Hope taken to absurd lengths.

Yesterday was, to be certain, a day of monumental historical importance. Barack H. Obama took the oath of office at noon yesterday to become the 44^th president of the United States. I, like many others, watched but I did so with a mixture of pride and embarrassment.

Pride because the United States elected a man as president, and did not hold the color of his skin against him. Proud because our nation did seem to overcome something – our new president put it best yesterday when he noted “a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.” It is not as if racism is over in the U.S., as Bill Bennett absurdly tried to argue on CNN on election night, but it is clear the old ways are done, to borrow a phrase from the new president. I proudly voted for President Obama, and am happy he won, and I expect he will be a very good leader. It seems fairly obvious that we have someone who will not engage in a foreign policy borne of sown through discord, but rather accord; someone who will be more of a thinker as a leader; and someone who, whether one agrees with it or not, at least seems to have a plan to get the nation out of a deep economic crisis

But my embarrassment stems from the way some of my colleagues are trumpeting the arrival of President Obama. On some level, I truly understand. The eight years of the Bush administrations have been marked by dishonesty, partisanship (to put it mildly), condescension, and a general tone of ugly paternalism. So it does not shock me to hear some saying (as I did yesterday), “the sky seems bluer, the air clearer.” I can write that off to hyperbole of the moment. On the other hand, it seemed to me that we were swearing in an Augustus at best, at its most absurd, a messiah the way some spoke. So, I guess it will be up to me to fill the role of the guy who followed the Roman emperors of old, whispering “you’re only human, you’re only human.”

Yesterday was the time for celebration, today is the time for perspective. The election was historic, but President Obama has done nothing yet. I heard all day yesterday, about “hope” and a “new way.” I heard lots of rhetoric, and yet nothing specific. I can only believe it so much, as a historian I need the facts to form an interpretation, and the facts are these:

· Much of the new president’s cabinet is made up of Clinton holdovers. These people who presided over an unprecedented economic growth also presided over an unprecedented rise in poverty in the third world, and an illusory prosperity here at home, a prosperity built on credit and consumer spending fueled by that credit. Obama’s designate for treasury secretary is one of the more frightening choices one can conceive of in this climate (not because of his tax issues, but his role as Federal Reserve NY Chairman and Wall Street deal broker).

· Then candidate-Obama out fundraised not only Democratic rivals but Republican rivals too, in industries that are traditionally Republican strongholds – the energy industry, the finance industry, defense firms, construction, health, and transportation donors all went strongly with Obama (Wall Street Journal, April 2, 2008). This was a clear indicator seven months before the election that big business did not see Obama as a bogey man of sorts, but rather someone with whom they could do business. Now, this does not mean necessarily that Obama is betrothed to this community, but these donors do not give money for altruistic purposes either.

· Speaking of betrothal. A line from Obama’s inaugural address jarred me as I sat at my desk watching yesterday. The president spoke, “The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.” ALL are equal. ALL deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. Sure, Senator Barack Obama voted against a federal marriage amendment, and stated that favors the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, and favors civil unions for gay couples. But a civil union is not a marriage. It does not confer the same rights as marriage – just as an example, a married couple can file taxes jointly, couples in civil unions cannot. A marriage is recognized from state to state, civil unions are not. A couple that has a civil union must set up durable powers of attorney, medical powers of attorney and the like “just in case” – processes that can cost a tremendous amount of money, when simply bestowing the right to marry (and a subsequent marriage license) does all of these things, for simply the cost of the marriage license.

The simple fact is that until marriage is legal for all citizens of the United States, we are not all equal, we are not all free, and all will clearly not be able to pursue their full measure of happiness.

Now, my purpose is not to destroy the moment (even though I was jokingly called a killjoy yesterday). Again, this was a historic moment, a moment that all Americans should be proud to have been a part of or to have watched. I truly am on Obama’s side, and I want him to succeed. In my heart of hearts, I want to be wrong about all of this, and wish that he lives up to the near-impossible heights set up for him by his supporters. But again, we elected him president, not messiah, and I hope that he succeeds in the former, and that his proponents don’t hold the latter against him.