President Obama

It’s 1800 PST on Tuesday, 20 January 2009. Six hours ago (minus a couple of minutes) a new era began for the nation and the world.

I listened to the ceremony, caught only part of the video online since my employer’s network couldn’t handle the load.

Hard to say when I’ve been so moved by anything involving elected officials, but it’s good I was wearing waterproof mascara. I started sniffling when Obama took the oath of office, and pretty well lost it in his inaugural address.

And; what a sight—two million people on the National Mall, in the January cold, waiting to witness this moment.

The parallels with the inauguration of FDR in 1933 are obvious. Democratic President taking office in the worst financial crisis of the century—which the experts say is far from over. Massive unemployment. We of course have the addition of two wars going on and the loss of international standing rivaled only during the Vietnam era.

I worry some that the expectations that have been laid on the new President are so unrealistic that, short of a string of miracles, he’ll disillusion them. We need to give him room and realize that none of his solutions is going to make us all happy.

That being said, I feel such a sense of relief and hope unprecedented when associated with government. In fact, I’m going to pour one more little glass of champagne to wash away the taste of the last administration.

It's a new era, a new deal.