2010 Resolutions for President Obama

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This liberal mom has found herself one week into the New Year and wondering what is in store for our country in 2010. Remember the start of 2009? Remember the inauguration and all of the hope and excitement for what was to come? One year in and we are all still sifting through the fall out of the previous administration and the fine print of what could be. Much of that hope and excitement has receded and we are left wondering what comes next. Maybe our president should make a list of resolutions for the coming year? I am thinking he probably already has. But in case he needs a couple suggestions, here are my resolutions for our Head of State.

1. Rekindle the support of your party and country

   There is no way we should ever have expected the campaign rally call for hope to equate immediate answers right out of the gate. Sure, the President promised that “yes we could”, but he also warned us that it won’t be an easy process during his inauguration speech, only minutes into his presidency.

   That being said – with so much still unresolved – I sense a much less enthusiastic, more passive vibe from his party right now. His party, with the majority of votes, just doesn’t seem all that into him right now. Obama needs to rekindle that hopeful vibe again and get his party back in the game. There is no way anything will be solved without the resolution, unified backing and faith of his party – and this entire country

2. Think before you act – but act too.

   To regain that momentum again, Obama needs to do something – and do something big. He needs to wow this crowd. And even if he has big plans for far down the road, he should remember that perception is everything. Support for his administration is needed now – so results, of any kind, are needed now. Certainly, from what I can tell, Obama seems far from the type to act before he thinks. And I am grateful for that critical change of pace. So he is perfectly welcome to think – and think hard – before he acts, just as long as he actually acts on something soon.

3. Try not to people please.

   Is it just me or does Obama seem fixated on people pleasing at times? From where I sit, while he thinks before he acts, he also makes an effort to consider everyone’s position. This is certainly another respectable trait that I am thrilled to have in our highest office. However, there is no way he is going to find the perfect middle ground with any issue; folks are going to be unhappy no matter which way he decides. It’s an impossible catch-22 – and trying to be all things to all people winds up slowing down the entire process. I think he is a very smart man, with excellent core values and evenhanded instincts. He needs to go with his gut, remain confident about the position he takes and move forward.

4. Be a careful multi-tasker.

   If there is one thing every party member can agree on is the fact that this president has a lot on his plate. The number of issues to tackle and resolve still is incomprehensible. While he has hand-picked an experienced staff to help him tackle each of these issues, tackling too many large issues at once may not result in enough done well in the long run. Pick one thing and blow us away, Mr. President. The rest will follow.

5. Remember equal rights.

   When this president was elected, I had great faith that he would support equal rights efforts – whether they are those of gay citizens, women or people of color. While he needs to take care of priority issues, I assumed he would endorse equal rights issues without much question. And let’s be honest, he has questioned (dare say, avoided) some of these issues this past year. I hope he stands behind his core values in 2010, does not try to be all things to all citizens (see “people pleasing resolution” above) and finally defends the rights we all deserve.

Caroline writes about parenting, politics, pondering and panicking about it all at her own blog Morningside Mom.

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