Some folks sure have this interesting way of measuring progress. Who, exactly, came up with this 100 days evaluation of a presidential administration? That’s rhetorical. I can Google. I still have a problem with it.
I’m math challenged and I think that’s part of the problem. I see eight years of a previous administration, with two wars and a recession as a legacy. Even by No. 2 lead pencil and legal pad computation, that’s still 2,920 days to get us into all this. And Barack Obama has been on the job exactly how long again? I mean, come on here, gang.
On the other hand, I’m solidly behind what appears to be new attention focused on the performance of our elected officials by the population at large. While the constituency’s expectations may not always be entirely realistic, the voters have apparently decided that it’s not just enough to elect these people. We need to stay on them to make sure they’re doing what we’re paying them to do.
I look, as well, at the changes I’ve seen in the nation and in the international community since Barack Obama assumed office. There’s a new spirit of cooperation and “can do” growing in America and abroad.
Sometimes change needs the right environment. For the first time in perhaps more than eight years, we have a president who is not saying, “Follow and I will lead you to (fill in the blank)” but one whose message seems clearly to be, “Help me get us where we’ve together decided we need and want to go.”
I see these attitudes either flourishing among states and communities which already have them, and/or growing ~ albeit sometimes reluctantly and skeptically ~ among those who, in the past and for whatever reasons, have been unwilling or unable to adopt them.
So, as more comes out about the responsibilities assumed on the regional, state, county and community level, I’m inclined to believe the constituency has, as well, decided to give the doctrine of personal responsibility a go. And push it on up the line.
It’s like, “Together, we broke it. Together we’ll fix it. And the Good Lord willing and the crick don’t rise, we won’t have to do this again anytime soon.”
That too is also how history sometimes plays out. Even for Americans, eh?
1 comment:
It's amazing (and wonderful) to me that even in the face of some very scary times, there is an air of optimism in our country. People (not all, but a majority) feel that we're heading in the right direction.
THAT is true leadership, something that we've been lacking for some time now.
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