A Message to our New President

It seems very likely that Barack Obama will be elected as our nation’s 44th president in a matter of days, and while anything can still happen with regards to the election, I am going on the assumption that not only the polls, but my own intuition which I have gone with all summer long, as well as plain old common sense will prevail and Obama will win the election, very likely by a comfortable margin. Of course getting elected, like showing up, is only half of the battle. The real fun begins when you get to start ruling and when the buck officially stops with you. In the difficult economic times, dangerous foreign policy situation, and often fractured social system that we currently find ourselves living through, it is more important than ever that Mr. Obama rule from the center if he and the Democratic party are going to rule effectively and for any length of time.

There will be calls from those on the left to enact drastic and radical reform, and I must admit as one who tends to that side of the debate it is tempting to succumb to the desire to really shake things up. But I am old enough to know better, and as a student of political history I know that the philosophy of going for broke is a short term proposition. Change is needed, this is one of the major themes of this election and one of the main reasons why Obama has appealed to so many, but change must come gradually and it must be as all encompassing as possible.

There will be those on the right that will oppose Obama and the Congress at every step, and that is just the system we have, for better or worse. A strong and vocal opposition serves as an important check and counterbalance on the party in power, and my hope is that those on the right will keep their focus on what, in their opinion, is best for the country, and not simply become the current version of the angry pissed off liberals that have demonized President Bush for the last 8 years.

But most people are neither on the right nor the left, they may lean one way or the other, but they are moderate and not overly partisan. The policy debates and the decisions that emanate from them must take this into account if they are to be meaningful and have a lasting effect. Obama and the Democrats in Congress must enact reform and bring about change in a way that will allow the majority of Americans to get on board, and more importantly stay on board through difficult times. Playing to the base is not good politics in that it appeals to the few at the expense of the many, and it generally doesn’t produce good policies either. A few examples of this would be the failed Clinton health care proposal of the early 90’s or the failed Bush attempts at privatizing Social Security in the middle of this decade. Not coincidentally, both brought about a change in the balance of power in the Congress shortly thereafter.

On the pressing and vital issues of the day, foreign policy, health care, and what I call the four E’s of the economy, the environment, energy, and education, we must first build consensus with honest and open debate that takes into account all of the stakeholders, which basically means the American people. We must not demonize the opposition or look down upon each other while shouting each other down for the next four years. We must find common ground where it exists, and develop solutions and policies that first do no harm, and then provide the greatest benefit for the greatest number. If we can do this, we will realize the hope that so many of us have in a President Obama, that we will become a more united nation and a better, more equitable, and just society for all.