So much expectation for Barack Obama!  What should we realistically anticipate given the facts?  He lacks experience, to be sure.   Even his likely experience was embellished by the “advocacy” media and took on a life of its own that was never legitimately established.   We can certainly anticipate he’ll make mistakes predicated on inexperience.  He already has.  It leaves some of us already queasy wondering if he can pull off his much ballyhooed presidential performance.   He is kind of in the audition phase, having to prove his ability to do the job, although, in his mind, there may be little doubt.   His stunning rhetorical gifts promote an eerie potential for promise he may not possess.  His ability to inspire catapulted his voters into a cult-like reverie that echoed his own fluid assurances, “yes he can.”  That along with his much denied corrupt Chicago political machine that managed to project this mostly unknown person into the man-for-change was riveting, if not astonishing.  Thoughtful souls wondered from whence the change would come.

Too harsh?  Perhaps, so!  We need to give Obama an opportunity to prove his mettle and show his ability to make the kind of change America needs.  The on-the-job-training Hillary and Biden alluded to early in the race may be reality, but we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt to either prove himself or not.  Unfortunately, gnawing doubts emerge early in his fledgling Presidency.

Our economic debacle which some economists say may not be quite the catastrophe Obama threatens, could right-itself if we allow our amazingly resilient country more unassisted time to do it along with some tried-and-true non-Keynesian policies that would help it along.  Larry Summers, in his original notions of what a stimulus package might contain, outlined some bold and beneficial guidelines. That, unfortunately, occurred before Geithner’s embarrassing tax evasion revelations which left many of us weary of his character.  Come on….a Secretary of the Treasury who cannot remember to pay his taxes but, nonetheless, will patch up our economy using his good judgment.  Aside from those considerations, his ‘stimulus package performance’ has not been compelling or persuasive.   Summers, the brilliant economic sophisticate should have been the top pick.  Problem with Summer’s - he has a nasty habit of telling it like it is - which, from the perspective of my much diminished stock portfolio, is exactly what we need in an Obama White House that already smacks of potential duplicity.  And the guys only in the first month of his presidency!

Obama, in his bemused haste to save us from his ominous threats of a continuing economic drubbing, shockingly turned the stimulus package over to the House Democrats to let the twisted Nancy Pelosi reassemble things: it now wreaks from pork and fat so egregious, every special interests group gets its pay-off while the still-inspired albeit naïve Obama supporters, some with no jobs or houses, look longingly at their savior with some trepidation.  Did he just do what I think he did? 

Rather than taking the time to review his hastily arranged Stimulus Package, Obama decided to take his show on the road: a strategy that, thus far, hasn’t let him down.  Nonetheless, the package has let us down; the majority of Americans dislike it along with many economists who can no longer support it.  No matter.  On with the show!

What does this reveal about our new president’s character?  Obama can assuredly talk the talk.  But does he have the spine to definitively stand up to those in his party who will do him harm?  More importantly, can he differentiate right from wrong, despite his obvious intellect?   None of us know quite yet, although there are signs that may allow us, in short order, to make some judgments.

From his Crawford, Texas perch, such dubious Obama beginnings for much maligned George W Bush must be amusing if not downright entertaining.   Still, the liberal media continues to support Obama, although the 100 day honeymoon seems prematurely attenuated as obvious truths emerge that cannot be denied. 

Judgment day may already be in fermentation stage as some begin to feel a begrudging early-in-the-game resentment toward a new Democratic administration and congress.  Alarming policies, designed to keep Democrats in power, are in clear evidence when we note the politicization of the Census Bureau, whose director is now mandated to report directly to Rahm Emanuel - early warnings of things to come that smack of illegitimacy and questionable tactics. 

Finally, and equally despicable, is Pelosi’s attempt to reduce the Republican minorities ability to impact legislation in the house by eliminating the fairness rule, thereby disallowing the minority party access to open debate or any substantive influence on pending legislation going forward.  It hurts the country and potentially negates another Obama promise: that of bipartisan cooperation, muffled already in his barrage of specious half truths that will likely not come to fruition. 

What are we to make of it?  Deception leaves us breathless and takes the bloom off the rose of hopeful expectation.   The American public gave their approbation to a man who inspired.   If he proves uninspiring, they can and most likely will, despite unacceptable political shenanigans, take it away.

Elaine Sandler