Polictial reflection during study break

Tomorrow, President-elect Obama will become Present Obama, leader of the United States of America.

In recent days, my "I voted for him out of necessity, not some fantasy of hope" bubble has been forced to rub elbows with the general sense of "oh isn't this wonderful" mindset of the masses. While I grumbled, I realized that perhaps I was not taking his inauguration in the fullness of its scope.

Despite what I think of him as a man and politician, he will be the first racial minority president elected. No small feat for a country built on inequality and violence.

Though I may find his "fancy rhetorical dance moves" overbearing and deliberately misleading, for the first time in years, we have a president who is not afraid of espousing the need and rightness of higher education. If indeed there is one thing I hope for from President Obama, it is the restoration of education as a good thing in the minds of American citizens.

In him we have a leader focused on individuals rather than corporations; community and national service rather than greed and rung-climbing; the reaching for high ideals rather than submitting to the ease of brute force.

Perhaps, perhaps, there is reason to hope. As they say, any change from what we had is good (minus Governor Palin).

To President-elect Obama: I don't quite like you and I still don't trust you. But good luck. As my President, I now stand by you.