Happy PotUS Day

Today Barack Hussein Obama II was sworn in as PotUS. I took a couple quick notes throughout the day that I would like to record.

The most obvious is the historic occasion of the first African American President. For many it’s a dream they never thought would come true. It is poetic that this year, Barack Obama’s inauguration took place the day after the observance of the Martin Luther King holiday.

For some, it’s a day they hoped would never come. My father, for one. I’m sure if he were here today he’d say something derogatory and mean-spirited. Fortunately, times change, and an astonishing amount of progress has been made since his generation led the nation.

Personally, I find it equally poetic that George W. Bush is the person who had to shake hands and turn power over to the nation’s first Black President. I wonder what that felt like for him. It reminded me of the famous episode of “All in the Family” when Sammy Davis Jr. kissed Archie Bunker.

However, what matters about Obama isn’t his color but his politics. He is a liberal, and hopefully he’ll be able to undo the innumerable wrongs of the Bush administration. As Dubya leaves public life with an approval rating below 25 percent, Obama has inspired the American people with his eloquence, wisdom, and humility. What I heard today from everyone I talked to was a renewed sense of trust, faith, and hope for the future. Yes, we can.

Even before his unfortunate medical misadventure, I had written in my notes that I was deeply glad that Ted Kennedy was present and witness to today’s inauguration. Ted has held the office of Senator from Massachusetts since before I was born, having inheriting it from his brother, John F. Kennedy, when he was elected President in 1960. He has been an icon of the liberal cause for half a century. May he make a speedy recovery and continue in good health.

I was also glad that John Kerry was in attendance. Would Obama be President today if Kerry had won in 2004? I don’t think so. After Kerry’s loss, Bush’s second term of gross incompetence made November’s choice obvious; you couldn’t find a starker contrast in Obama’s unselfrighteous candor and hopefulness. It almost makes Kerry’s loss worth enduring… almost.

And so today we observed a moment in history: the elevation of America’s first Black President. What remains to be seen is whether today was also a sea change in the direction of the country. The rhetoric is there. The hope is there. And by all indications, the political unity and will are there. But now it’s time for us to deliver, to epitomize these values in our everyday lives and interactions.

Now, finally and at long last, the call has gone out. I eagerly await your answer.