Take a Breath

If you're a long-time reader, you are aware that I support Barack Obama. I am so not Republican in any way. Not to say that I'm a Democrat either. If it were a perfect world, we would revert to George Washington's idea of Congress: no political parties.

Two things have frustrated me lately:

((Oh, this is going to be one of my rare political rants...they don't happen often. I'm not here to argue with anyone))

The Nobel Peace Prize. There was a survey on Facebook asking if it was deserved. Because my high-school friends skew Republican, the survey was not in Obamas favor. I disagree.
He won it based on two speeches and pre-election actions. NOT on what he has done since in office.

From CNN: The committee said it honored Obama for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." The Nobel committee recognized Obama's efforts at dialogue to solve complex global problems, including working toward a world free of nuclear weapons.

"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," the committee said.

Obama said he viewed the decision less as a recognition of his own accomplishments and more as "a call to action."

Long before he was elected President, he took the US on a Goodwill Tour after the US was vilified WORLD WIDE. Americans have been lying while traveling abroad, stating they are Canadian. Not any longer. The prize was awarded based on that and nothing else. He changed the attitude & status of Americans. After eight years of the silent treatment, he gave the world the opportunity to talk to us again.

Frustrating Thing #2:
Read this with a whine "But he's not doing anything..."
He. Has. Been. In. Office. Nine. Months.
He inherited the country at it's worst. Worst than during both World Wars, worse than perhaps even the Civil War. (based on opinion of people smarter than I) There was simply not one single thing that wasn't broken over the last eight years.

Give him a minute. It's so frustrating that Americans expect fast fixes to everything. Twice I have heard "Well, the past administration ram-rodded their agenda, why can't he?" Well, they did it ILLEGALLY and everyone was PISSED off. Just because we like the guy now doesn't make it right for him to do the same thing.

With any relationship, you can't give it a matter of months and then call it off without seeking help. The American people do have a relationship with the President. I think that has been forgotten because the past administration erased that from our consciousness.

He's available on Twitter, on Facebook, on MySpace. He has an email, a telephone number and an address. Have you been to the White House website? It's totally cool now. He wants our opinions and our help. As he has said all along, it is up to us.

Not to say that I give the President a free pass. I think he has an endgame plan. I see changes coming after the first year. If, and only if, after that things aren't changing, then I will rethink my support. But not in the first nine months. It takes a baby nine months to form and even then it's still helpless upon birth. Our country was brought down to it's base level and needs to be rebuilt. It's not going to happen quickly.

In the meanwhile. Take a Breath.