Stay Classy America!!

So I've been quiet the last few weeks trying to process the historic election and inauguration of President Obama. But, I just can't resist the urge to speak up.
Let me make it clear-I put my country first, above party or politician. In doing so, I desperately want to see our newly elected President Obama do well for our country's sake; I have absolutely no reason not to want to see him do well. He has some tough issues to tackle and he has my support as my President.
However, the rock-star treatment that he has already received, his comparison to Lincoln, Roosevelt and Kennnedy, and the almost-radical blind acceptance of this man is completely bewildering to me. He is a great orator and delivers his message of hope well. But beyond that, what has he done to receive an unprecedented amount of support? I understand that people are looking for change and looking for a leader who can usher in much-needed change. But, why do we look to one man who has yet to prove himself, to be the catalyst that will rescue us from what politicians have put us in, in the first place?
Reality check: Obama is just another 21st Century American politician who talks the talk but hasn't walked the walk. Am I missing something? Please, someone fill me in (and don't just compare him to the last President, citing some over-used CNN/MSNBC talking point; I am looking for some facts and a little intelligent analysis on WHY Obama is already being compared to the next Kennedy, Lincoln and Roosevelt). And by the way, just as it will take more than one person to get us out of this mess, it wasn't one single person who got us into this mess; blaming Bush for all our problems is just an easy cop-out. Afterall, the democratically-controlled congress undeniably has its share of dysfunction and a low approval rating.
It IS fantastic to see how far we have come in the 150 years since slavery and the 40+ years since the dawn of the civil rights movement to elect an African-American as our President. But, that in itself is not enough to justify blindly following Obama where he leads.
If the nation is to reverse its course, it will need an absolute house-cleaning in all branches of government and at all levels. . We need senators, representatives, judges, cabinet members, mayors, city councilmen-leaders at every level of government-to lead with conviction, fortitude and principle. One man, i.e. one politician, can not bring the change that Americans are looking for. We have the power to reverse course by voting in people who have integrity and keep the best interests of their citizens in mind above special interest groups, kickbacks, quid pro quo and special favors. Believe it or not, those leaders are out there.
I'm not cynical, but sincerely believe that because we are Americans, we don't need to put all our hope in one man. We are the most blessed country in the history of the world; we are extremely resilient, resourceful and thrive on challenges-that is the nature of Americans. Let's stop blaming Bush for everything that's gone wrong, stop blindly following Obama like a bunch of lost sheep and start acting to take back our country from politicians who care nothing about us.
My next point is this: Have we forgotten what grace is? At the inauguration, I was dissapointed to hear booing and yelling when George Bush was introduced. Here is a man who has served as our President for 8 years and when he is introduced to citizens he has worked so hard to protect, people have the audacity to boo him. Wow. I respect the office of the President too much and would NEVER show disrespect to a leader who has faithfully fulfilled his duty to his people. The name-calling, personal insults and outright disrespect by the media and every-day citizens, not to mention Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's disrespect of George W. Bush is APPALLING. Have we stooped so low that this is now acceptable behavior? It reminds me of a bunch of little kids who lose a baseball game and won't go shake hands with the team that beat them. We teach our kids to be good sportsmen, but we fail to demonstrate this "important" principal when it really counts. What a golden opportunity. Come on people, WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS!!!
Stay classy, America!!!
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