unique in American history but at the end of the day he is a politician.



So I am mindful that history will be made on January 20. And while I have a sober view of the limits of power that some of my more giddy brethren haven't appreciated yet, I will permit myself this one thought that gives me no small measure of comfort despite the uncertain future.


On Tuesday, adults take charge.


I can live with that after the last eight years.