January 18, 2009, two days before President Obama’s Inauguration 

Santa Cruz, CA – This seaside town, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay, is awash today in sun and an unseasonable heat wave, which has settled over California.  The sun and warmth have flushed hundreds of visitors out from all-over to flock to the ocean.  There is a party atmosphere in the air. 

     Even the most cynical, political hack could not help feel the connection between the wonderful feeling of glee and the national excitement of the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. As far away from Washington D.C. as all of the people in Santa Cruz are today in this decadent, laid-back university town – signs are posted everywhere for community events marking this historic Presidential inauguration.   

     Signs inviting people to come join community breakfasts (Washington D.C. is 3 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time) to watch the inauguration live abound.  As do community dinners, some special church prayer group meetings as well as drink specials and Tequila shots for Inaugural happy hour celebrations at local bars throughout Santa Cruz.  Signs posted up everywhere from the beach boardwalk, over to storefronts throughout Pacific Street (Santa Cruz’s High Street), all over the University of California, Santa Cruz campus, and all through neighborhoods populated by mostly Latino farm workers from Central America. 

     The overwhelming desire for change President-elect Obama trumpeted and promised for more than two years though the grueling, bitter process of a national Presidential political campaign has arrived in full.  Yes everyone feels and seems to want that change badly.  One can only hope the President-elect feels as positive and electrified by the possibilities of this new political dawn as the majority of Americans seem to be expressing these final hours before the new administration takes control. 

     Never has any person in American history ever come to power at a time of total policy meltdown – in domestic politics, in American foreign policy and virtually in a global economic crisis.  Yet, none of that seems to matter today in California, in Washington D.C. and throughout the U.S. and it feels like throughout the world.   

     The excitement and relief of being able to shed a President and an administration who, for eight long years, decimated America’s reputation in global affairs; seemingly ignored the principals of the founders of this Country embodied by the Constitution of the United States and exacerbated a highly partisan, Laissez-faire approach to economic and domestic policy making.  At a minimum, there will be no love loss with almost former President Bush and his team.  

     Enough said. 

     President-elect Obama and his new team have their work cut out for them.  Yes, today, the feeling over here is one of, well to coin the phrase made famous by Mr. Obama’s campaign, hope.  There is an overwhelming and comforting feeling that the American people picked the right person, for the right job at the right moment to regain the machinery of our nation and to help lead us out of this very dark place we find ourselves today. 

     My worry, even on this glorious day - Can the notoriously fickle American public give President-elect Obama the time, the flexibility and the support he will need to get our country going forward again? That is the big question as expectations have surpassed all possible solutions to the myriad of problems inherited from the departing Bush régime.   

     For every problem, real or imagined, Americans from every walk of life seem to be saying that President Obama will fix it.  Unlike Jimmy Savile, OBE, President-elect Obama can’t fix everything and even the top ten agenda items; foreign and domestic are going to be tough challenges requiring money, time and the support of Congress. 

     Enough of that for today.   

     The breeze is light and the surf is up. On this day, in the unexpected warm sun of an outrageously beautiful picture postcard day in California, one has to soak up the feeling and belief chanted by Barack Obama supporters around the country and the world –  

     “Yes, we can!”