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Don't bet on it.
If Obama wins, it's not because of ideology. He is a masterful politician. That is undeniable. He also ran a more organized, disciplined campaign. He had the right message at the right time. If he prevails it is because voters felt that of the two reformers running, he was the more authentic. He will have won because more voters believed he can deliver change.
Obama and John McCain both staked their campaigns on change and their ability to take the country in a new direction. It was time to hit the reset button. People are sick of the status quo. They are sick of the corruption, special favors, dishonesty and deception that has characterized our government and poisoned public attitudes.
Anti-goverment cynicism is the predominant political sentiment right now. Republicans are paying the price. It's clear voters feel the party has devolved into the party of greed and corruption.
But as many pundits have pointed out recently, the country is in a pragmatic mood not an ideology mood. We are still a country that is dominated by a center-right political persuasion. There is a clear mandate for change but not necessarily one for an aggressive shift to the extreme left. Which is why Obama's first 100 days will be so critical to his presidency and our country's future. If he sets the right tone, he can provide the country with the shot in the arm we are looking for and transform the country. If he doesn't overreach, he can restore faith and he has a shot at uniting the country. The opportunity is there.
If he pushes the pendulum too far to the left, he will be a one-term president and he will have squandered his most valuable political capital. Two Democrats, Sen. Claire McCaskill and Rep. Russ Carnahan, acknowledged as much in campaign stops in Franklin County last week. Now is not the time for aggressive left-wing policies.
Changing the tenor in Washington and the direction of the government is not going to be easy. We are in a mess to be sure.
On Monday the government announced it will borrow a record $550 billion in the current quarter as it scrambles to fund the huge rescue programs being put in place to deal with the worst financial crisis in seven decades. According to the Associated Press, major Wall Street bond traders estimate the government's borrowing needs for the whole year will total an unprecedented $1.4 trillion. And most experts feel that the economy hasn't hit rock bottom yet.
When you factor in the two wars we are currently embroiled in and the host of other domestic challenges involving energy dependence, Medicare and Medicaid it's easy to see why there are going to be difficult times ahead.
This is the reality that the new president will inherit.
But there is hope. The United States remains the world's largest economy and still leads the world in business and technological creativity. American ingenuity and entrepreneuership are still second to none. We're down but we're not out. The recession will end. It will take time, but the country will rebound.
If we put down our political swords and focus on what is right with our country and our new president, we can overcome the funk we find ourselves in.
We need change. Both candidates promised it. If Obama can deliver it he can return our country to a more prosperous place and restore our collective faith in our country and in our government.
It's time to come together.
