{"id":118,"date":"2008-12-22T01:03:22","date_gmt":"2008-12-22T01:03:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mikepellegrini.com\/wordpress\/?p=77"},"modified":"2008-12-22T01:03:22","modified_gmt":"2008-12-22T01:03:22","slug":"let-the-games-begin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mikepellegrini.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2008\/12\/22\/let-the-games-begin\/","title":{"rendered":"Let The Games begin!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The
\nWell, we did it. Barack Obama got elected. Now the fun begins.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The stench of George Bush \u2013 America\u2019s worst president ever \u2013 will linger for years and years. It\u2019s hard to even begin to count the ways George Bush has screwed up the United States and the world. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Where do you begin? Our economy is in ruins, and the whole country is falling apart at the seams, with the world economy trailing behind us like a drunken sailor, bobbing and weaving, about to pass out. Then we\u2019ve got wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a trillion dollar debt, the loss of many of our civil liberties in the name of freedom \u2013 and that\u2019s just the beginning.<\/p>\n

After eight years of a Bush republican, Neo-Con feeding frenzy \u2013 where Bush\u2019s buddies spent day and night gorging themselves on the spoils of our labor, things are kind of rough. Bush and his buddies have raped and pillaged their way through much of our children\u2019s inheritance. All that\u2019s left are the smoking ruins.<\/p>\n

I really don\u2019t envy Obama \u2013 he\u2019s coming into a pretty hopeless situation.<\/p>\n

But at least I am heartened by the fact that I believe Obama is better qualified to turn the situation around than anyone else I can think of. To the extent anyone can, Obama has the best chance.<\/p>\n

And more importantly, we\u2019re not continuing to dig ourselves any deeper.
\nIf John McCain had been elected, it just would have been a third term for Bush \u2013 no difference at all. That would have been a fate worse than death.<\/p>\n

By electing Obama, we\u2019ve prevented that \u2013 prevented further damage from being done.<\/p>\n


\nI was really blown away by the election itself. Here where I live, the voter turnout was around a staggering 84% – unheard of, as far as I can remember. There were long, long lines at my polling place. I ended up having to stand out in windy, cold 40F weather for almost an hour before the line made it inside the polling place. I have never, ever had to wait an hour to vote before. Never.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a very graphic demonstration of how upset people are with the way Bush took the country \u2013 the way he took the country down into the sewer.
\nSo, like I said, here we are, at the crossroads.<\/p>\n

Where we go next, I do not know.<\/p>\n

I think we can assume that things will continue to get worse for at least the short-term future \u2013 as Obama has predicted. The US and world economies have a tremendous amount of inertia. Just like a mile-long freight train running out of control, you don\u2019t put the brakes on the world economy and expect anything to happen anytime soon.
\nAnd it is the world economy that\u2019s sick, not just the United States.<\/p>\n

Everything<\/em> is interrelated these days. It might take a while for the ripples to propagate, from Detroit to Beijing, or from Omaha to Novosibirsk, but they do. Just like waves in a pond.<\/p>\n

So fixing the US economy by itself isn\u2019t practical or even possible. The whole world has to get well before any of the parts can truly get well by themselves.
\nAnd that\u2019s one helluva complex project.<\/p>\n

So if we can dig ourselves out of this recession anytime in Obamas\u2019s first term, I\u2019ll be real surprised.<\/p>\n

We shall see. Like I said, at least we\u2019ve turned the corner.<\/p>\n

What else? I\u2019ve got a wish list for the President-Elect.<\/p>\n

Here are some concrete things I\u2019d like to see Obama do in his first term (besides solve the economic mess):<\/p>\n