As we welcome our new president, is it wrong to want that picture-perfect hopeful future he painted for us, even if we know it’s a little unattainable? By Angela Barton

I’ve got some pretty high expectations for President Obama. Maybe unreasonably high. And I suspect a lot of other people do too.

Is it too much to ask of one man that he end two wars, heal racial tensions in the United States and strained relations with our allies and most of the other countries in the world, restore our Constitution, stop climate change in its tracks, educate our citizenry, heal our oceans, and lead us safely and calmly through a Depression? I’m starting to think maybe the answer is yes.

But first, I want my Kumbaya moment, dammit. It really ticks me off when pundits and other skeptics make fun of that feeling, as if there’s something wrong with wanting the whole world to come together, hold hands, and sing. It’s been my dream since I was a child, fostered by the Civil Rights movement, hippies, and that Coke commercial. I mean, who doesn’t want a Kumbaya moment, if they’re really honest? Outside of maybe Bill O’Reilly, Ann Coulter, or Sean Hannity, because it would kill their careers. Oh, and probably Simon Cowell, because he’s just mean—and would probably have nothing more than a zingy critique on the quality of the entire world’s en-masse singing voice.

But in deference to reality, I’m starting to take a look at downsizing my expectations.
And in that spirit, here’s a more reasonable list of what we can look forward to:

1. The guy from our team (America) sounding as smart as or smarter than the guy from the other team (any other country in the world).
2. A First Lady with the heart of Eleanor Roosevelt, the brains of Hillary Clinton, and the style of Jackie Kennedy.
3. Adorable photo ops of the President’s daughters (ice cream, puppies, slumber parties—until Malia hits the rebellious years and flirts with Republicanism).
4. Joe Biden’s televised versions of FDR’s “Fireside Chats.”
5. A Cabinet that resembles the Disneyland attraction “It’s a Small World.”
6. Sly and the Family Stone back on the charts.
7. Hawaii getting the respect it deserves when people realize it really is a state, and not just a territory.
8. Seeing George W. Bush at his ranch, bailing hay or riding a horse, waving at the camera, and not talking.
9. Seeing Dick Cheney hunting with Antonin Scalia.
10. Blue skies, jobs, universal health care, wait a minute … I’m getting carried away again.

Actually, I’ve decided I’ll be happy as long as he doesn’t use the word “suicider.”

I’m about the same age as Michelle Obama, and I know what she meant when she said that line about being proud of her country for the first time in her adult lifetime. She had to apologize and explain it wasn’t what she meant, and the Republicans never let up on using it to attack her patriotism. But I understand the nuance of her sentiment. Every cynic I’ve ever befriended has been a disappointed idealist. I haven’t felt proud of my country since I was in the fifth grade and won first prize in an essay contest called “Why I Love My Country” sponsored by the American Legion. It was the summer after I accepted that trophy that I watched the Watergate trial on television, not really understanding much of what went on, but knowing there was something deeply sinister afoot with that president of ours.

A few years later, that same president was on television saying he was quitting the gig and acting like he was doing it for the country. My parents had voted for him, so they didn’t give us much analysis of what had gone wrong, but it was easy to see the guy had gotten into trouble. And he was the president! Combine that with the Vietnam War, the recession and the hostage crisis of Carter’s term, the illegal wars of the Reagan era, the diddling of the Clinton years, and the criminality of the Bush administration, and it’s not too much of a stretch to say that having pride in my country and my president is something I’d almost given up on. Oh, I still believed in the ideal of America and the founding fathers and democracy and all that; I just didn’t really trust politicians or the president.

Until now. Because I truly believe that people want to feel that pride again. They’re dying for it. They want to be asked to sacrifice and plant victory gardens and use less sugar and give up nylons. Well, we’ve pretty much given up nylons anyway, but you see what I mean. We want to be part of the solution. We want to give up our cynicism. We want to work together to bring our country back from the brink of disaster, if it’s not already too late. Lofty goals, indeed. But they’re the kind of sentiments people express when they talk about Barack Obama. And isn’t that what a leader’s supposed to do? Inspire people and get them to work toward a common goal?

Barack Obama’s campaign was built on hope. As a political slogan, it’s not original. But as a motivating force for human beings, it never goes out of style.
How do you feel about President Obama’s idealistic view of America: Hopeful or cautious? Join the discussion below on our message boards.

Angela Barton writes fiction and nonfiction. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and can be reached at ABarton62@yahoo.com.

For Further Reading: Why Every Woman Should Love Michelle Obama, Hillary’s Legacy

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Tags: Obama, politics

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