In a few hours President elect Barack Obama will stand on the steps of the United States Capitol at noon and recited the oath proscribed to be taken by the President on first entering office as specified in Article II, Section 1, of the United States Constitution:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
During the campaign I expressed on this blog and elsewhere serious doubts as to Barack Obama's experience, character and policies. However, in the two months since his election I have been impressed by his actions and for the most part by his nominations to his cabinet. He so far has acted as a "center left" politician rather than a "left wing" politician. He appears to be much more of a pragmatist than I had expected. Perhaps he was "left wing" when it was pragmatic to do so in the liberal/left wing political atmosphere of Chicago. He associated with Bill Ayers, and Reverend Wright because that was the pragmatic thing to do for a young politician "on the make" in Chicago. Now, he needs the middle of the country to govern effectively so now he works the pragmatic middle of American politics. The difficulty of Obama is we don't know where he is going based upon his past because he appears to change with circumstances. Are there core beliefs and what are they?
However, I wish him the best because the United States is in a crisis economically and there are still dangerous forces in the world that would like to do us harm. I want him to be a successful President. By successful I do not mean the temporary popularity that comes from being a celebrity and following the "conventional wisdom" of the "Main Stream Media." I mean success that comes from implementing policies that for the long term bring safety, peace and prosperity to the United States.
For the next week we should put politics aside and enjoy this historic moment in the history of the United States and it's long journey from the sin of slavery and it's long and terrible legacy. John McCain said it best on election night over two months ago when he said:
This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight.
I've always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Sen. Obama believes that, too.
But we both recognize that, though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.
A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt's invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters.
America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States.
I thing it is an appropriate time to reread the words of the old Black spiritual that inspired so many through the years:
"WE SHALL OVERCOME"
We shall overcome, we shall overcome
We shall overcome some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We shall overcome some day
The Lord will see us through, the Lord will see us through
The lord will see us through some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
The Lord will see us some day
We’re on to victory, we’re on to victory
We’re on to victory some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We’re on to victory some day
We’ll walk hand in hand, we’ll walk hand in hand
We’ll walk hand in hand some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We’ll walk hand in hand some day
We are not afraid, we are not afraid
We are not afraid today
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We are not afraid today
The truth shall make us free, the truth shall make us free
The truth shall make us free some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
The truth shall make us free some day
We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace
We shall live in peace some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
E shall live in peace some day
May President Obama serve well and wisely!
