Congratulations Mr. Obama. Earn It!

Never in modern U.S. history has a president-elect been bestowed with a more perfectly set stage of opportunity and invitation for greatness.

With an economy teetering on (depending on who you talk to) a full scale recession to an outright depression, a Grand Canyonesque chasm separating the haves and have-nots, greed and excess on Wall Street that has surpassed anything the world has ever seen, millions of Americans facing outright bankruptcy – not to mention the loss of their homes, and an overall sense of despair in a land more accustomed to being the bastion of light and hope.

Pointing fingers at this stage in the game is a hollow feeling but I feel it must be done. The Bush administration policies have drug this country through the mud, and we’re all the dirtier for it. With another seventy-something days left in office, in reality all that is left for the sitting president is the shuffling away from the White House like an ejected house guest who has disgraced and embarrassed himself beyond reproach. That and the pardons I’m betting he’ll be doling out without reserve or repent.

Barack Hussein Obama is in many people’s minds, from this day forward, the President of the United States of America! Such a heady post and title. I remember two years ago watching Barack give that memorable speech at the Democratic Convention and saying to the person in the room with me something like, “I don’t know who that guy is but anyone who can speak like that has a great political future in front of him…,” and then watching the replaying of that speech the next day thinking, maybe he’s even got a shot at the White House in 2012. Little did any of us know then that we were watching a phenomenon of historical proportions, and he was just getting warmed up.

As I watched Mr. Obama delivering his acceptance speech tonight (no surprise it was another inspiring one) it dawned on me that all those tens of thousands of teary and hopeful eyes in the crowd staring up at Barack, truly believed he is the one who is going to lead them out of the mire onto more solid footing. Mr. Obama spoke about doing his best to bring positive change, he spoke about uniting the country, he inspired the crowd with his words, he was not self-congratulatory, he asked for help. He was Presidential.

To be honest, Barack was not my candidate of choice (neither was McCain for that matter) but I have a funny feeling that he’ll follow through on many of those things he has promised. I think he’ll bring Americans back some of their lost pride in America. I think he will be respected by leaders of other countries, and not the subject of ridicule by their citizens. I think he will ultimately do us proud.

As grass roots campaigns go, his was probably closer to an actual lawn than any other in our presidential history. Barack’s millions of small time donors and local supporters were the wave on which he rode and he has a duty to honor their efforts. This brings me to recall a particular scene in the movie Saving Private Ryan when Tom Hanks’ character Captain Miller says to Matt Damon who plays Private Ryan, a paratrooper trapped behind enemy lines, and whose brothers have all been killed in battle, that he is being pulled out of the war on the direct orders of the Secretary of War. Tom Hanks relates that during the mission to find him, many of his own men had been lost. Later, after a final brutal battle, Tom Hanks is mortally wounded and pulls Matt Damon close to him and tells him to “earn it,” referring to the effort of those that sacrificed themselves so he would live.

Mr. Barack Obama, many millions have given you what they little they could; their modest contributions, their time, their votes, but more importantly, all those millions have given you their hope. Earn it.