Watching the inauguration, I could not help but be overwhelmed by the numerous events happening for the first time. Of all of them, I found it interesting that this inauguration was the first that all the surviving Presidents attended. Each man sat on the dais watching history, to be sure, but also to serve as a reminder to the new President of the pressures and challenges of the office.
By Shawn Conway
Contributer
Watching the inauguration, I could not help but be overwhelmed by the numerous events happening for the first time. Of all of them, I found it interesting that this inauguration was the first that all the surviving Presidents attended. Each man sat on the dais watching history, to be sure, but also to serve as a reminder to the new President of the pressures and challenges of the office.
President Obama is inheriting an America that is at war and struggling economically. He will undoubtedly face challenges none of his predecessors have faced. Few presidents had the backing of the American people as President Obama does. All Americans wish for President Obama to succeed in bringing peace and prosperity to the nation. The only thing we disagree with is the means to achieve that peace and prosperity.
However, this particular president inherits unusually high expectations and there is no mere mortal that can live up to those expectations. President Obama is handicapped by his own success. Unless he can succeed in bringing stability to Iraq through our withdrawal, and then bring even greater stability to our economy, he will be doomed into disappointing those counting on him most.
And yet, there they all sat, leaders who know what President Obama faces because they all have been there. The challenges may be different, but the stakes are the same. They sat there to show their support. Despite the division of partisan politics, we should get behind the president just as these extraordinary men have. We should pray that all decisions are reached with compassion toward all men and are in the best interests of all Americans.
If you are opposed to a policy, it is your patriotic duty to voice that opposition. When you do, I beg that we show President Obama the respect that was denied his predecessor, who was booed and jeered at even as he walked through the Capitol to the ceremony. Obama is the president now, and in opposition or support, we must treat him with the dignity and respect the office deserve. We must remember that he is just a man living up to superhuman expectations.