After historic win, road gets rougher

11/5/08
It's possible Barack Obama will remember the past two years as the easy part.

His accomplishments cannot be overstated - winning the Democratic presidential nomination over a hugely favored opponent; becoming the first person other than a white male to head a major party's ticket; and, of course, on Tuesday, winning the nation's popular vote and electoral college, and thereby the presidency.

But the challenges ahead are enormous. He will take office in January facing difficulties unprecedented in recent memory. The economy is in turmoil, with many experts predicting a prolonged slowdown. Rates of foreclosures and credit defaults continue to worsen, and unemployment keeps rising.

In addition, the country is fighting two wars. Our national reputation is at its lowest point in decades, leading other countries to be less willing to help in the fight against international terrorism. And all signs point to global climate change as the pre-eminent challenge of the coming decades, a problem the U.S. has been painfully slow to address.

The problems won't wait, but it's worth taking the time to appreciate what has been achieved. There are probably many people who never thought they'd live to see the day when a person with a family tree like Obama's could reach the nation's highest office. The son of a Kenyan father and a mother from Kansas, Obama spent part of his youth living overseas, in Indonesia. He lived many years in multicultural Hawaii before beginning his higher education on the East Coast.

All his experiences prepared him for today. And he will need every bit of the intelligence, character and diligence he displayed in the long months on the campaign trail. His calm demeanor proved reassuring in a time of national crises, and led a nation to put its trust in the freshman U.S. senator from Illinois.

Nothing will come easily from here, but just to make it this far is an accomplishment beyond belief for most of us. The president-elect will need everyone behind him to get the country moving forward again. We have put our trust in him, and now is his time to lead.