If I was given a few quiet, private minutes with Barack Obama, the next president of the United States, before he took the oath of office, and he asked me for advice before he stepped out onto the mall to become leader of the free world, I would have a few things to say to him.
First, with every decision you make and executive order you sign, there are going to be winners and losers. No matter how well intentioned your choice is, there will be those who suffer from it, and people who find loopholes to prosper from it. This does not mean you should shy away from the tough decisions.
Second, every decision you make will have unintended consequences. No matter how well intentioned, and how carefully thought out the long-term results of your actions, life has a way producing something else unexpected. As above, this does not mean you can dodge the tough choices, only that you must be prepared for the unexpected.
Third, listen to individuals, not groups. The smartest men in the world, when gathered as a group, can make the most stupid suggestions. Group think always caters to the lowest common denominator. Choose your advisors carefully, but even then be aware that smart advisors can give bad advice.
Fourth, be aware that you are the servant of the people. Strive for the greater good, not what will get you re-elected.
Fifth, know that your every move will be watched, commented on, and debated. You will be praised and scorned for every action. Pay special care to those who love you, because love can easily turn to hate, but hate can never really turn to love.
Obviously, the president-elect has not asked me for my opinion, nor do I expect him to.
Mr. Obama is a smart man, so I can only hope that he’s naturally intuited much of what I’ve written here. The expectations this man faces must be mind-blowing: We expect him to be Washington, Kennedy, Lincoln, and Martin Luther King rolled into one. No mortal man could possibly live up to such a burden.
In the Neil Young song “Looking For A Leader,” Neil calls for Barack Obama to step up and save us from ourselves. Even I, as cynical as I am, hope Mr. Obama can do so. Not matter what happens, he has stepped into almost every history book that will ever be written about this time forward.
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Great words, Scott, but I think the message that Obama is really trying to get into people’s minds is that WE need to take action to help save ourselves. Obama is simply a public servant and to rely soley on him to “save us”, we put ourselves back in the same boat as with the Bush administration. I have to say I am also very impressed with what you’ve done with the site. Mucho kudos..
Thanks so much, Sam! It’s been a lot of fun to build the site to this point, and we have a lot more plans for it this year.
In regards to Obama, I agree 100%. He can lead, but he can’t do the work for us.