PRObama? NObama? ...YOmama?

I've never been big on politics. One of the major reasons why is that my parents debated it so much, with little positive outcome, that I really just never took stock in it. And when I became a Christian, I realized that God, not elected officials, are in control. Why scrutinize candidates when all of them are going to fail at some level? The strength of a nation is in her people, not the president.

This past election, most voters were captivated by a man who represented an ideal; the belief that despite all shortcomings, America was set for better days. Change was coming, fresh on the heels of Hope. Together, Barack Obama and the American people were going to pull ourselves out of recession and the mistakes of past administrations to become proud of our nation again.

Only a few months into his presidency, Obama is finding that his job is every bit as hard as we knew it would be. Guantanamo is set to be closed soon. Stem cell research limitations have been lifted. Banking giants have been given hundreds of billions of dollars to stay afloat, while the U.S. auto industry is being given a pittance in comparison, and GM has even lost its CEO due to demands from the Obama administration.

I look at this and wonder: how long will Hope and Change take to get here?

For the record, I consider myself conservative in my personal values, but much less so than I used to be. It's not because I moved to California, lived in both liberal strongholds (LA and SF), and subsequently lost my mind. On the contrary, I see that what was once black and white is now a murky gray area. It's not good enough for me to write someone off because of age, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs, profession, ethnicity, and so on. It was much easier before; but I will trade ignorance for wisdom any day.

At the turn of the 20th century, heads of companies were highly respected...business owners, doctors, etc...people who directly contributed to the well-being of mankind were heroes. That is largely true, but at that time, another profession was regarded lowly: entertainers.

What a difference 100 years and video screens make.

Today, entertainers are scrutinized by paparazzi and idolized for their film/tv performances, their song melodies, their written words...but most importantly, their looks. They make tens of millions of dollars, compared to hundreds of millions of dollars from CEO's and others, but they are our collective image of perfection, or the ideal.

As it turns out, Obama is every bit a celebrity. In addition to being a bestselling author and senator, Obama has appeared on television multiple times, from Monday Night Football and Jay Leno to Saturday Night Live. Children's books and baby clothes with his name and/or likeness are for sale. Newspapers and magazines release special editions, chronicling his successes.

This may be well and good for his image, but we shouldn't lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.

What this means is that we are in love with the idea of a strong, younger, well-spoken president who is the first black commander-in-chief...but the reality is that like any other president, Obama's faults will show through. And unlike the celebrities that we fawn over, there is no airbrushing or 2nd take to hide it.

Because Obama is president, I support him because I support America's decision. However, he is proving to be just as fallible as his (apparently) much-hated predecessor. Will spending all this money help us? While he's at it, can he pay off my student loans so that a huge chunk of my monthly paycheck isn't tied up in paying for my education? :-p

It took a good deal of time to get into this mess, and it will be the same way crawling out. I don't believe it's fair to demand a 60-day turnaround for the Big 3 automakers, while demanding the resignation of Rick Wagoner. I don't believe Obama's celebrity is helping foreign relations one bit. I also don't believe that he is as virtuous as people make him out to be. Obama's oratory skills are pretty much unmatched, but his actions may be telling a different story.

His treatment of the auto industry hits close to home for me, since Michigan's economy is taking a beating from it. Hope and Change won't come to Michigan if Obama is demanding a quick plan for the Big 3 to fix themselves...and why didn't he ask the same from banks and lenders?

The basic truth is that too many people bought houses they couldn't afford, drowning in mortgages sold to them by companies and banks that pulled financial gymnastics to make it happen. Now, the housing industry has had a domino effect on the rest of the economy, and those responsible got an awful lot of money - some of which was spent on hefty bonuses.

Do you see? Obama is no different. Most of the appealing things about him won't help us one bit in solving these problems. Let's see him learn on the fly, and continue persevering. America was founded on a great deal of toil, sweat, and blood...her strength is in her people. Let us be united and continue working ahead, giving each other hope for better days. Let's not wait for a president to rise or fall to inspire (or exasperate) us.

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