Obama - issues and great expectations

Don't get me wrong - I am thrilled that Obama is the new president, for a wide variety of reasons. I watched the inauguration ceremony with hope and pride. But I have a couple of nagging concerns.

Now, trust me when I say I understand the enormity of his election. He is the first African-American to be elected president, something I thought would never, ever happen in my lifetime. It's huge! I'm a biracial person with a biracial partner and a lifetime full of friends of varied heritage... so I get race issues, I do. And I still can scarcely believe it's happened. Some part of me keeps thinking I'll wake up and it was all a dream, just wishful thinking of my subconscious mind for a more egalitarian world. That said, what bothers me the most is that his race seems to be the main aspect people are focused on. No news coverage and no commentary anywhere gets by without stressing the fact that he's black, he's black, he's black. Or at least, half so.

But that's only one aspect of this. What about the fact that he ran a positive campaign, even despite a sickening amount of negative attacks and mudslinging on the part of his opponent? The fact that he has mobilized the country's youth and gotten them engaged for the first time since... gee, I dunno, the sixties? His unprecedented efforts to reach out to everyday Americans to get their input on a continuing basis? His call for transparency and ethics in government? His emphasis on peaceful relations with other countries, discussing and negotiating through problems with military action reserved as a last resort? What about his focus on the poor and disadvantaged? Or his heavy emphasis on respect for diversity? His sensitivity to women's issues, non-Christian religions and atheism, and rights and accommodations for the disabled? His promise to get rid of "don't ask, don't tell" and further the rights of gays and lesbians? His promise to look at getting rid of Guantanamo Bay? His being tech-savvy and the tech developments he's vowed to bring to the country? His understanding of the importance of education and scientific research, and pledge of proper financial support? His bipartisan approach to try to eradicate the divisiveness that runs so deep between Democrats and Republicans, and the culture wars existing between various groups? And on and on. The election of a black president is historic and groundbreaking and long overdue, no doubt about it, but there's such a thing as focusing too much on his race, while glossing over his ideas. It's as if the main important fact is that he is black and everything else is falling by the wayside.

The second disquieting fact is that, over the last several months but especially between the campaign win and now, people's hopes for him have been spiralling higher and higher. They are increasingly idolizing him as the best thing that's ever happened to the U.S., and he hasn't even "happened" until today. I fear the expectations are so high that they are expecting Christlike miracles from this guy. Yes, he's an eloquent, fresh, intelligent, groundbreaking, inspiring, remarkable man, full of great innovative ideas. But he is still just a man. There is a lot of vague Obama worshipping, and Obama commemorative coins and pins and posters and so on, all in anticipation of what a great president he is going to be since, until today, he hadn't even started yet. And there is one hell of a massive bloody mess to clean up, which is going to take some difficult and unpopular decisions no matter how you slice it. This mess is unlikely to be cleaned up in two presidential terms, much less one. Yet people seem to be pinning their hopes on Obama for nothing short of world peace, eradication of racism, end of the culture wars, full-fledged infrastructure overhaul, a national health care program, and so on, despite the deplorable state of the economy and country to which he has now been handed the reins.

We haven't even seen the start of this, and for all we know, at the end of 4 years you may want to chuck that commemorative coin right at his commemorative head. Granted, given his modus operandi thus far, that's not likely. But living with American politics most of my life has perhaps made me a cynic. I'm hopeful, yes, but I'm also a "wait and see" kind of gal. As joyous an occasion as this is in so many regards, especially given the progressive changes we expect in contrast to Bush policy, we would be wise to remain realistic in our expectations. God knows we all need something to hope for, but this is not the Second Coming.