Today, 1/20/2009, America is turning a tremendous page in its history.  Here in the midst of a stunning economic crisis, America is standing up and holding out a symbol of reconciliation to the world in the man that is Barack Obama.  The world had begun to doubt the American dream.  We had allowed that dream, which Dr. King immortalized in his life, to become obscured.  But with the election and now the innauguration of the first African American US President, a man who comports himself with all the dignity and grace that any country could hope for in a president, America is holding up that dream again.  It is not merely an American dream.  It is a dream for all peoples who seek and love freedom.

As Americans, it is our duty uphold that dream.  We have been given much.  From us, much will be required.

May God bless Barack Obama.  And may God bless America.

The Dow is taking a royal beating on the news of the House body slamming the bailout in a 228-205 vote against.  Meanwhile, as bailout fever spreads to Europe and its banks, the stock market is digesting what all this really means…something like Global Economic Crisis.

Regardless of whether the bailout ultimately fails or passes, a bailout is like chemotherapy.  You don’t take chemo because you’re feeling a little droopy and you want a little pick-me-up.

By Blink+ on Flickr.com

As I write this, the US Census Bureau’s population clock says that the population of the USA is 305,276,565.  That’s a lot of people.  And do you mean to tell me that out of those 305 million people, in the most successful country planet Earth has ever known, Barak Obama and John McCain are the most qualified people to run the whole show?  Seriously?

Does the prospect of either one of these guys pinning on the presidential shield give you a warm fuzzy sense that the economy, health care, medicare, social security, unemployment, the war on terror, the state of public education, the moral decay of society in general and Congress in particular, global warming, the rise and fall of Britney Spears or any of the other myriad travesties facing America TODAY will be remotely better off?

…Really?…On what basis?…Really?…That qualifies?

There is no doubt that Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama are both well intentioned, well spoken, capable politicians, perhaps the best politicians for this current race in their respective parties.  But, come on…305 million people…the most successful country in the history of the World…all we get to pick from are a bunch of Senators who have not proved very effective in staving off the mess we’re currently in?

Did either McCain or Obama rise above their senate peers and demonstrate a level of leadership that would inspire the sort awe we hold them in right now?

Realistically, the primary criterion operating in politics right now is “who has the best chance of winning the Presidency for my party”.  It has very little to do with who we believe has the greatest qualifications for leading America through this difficult time.  Sure, that’s what we say we’re looking at when we’re deciding between Obama and McCain.  But you don’t have to look far beyond the halls of the Capitol building to find eminently more qualified leaders, though perhaps less likely to whip out a successful campaign on short notice.  So we fall back to safe bets on who is likely to get elected instead of who is likely to lead.

We would almost do better to hold an American Idol competition for the US Presidency.  You might have to sit through a lot of fruit cake performances (a few hours of C-SPAN should prep you for that), but ultimately, you might get a Carrie Underwood.

The magic of American Idol is that it tore down the barriers to becoming a star.  If you could sing with a little of the “it” factor, you were through to Hollywood.  The barriers to the presidency make the barriers in the old music business game look like a 3rd grade kickball match.

Are there no Ben Franklins, no Jeffersons, no Adamses left today?  Maybe we should give Simon Fuller a shot at coming up with some way of ferreting them out.

Today more than ever, we need a president with the creative genius of Steve Jobs, the leadership pluck of Ronald Reagan, the verbal & political cunning of Bill Clinton, the foresight of Jefferson, the honesty of Abe, and the simplicity of Washington to get us through this.

It is time that we take back America from the hands of politicians and put it back in the hands of patriot leaders.  Trouble is that these people may not be frothing at the mouth for the job…perhaps because they don’t want to play the game or maybe they are busy do other meaningful things, or perhaps some sense of actual humility prevents them from thinking that they are the most qualified out of 305 million people.

Perhaps there is some alternate reality where “Country First” means helping America find the hero it needs today instead of assuming that you’re that hero.

Jerry Garcia once said, “Somebody has to do something, and it’s just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us.”  Well, he’s sort of right.  You’d like to think there is someone else who is more qualified to find the next American president, but if there is, they aren’t jumping up to do it.  It’s up to us!