A Day of Celebration

American stood a little bit taller today. Barack Obama is officially president of the United States. His journey to the White House can bring inspiration to new generations of Americans with the message of hope and opportunity. I didn't vote for him but he is my president because I am an American. I salute the privilege that is ours to arise from any level of society to the highest place of government in our land.

While I celebrate, I am also a bit numb to the financial picture. The 2 million people in Washington were a bit more excited than the millions of investors across our land. My portfolio dropped almost 5% today. It is my retirement and my health savings account that are taking the beating.

Today Obama's rhetoric will turn to action and he will begin the encounter of differing ideas and values. Some of his own rhetoric will be hard to overcome. He campaigned on the promise to get us out of Iraq. Lately his rhetoric matches what President Bush has been working toward for the last 3 or 4 years, to bring our troops home responsibly. Nothing new on this front. Today he vowed to work with clinched fist Muslims. For the good of our nation I pray for him to do well. He will likely encounter attitudes that have driven Bush to take the stands he has taken.

Obama is not a token minority given the job to prove some victory over racism or our past. He is bright and articulate. His charisma exceeds President Clinton and rivals that of President Reagan. If he can bring the same since of confidence to American that Reagan brought following the presidency of Jimmy Carter, perhaps the recession won't be as deep or as long as it threatens to be. He will have his challenges. Israel and Palestine are still at odds. North Korea is again flexing its muscle. Iran is still Iran. And then their are the pirates at sea.

I pray today that God will raise him up to be a great leader. One who leads with integrity, intelligence, courage, and wisdom.

How will he deal with the economic situation? I am no friend of Bush's solutions and Obama's seem to be in the same vein. The borrower is the servant of the lender. Today Americas banks are in debt to their government. Government in the USA is supposed to be servant to the people. If banks are in debt to the government, then they are servants to the lender. Some have suggested buy outs of bad loans by the government leaving the Federal government to hold title to property at the foreclosure on households. The borrower is servant to the lender. The current bailouts are equivalent to massive nationalization of commerce. It will take years to untangle what has been intermingled in the last 4 months.

Oh the privileges of serving as the president of the United States in such a time as this. May God touch Obama with strength, wisdom, and courage.