Dr Obama at America's bedside
05 November 2008 à 15h53
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Obama has won. But now what ? He has no time to celebrate since major challenges are ahead of him.
He’d better have strong shoulders. Now that Barack Obama has carried it off, he is under tremendous pressure. His victory is celebrated with joy and relief. But Obama’s composure when he appeared in Grand Park to deliver his first speech as a President elect showed that he was no fool. He knows what is awaiting him. « Even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century ».
His responsibility is as big as the hopes he has raised. Barack Obama represents everything George W. Bush was not. He stood against the war in Iraq, he promised he would close the detention centre in Guantanamo, he said he would give social security to everyone. But he will have to deal with Bush’s heritage. And the country George Bush left behind him is bitter and worn out. Never in the past had America been so hated abroad. Rarely in the past had the country to face so many problems in so many areas : an economy on the verge of collapse, the permanent threat of terrorist attacks, soldiers bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan. « Obama this year recognizes the country needs to be healed », said the presidential historian Michael Beschloss in an interview with the New York Times. « It’s been a very rough 10 years, beginning with a very controversial impeachment procedure, the recount, 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Katrina and now the financial crisis ».
But fortunately Dr Obama was called in by the American people. As unlucky as Barack Obama might be regarding the mess the country is in, he is also lifted by a wave of hope and optimism. « There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created ; new schools to build and threats to meet and for us to lead, alliances to repair », he said during his victory speech. Obama’s strength is to be seen by America as a force for change and by the rest of the world as the best thing that could happen to America. And he showed during the campaign that he was able to address the problems the Americans are facing. Now the main difficulty for him will be to respond to people’s high expectations. He has the willpower to do so. Let’s hope Dr Obama will manage to heal America.
He’d better have strong shoulders. Now that Barack Obama has carried it off, he is under tremendous pressure. His victory is celebrated with joy and relief. But Obama’s composure when he appeared in Grand Park to deliver his first speech as a President elect showed that he was no fool. He knows what is awaiting him. « Even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century ».
His responsibility is as big as the hopes he has raised. Barack Obama represents everything George W. Bush was not. He stood against the war in Iraq, he promised he would close the detention centre in Guantanamo, he said he would give social security to everyone. But he will have to deal with Bush’s heritage. And the country George Bush left behind him is bitter and worn out. Never in the past had America been so hated abroad. Rarely in the past had the country to face so many problems in so many areas : an economy on the verge of collapse, the permanent threat of terrorist attacks, soldiers bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan. « Obama this year recognizes the country needs to be healed », said the presidential historian Michael Beschloss in an interview with the New York Times. « It’s been a very rough 10 years, beginning with a very controversial impeachment procedure, the recount, 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Katrina and now the financial crisis ».
But fortunately Dr Obama was called in by the American people. As unlucky as Barack Obama might be regarding the mess the country is in, he is also lifted by a wave of hope and optimism. « There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created ; new schools to build and threats to meet and for us to lead, alliances to repair », he said during his victory speech. Obama’s strength is to be seen by America as a force for change and by the rest of the world as the best thing that could happen to America. And he showed during the campaign that he was able to address the problems the Americans are facing. Now the main difficulty for him will be to respond to people’s high expectations. He has the willpower to do so. Let’s hope Dr Obama will manage to heal America.
