What now?

By John Bertosa
For the past eight years liberals followed the rule to never praise President Bush unless you do so quickly and quietly and then follow up loudly with 10 criticisms. But sometimes, Bush would make a proposal that not even liberals could immediately criticize so they would instead fill their voices with immense doubt and skepticism and in almost a singsong voice say "It sooouunnds gooood but weeee'lll seeee...."
And give them credit, it worked. Bush was so villified that during the campaign Obama could simply say that he's not Bush and he didn't have to get his hands dirty in a personal fight with McCain. And even liberals like Dan who didn't resort to such nonstop hateful vitriol would still benefit from it in the form of a Democratic President.
So, I would like to start doing my part to help the Republican nominee in four years by only grudgingly complimenting President Obama on the most minor of things while heartily voicing my criticism of everything he does or, more easily, fails to do. Instead of the GOP candidate having to get in a nasty fight that would lessen her standing, she will just have to say "I'm not Obama." while staying above the fray.
But, like any inauguration there isn't really anything to criticize here. After all, on a president's first day he can promise to be everything to all people and he is surrounded by people who voted for him and media outlets who can't resist the feel good vibe.
So to use the tactic right out of the Liberal Playbook...
I hope President Obama uses this wave of popularity as evidenced by the crowds at the Inauguration and soaring approval numbers to bring this country together and not tear it apart. But weeee'lll seeee.
Following the inauguration attended by well over a million people, possibly two million, the Washington DC police reported absolutely no arrests. People of all races and ethnicities happily mixed that day. I hope President Obama will continue this era of good feeling and not pursue actions that lead to one race or another being upset, but weee'll seeee.
In his inauguration speech, when President Obama said "Our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed," I hope he was including liberals' interests and decisions that would be unpleasant for Democrats and not just those involving Republicans, but weeee'll seeee.
And in his Inauguration speech, when he says "And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account" I hope he will follow through. But weeee'll seeeee.
I hope that President Obama's promise of bringing change to Washington will lead to the elimination of the bitter partisanship that has been nonstop since the Bush-Dukakis race 20 years ago. That there will be a breath of fresh air for all. But when I see all the ties to the Clintons coming into the Obama Administration, I'll just have to say weeee'll seeeee.
But I am full of hope because this president not only has a mandate but his party controls both the House and the Senate (just like Bush) and he has the smartest and most able advisers that the Democratic Party can field. He does not have to rely on simply trying as he has the power of the greatest country in the world to do what he has promised. If Reagan and his callous idea of "a rising tide lifts all boats" could get us out of an even deeper recession while the opposing party controlled the House, then surely Obama and his more compassionate economic policies will make short work of this one. Everything appears to be in place for a wonderful eight years and the only thing that would prevent that is if the Democrats' ideas are not a true guideline to success.
Weeee'll seeee.