For me, yeah. Obama=country and my fellow citizens.

I'm not going to be very good at expressing this, but I made a personal vow right at the start of the primary season, if Obama were to win the election, I'd make it a point to step up to the plate and do something.

On a local level, community service, volunteering, something, to help someone else or something else. I've got two things in mind I can give time (and money) to, literacy, reading programs for adults and kids, and local work, I was going to go for AIDS work and education, but dammit, the Prop 8 thing has made me mad, so I am going to spend some time on this. Channel the anger about the unfairness into action, what else can I do? I cannot just let this slide.

Anyway, my who feeling about the Change and Yes We Can is just that, it's not only Obama who has made a pledge (he will do what he can in DC and around the world), at home, it's up to me to do my part.

No matter what the only people fully satisfied by the first Obama term will be Republicans. Regardless of what happens by the end of four years the echo chamber will make sure he is viewed within the proper circles as exactly the worst things said about him.

For people who voted for him, at some point in the next four years he will disappoint you. You may still support him wholeheartedly but the shine will dim.

And that is if it goes well for him.

It is a nice thought but I'm going but I'll have to disagree (at least simply in terms of intelligence; Obama may well prove himself the most politically intelligent holder of the office).

Back in 1962, President Kennedy was addressing a White House dinner honoring something like 50 Nobel Prize winners in attendance. He said the following, and I think it will remain true after Obama as well.

I'd disagree in that there are some people who voted for him and don't expect him to part the Red Sea. I don't expect a whole lot of huge changes, and if all he does is be a dignified human being who isn't a war- and fear-monger, I'll be so happy.

Yeah, I know, all vague and simple, but still, I feel prepared for reality. I'm sure he'll support something I won't enjoy (like the bailout. I'm still not a fan). Oh hey, I just remembered - he isn't me.

I'm sure many people will be annoyed when he doesn't cure cancer but they are not smart people.

I'd like to see our world image be repaired by approaching international conflicts with a civil approach.

I'd also like to see affordable healthcare and education for all. There was a point in my life that I worked 3 part-time jobs while racking up over $20K in student loans, while keeping a roof over my own head. I had no healthcare at that time, because I was only employed part-time. My health suffered during that time, as well as my dental care, simply because I couldn't afford it. To this day, my needed dental work is astronomical, mainly because of my past negligence due to no insurance. We really need to take care of the people in our country.

Obama's first press conference as President-elect

I'm thoroughly impressed with Obama's jump start on making the government more transparent. He has already launched a website to make public the process of his transition into office available at change.gov. It's awesome to be able to have a resource like that and I am confident he will continue to offer such information via the web once he is in office. And on a side note, all of his websites are very well designed and standards compliant. Big props to his web team!

This is exactly where I am right now - working a bunch of part time jobs, paying for incredibly crappy insurance, and I have no dental coverage at all. I have SERIOUS dental problems, and I really don't know if I have any options right now except to watch my teeth fall apart and cry. (If anyone has any helpful hints, I'm in bad need of them.)

If anybody's looking to request a position with Obama's government, go here:
http://change.gov/page/s/application

I've never been shy about the fact that while supporting Obama's presidency I don't necessarily agree with him on a lot of things politically.

I've been seeing word bandied about (I don't know how seriously) that Robert Kennedy Jr. is in contention for running EPA. If that were to happen, it would be a very significant disappointment out of the gate for me.

Just as the rumoured Treasury Secretary picks are for me.