By Justin Brown
Dancing the tight rope between staying true to the promises he made to the American people, and showing his willingness to play by the rules of Washington politics, Barack Obama is bound to have some slips. From the very beginning of his bid for office, President-Elect Obama has been forced to be all things to all people. In the public arena, the political soup is inundated with criticisms that Barack wears whatever mask is necessary to court his current company. Whites have tepidly voted for him as a way to say, “See I’m not prejudice”, or “I’m sorry for what my Great Grandparents did”. African-Americans want him to “keep it real”.
In Political circles he is pressured on both sides of the aisle to play by the same old rules of Washington politics that have left this country divided, bitter, confused, financially broken, and morally depraved. No matter how gracefully he has done it, Barack I S trying to make everyone happy. The obvious danger in this strategy is that domestically he will eventually need to make his promise of change a reality, and what’s more, relevant in the everyday lives of the American people. That means pissing off some political veterans as well as some of his constituents. Internationally, he can’t afford to be all things to all people either. Invariably Obama will have to take some tough stands with stubborn nations wielding their own political ambitions and national agendas.
So now what Mr. Obama? Where will you make your mark for change? Will it start and end with an enigmatic and courageous presidential campaign victory, or will you truly live your slogan of change? Any man, or group of men for that matter, would rub a magic lamp for the chance to show the world that fairness, peace, moral piety, and happiness is possible on planet Earth. Mr. Obama, here is your chance to add to the great legacy of men that is Confucius, Jesus, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and all those that dared to challenge the societal status quo of injustice and developmental stagnation.
