A political cartoon in today’s Dallas Morning News illustrated President Barak Obama in a rollercoaster car at the top of the first hill with twists and turns receding in the background. The caption posted at the peak read “The Presidency.”
This caught my eye because someone had said after watching the President take the oath of office and give his speech, “He’s already begun to disappoint.”
During the clack-click ascent of that first and highest hill, anticipation as well as anxiety builds. Then there’s that gulp—maybe eyes closed—just as the chain releases the car to the forces of gravity. Wheeee.
Facing the inevitable rise and fall once the ride begins, President Obama sits in the front car fixed on the twin rails of hope and change while the nation behind him holds on for a nail-biting ride. Breathe or cry.
Think of Moses at a similar historic juncture leading millions of people from Egypt to the Promised Land. Barely out of the city limits, ardent supporters lost confidence in his leadership. Others thought they had better ideas to promote. All but two ended up in desert graves. Murmur, murmur, grumble, grumble. Whine.
Leaders. You gotta love their aplomb.
I hope President Obama surprises critics and somehow exceeds the enormous expectations. At the end of his term, I hope he pulls into the platform, the sound of the brake run hissing to a stop whereupon he safely disembarks.
Because history teaches that as the leader goes, so goes the nation.
No comments:
Post a Comment