Today we inaugurate a man, not a God

Barack Obama has always been able to get people to believe in him.

From the moment he received the Democratic Party’s nomination, there has been much anticipation for this day. The record-breaking inauguration crowd is proof of his ability to connect with people and strategize a genius campaign.

Jan. 20, 2009 will be a day that goes down in history for numerous reasons.

The man taking the presidency today is a radical change from the man that has been in charge of the country for the past eight years. He is America’s first black president and, for many, a symbol of how far we’ve come in the past half-century. To top it off, his inauguration falls the day after we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday as a national holiday.

Still, some of the commotion surrounding the event is a little unsettling.

Take for instance, the MSNBC commercial featuring a God-like picture of the president-elect’s illuminated face as a booming voice tells viewers that they will always remember where they were during the moment Barack Obama became president. Or the unprecedented MTV coverage of Obama, which currently features a list of songs inspired by him on their Web site.

The iconic Obama poster inscribed with the word “hope” has made its former street artist famous as millions post them on dorm room walls and street corners. In the midst of the celebration, people around the nation are acting as if America’s hard times have suddenly changed direction.

Yet, between today’s celebration and festivities, it is important to remember that today we’re inaugurating a man – not a God. To treat our next president as anything but a mere mortal borders on dangerous thinking.

Obama ran his campaign on the premise of “hope” – something his supporters relish as much as his detractors hate, and for good reason. Hope is a vague word that can be full of potential or fall completely flat. Either way, it doesn’t mean anything until it’s put into action. Hope doesn’t change things; it only inspires that change. When Obama takes the oath of office today, he will also take on two wars, a broken economy and a shaky relationship with a waiting world. Nothing will have changed except the occupant of the presidential office.

And although Barack Obama is that symbol of hope to many, this man is only a mortal, and an elected official at that. Hope by itself leads to disillusioned citizens. Even if you agree with all of Obama’s policies, you should never lose sight of the fact that he – like any other politician – is a man who must be held accountable for every decision he makes and every tax dollar he spends.

Just as importantly, it should be noted that although he is now the most powerful man in the world, Obama does not have the ability (or Constitutional right, for that matter) to demand change in everything.

He is not a carmaker, so he can’t make green cars. He can throw stimulus checks at consumers, but that doesn’t mean they’ll spend. Despite his can-do attitude, he’s inheriting an economy in recession and a foreign policy tradition that leaves the U.S. with few allies.

And while many do agree with his policies of unprecedented expansion of government power and further regulation of the free market, others strongly disagree. Like any other administration, Obama’s will instill policies that are liable to fail and that are met with controversy.

One man is not capable of making the nation completely happy. Some of the most iconic presidents of America’s televised past, like Roosevelt and Kennedy, were able to escape much scrutiny and hide many of their respective weaknesses. Now, with a much sharper media lens focused on the White House, even the most die-hard Obama supporter is sure to be disappointed at least once or twice.

If you are an Obama supporter, or if you are merely breathing a huge sigh of relief when you realize that the country is changing directions, go ahead and celebrate to your heart’s content. Today truly is history in the making and nobody will dispute that.

However, it’s important to remember that a good orator does not a great president make. Instead of getting goose bumps and teary-eyed over what is sure to be a inspiring inaugural address, we should be excited at the nation’s chance to better itself with a new leader at the helm.

More importantly, remember that the man taking the inaugural oath is, like any other mortal, fallible; he can and will make mistakes and he will have to answer for them. Only so much can be blamed on the previous administration and there’s only so much a single man can (or should) do in four years. We should have realistic expectations – he’s promised us a lot. The most, in fact, anyone can promise: change.