Noah Counte

Why did Obama win? Because in dark times, optimism carries the day. Rather than focus on the past, Obama successfully defined himself has having a bright view of the future, and people need that. So, what does he do now? How does he turn the ideas that fueled a campaign into policies that fuel a better tomorrow for all people?

Haha! Someone smarter than me will have to help you with that one. I think some things are clear, though.

The financial crisis has to be dealt with as soon as possible. There is a chance that the mere election of Obama will inspire enough confidence to turn things around. Goodness knows that our current policies have done nothing to inspire confidence. Obama is thoughtful, capable, and caring, and will have some really smart folks helping him with this. Look for Paul Voelker to be the next Secretary of the Treasury He was head of the Federal Reserve before Alan Greenspan, and is likely to be able to hit the ground running, which is really important.

Restoring the United States’ standing in the world has to be a huge priority. Europe and Africa are already ecstatic, by all accounts, just to have Obama as the US president. Certainly, he seems to project a demeanor that will hold us in good stead. Rumors around here are that Sen. Dick Lugar is on the very short list to be offered the Secretary of State job. He’s a Republican, and they’ve worked together in the past. Lugar is as knowledgeable as anyone on foreign policy. I wonder if Colin Powell is interested in being Secretary of State again?

You can find plenty of other people’s opinions about who will or should be in the rest of the cabinet, and it really doesn’t matter to me, except that I know his choices will be smart, thoughtful, seasoned experts, who will offer good advice and make good decisions. That’s all I want from and for any president, so I’m pretty happy even before I learn who his choices may be.

I think we’ll see Republicans try pretty hard to work with Obama. They have a lot of work to do on their own, too. I’m far more concerned about Obama’s ability to rein in the Democrats in the committee chairs in both the house and the senate. For all the talk about Obama’s liberalism, he’s really more centrist than a lot of people think. Mostly, he’s a pragmatist. Heck, he’s taking the parts of Reaganomics that work, and augmenting it with successful economic strategies form the Clinton years.

Democrats, for their part, are going to have to figure out how to get things done. Most of them will remember that President Carter was elected with similar numbers as Obama (in terms of popular vote), and had a Democratic House, and a filibuster proof Senate. That lasted four years, because they couldn’t get together on major issues. Frankly, that’s one of the things that has killed the Republicans, too. They aren’t just a base party, anymore. Even the Christian Right has more than one issue, now.

Can the most liberal members of Congress, many of whom are committee chairs, pass legislation that moves the country forward in steps that are small enough not to be divisive? We’re already divided. We don’t need anything wacky to drive a wedge between us. Don’t get me wrong – I’m liberal on most matters that aren’t fiscal – but the economy is a pressing issue, and running up huge deficits on the heels of the ones that Bush has run up isn’t going to move us anywhere except closer to demise. My advice to them is to get it together! Work for the country, please.

Republicans have a lot of healing to do, and I’m not sure they are ready to do it. They are as fractured as the Democrats were in 1994, and I don’t see them piecing things back together anytime soon. The Christian right is dealing not just with abortion anymore, they are dealing with AIDS, poverty, and a host of other social issues that have traditionally been the Democrats strong suit. Moderate Republicans and the Christian Right agree on very little. I wonder if we might see the party splinter, and a viable third party emerge? If a splintered party wasn’t enough, the fastest growing demographics in the country are all trending heavily towards Democrats.

That’s all I have time for, and probably more than most of you will read. I know just a little: it’s going to be interesting, and it’s already a brighter future for Americans, our neighbors, and people around the world. Now, to keep that ball rolling…