Obama

I knew I wanted Obama to be president after I read his autobiography.  As someone who loves to read but is a horrible writer, I have great respect for everyone who is able to turn their thoughts into beautiful words on paper.  So that's why I wanted him to be president.  I also related to his story of returning home to Kenya to meet his extended family, of growing up as an outsider in Indonesia and Hawaii. 

 

But i never thought he could become president.  I thought as much as people might love him and respect him, this country wasn't ready for a president whose ancestors weren't 100% white.  Not just because of race, but also because he wasn't well known in influential circles and he was poor.  Sure he made 6 figures, but up till 2 years ago he was still paying for his house and paying off student loans.  Whereas people who become president usually have deep pockets and deep connections.  But he proved me wrong, he is president, and I am very happy about that.

 

One thing that struck me when he won was that he was indeed the best candidate this year.  I'm sure people who voted for McCain will disagree.  Although he was the best candidate he really had to fight to win this race.  He outorganized, outstrategized and mobilized people way better than the other candidates.  If you look at his strategy he planned for a marathon and always assumed that he would be the underdog fighting for a chance.  He was never able to relax and let down his guard for one minute of one day. Anyways my point is even though he was the best he had to work very hard, like his very life and future depended on his win.

 

Final issue, now that he is president i'm scared.  So many people act like he's a messiah that can save us from all our problems.  Well he can't.  He's a smart hard working guy, but he is still just one man.  So I'm worried about what will happen when he messes up.  When you throw somebody up on a high pedestal you make it very hard for them to walk on the floor.  I hope people come back to reality and remember that in our country we have a balance of power and no one person can do anything in complete isolation.