“Is Georges Bush still the leader of the kingdom?” Zachary asked me last week.
“He is, baby, but only for another week,” I replied, thinking smugly about how Yertle the Turtle ended up, turtle head deep in the mud and feet flailing about in the air as he fell from his perch of egotism and stupidity.
Not long after, Zach asked another question. “Why do we pick a new President? Why does Georges Bush stop being President?”
“Well, they have to take turns. George Bush’s turn is over, and so we picked Barack Obama to do it next.”
“I’m glad that Mr. Pain is not going to be President,” he went on. “I’m glad they picked the smartest one.”
“I’m glad John McCain isn’t going to be President, too,” I told him. And I am. I am glad that we picked a man who shares my values, a man I can trust. I am relieved we chose a man who is smarter than I am, because I am pretty damned sure that I have no idea how to fix the problems we now face.
You know, things like a collapsing economy. Or, is it already collapsed? I haven’t the faintest of clues how to prop it up again, and I am only too happy to put my trust in someone else.
Plus, there is a bit of political upheaval going on. Nowadays, you can’t throw a dart at a map of the Middle East without hitting a war of some sort. I have no idea what can be done to resolve conflicts going back thousands of years, violence based in ethnic hatred and modern economic disparities, and I am mighty glad it is not my job to figure it out.
Oh, and there are all those melting ice caps, plus two continent-sized flotillas of plastic out in the middle of the ocean. I’m pretty content that I am not in charge of thinking about those things, too.
In a few hours, Barack Obama will become President, right about the time I drop the boys at preschool. Zach and I will stop and look at the clock, and we will note the exact moment that George W. gets smacked in the ass by the door. He has left behind a colossal disaster, and I can only imagine how Obama must feel stepping right into an Oval Office knee-deep in offal. People have awfully high hopes that he will be able to fix the economy, end the war(s), and stop global warming. Theses are rough times for becoming the most powerful man in the world, and he must have a serious case of First-Day Jitters.
I’ll leave the boys at preschool, relieved that they are someone else’s problem for a few hours, but before long I will have to come back and get them. We can only hand the tough jobs over to someone else for so long. The fact is that a good leader of the kingdom does not perch, Yertle-like, on our shoulders, looking out over his domain. A true leader guides us in our work of cleaning up the mud that we would all rather ignore around our feet.
So, welcome to President McDreamy. I’m so very glad it’s your turn.
Wheels on the bus 
I am so, so thankful he is …in hours – mere hours! – our president! And I know a lot of people feel as we do – that we are ready to do the work he asks of us in order to help fix this mess we are in.
I am not a political person, but I can’t help be drawn to a person who seems to have the ability to bring this country together, despite our differences. And I was moved, watching CNN this morning and the true “melting pot” of excitement over the coming change. I hope that he lives up to the expectations. They are big expectations.
In many ways I have mixed feelings about today, on one hand I am THRILLED that we have elected an African American to the Presidency….it is truly a historic and proud day to be an American no matter which side of the “aisle” you stand in regards to politics.
On the other hand, I am EXTREMELY disappointed in the circus of inauguration activities, coming from a Man who felt that fireworks on election night were not appropriate for the times (I applauded THAT decision)……and now all the sudden the gloves are off, and now is the time we should spend more money than EVER on this day????? Its truly staggering. I only wish I could enjoy the day and not see a huge price tag on it.
Grey’s McDreamy has a script and a writer to make it wrap up nicely. I’m glad Obama is in that oval office, but his ability to fix things is dependent on everyone in the country being willing to let him even though it means change.
Let’s hope. I’m skeptical, like so many others, but I also have hope.
“we will note the exact moment that George W. gets smacked in the ass by the door”
I LOL’ed at that. Then I found myself yelling at the TV while his helicopter was flying away – “Don’t let the door hit you where the good lord split you.”
Eleven asked me who I was talking to, I changed the subject quickly, heh.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting. I think that they did learn more here at home than they would have at school. And they were totally quiet for the important stuff 🙂
This is the first time I’ve had hope for our government. Obama is the first politician I ever voted for in my 27 years and could get behind. It scares the shit out of me. But. I hope.
One of the things that struck me most in watching the inauguration is the civility of Barack Obama. He is a very civil, inclusive person.. and if he carries that influence into dealing with foreign leaders, perhaps things will begin to change.
~*
So funny, I’m sure you wrote this before his speech. Yet it smacks of his comment how we have “put off difficult decisions.” Now will be the time, time for all of us to contribute.
this feels like the most momentous transition in my lifetime.
Somebody, somewhere said that Obama doesn’t smile enough. I was thinking, man I’d be crying if I had to walk into the mess he has too. I’d be a bawling lunatic and they’d lock me up. In a round padded room. Obama, President Obama is a stronger man (person) than me. He’s a braver person than me. And yes, he is more intelligent than me. It’s about freaking time, is all I can say.
Today is a day for celebration.
President McDreamy (snicker)
It sure is awesome, isn’t it? It doesn’t even seem real to me yet that Obama is really in the White House now!
“Yertle”? Good analogy. This is one change that even a child can understand. From ineptitude and unintelligibly to competence and eloquence.
It’s “Barack”, Emily. Ehud “Barak” was the 10th prime minister of Israel – another famous guy.
I agree with you. Trouble everywhere. We all got to bail the boat, even if Barack is holding the tiller.
You know something else? That Barack guy has a genuine smile, a smile that radiates a good heart. Maybe that will be contagious, and we too can smile and persevere through the perils you describe.
OOPS! It’s “unintelligibility”. I did a Bushism. Sorry.
have i mentioned that i can’t spell for shit? but my grammar is impeccable.
and, um, thanks to all of you who read all day without correcting me.
ha. I didn’t even notice 🙂 and usually I’m all over misspellings. It drives me crazy.
Very glad it’s his turn.
Hear, hear.
Great comments from the boys – you can always trust children to tell it like it is!
McDreamy says it all…
If you go to McSweeneys.net and scroll down to the “Other Features” section there are four posts that include letters from children to President Obama … they’re called “Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country.” Gold!