Barack Obama

A Breath of Fresh Air to all of us and Who Knows, Maybe "yes, he can"

One event in the last month will be firmly engraved on many people’s memories for years to come and the magnitude of it will probably mean it becomes of those things that people say ‘where were you when?’ A bit like 9 11 or the day man walked on the moon (except I wasn’t anywhere when that happened) January 2009´s earth-shattering event was, of course, the inauguration of Barack Obama as the first black US president. The lead-up to it seemed to go on for ages – America must be the only country where you have to wait over two months between being elected and swearing the oath – enough to try anyone’s patience. But I suppose it gives you plenty to time to learn your lines, although Obama’s bungle over the words showed he needed a few more days to be word perfect. 

And then the day finally arrived. All the pomp and ceremony, the Jefferson bible, Bush disappearing in a helicopter and then that walk by the presidential couple down the Mall ?? was more than worth the wait. And then Obama was straight down to business. Within the first day of office he had signed some groundbreaking decrees and set the benchmark for his 5-year office. We thought he’d break some moulds but those who thought that the powers-that-be in Washington wouldn’t let him have his own way were proved wrong. Obama’s first formal interview was on Dubai television when he offered a conciliatory handshake to the Arab world.So far so good, especially of those millions of Americans and other worldwide citizens who have despaired at US policy for the last 8 years. But can he keep it up? And if he can, will it be enough?

The thing about Obama is that everyone has so much faith in him, so much hope that he’ll solve everything that it’s almost frightening. All that responsibility on just one man’s shoulders. His rhetoric is very convincing – his power with words is after all one of the most appealing things about him. When you listen to him, you can’t help but get carried away with enthusiasm and then everything seems possible. And it was – the catchy ‘Yes we can’ certainly came true.

After just a few days as the world’s most powerful politician, he’s looking dog-tired – not surprising really with so much to think about. I don’t suppose he sleeps much at night what with all that worry. Obama doesn’t count sheep, he counts problems on his agenda to be solved – Iraq, the credit crunch, Guantanamo, global warming, car industry crisis, Afghanistan... Enough to keep anyone’s eyes open forever.

But can he solve all those problems? In our heart of hearts, we know it’s unlikely. The extent of the economic recession and the destruction in Iraq and Afghanistan means that it’ll probably be years before the tide turns. But the best thing about Obama is that he makes you think it’s possible. We know it won’t be easy but Obama and his ‘Hear this America, we will’ have