Chapter 80.9: Back to the Future, Forward to the Past

Every now and then, I actually poke around through the emailed newsletter I receive from the Council on Foreign Relations. Given the significant transition we are facing as a nation, I found the latest issue particularly interesting. In it is a link to an essay written by Dean Rusk, then a trustee with the Rockefeller Foundation and in less than a year of this essay being published, the U.S. Secretary of State.

In the essay, which is very long, he makes prescient observations on the status of the United States at that time and where he envisioned it going. But I was caught also by one of his simplist observations: "To the rest of the world [the president] embodies the dignity and sovereignty of the Federal Union and has much to do with the image of America projected beyond our borders. He leads our solemn observances and sets the tone of our national life. Whether we move with zest and confidence in our public and private affairs or plod along in apathy or bewilderment turns in large part upon the morale which flows from the White House."

In light of what America has seen over the past 28 years (i.e. since President Reagan), Rusk's words should be instructive for president-elect Obama. One of the things I like about Obama is how smart he is and that he is able to use that intelligence to convey confidence. I don't doubt that Sen. McCain is intelligent and I honestly don't doubt that President Bush is intelligent, though I think his arrogance and that of Vice President Cheney have brought shame to the United States that will take years to wash clean. But neither Bush nor McCain — and not even President Clinton when he was so embattled — left me feeling confident.

We need President Obama to continue to instill confidence in Americans of all stripes if we are to succeed during what promises to be one of the most challenging economic periods of our history. Right now, Web sites are filled with speculation about what an Obama presidency will mean for investors, what it will mean for health care, even what it means for Sen. Joe Lieberman. I'm sure some of the points noted in these pieces are accurate, and I'm sure that some will prove to be wrong or misguided. The facts will play out and like the Roshomon effect, will depend on perspective in order to convey a semblance of truth.

Perspective is important to a leader. What Americans need now is to believe in the power of that office for good once again. After eight years of President Bush's ideologically driven decisions that left half the nation unguarded and President Clinton's self-centered dalliances that sullied the office, I hope that President Obama can restore confidence in America's place in the world, in our leadership, and in our goodness.

It is a lot to ask of any leader — probably too much. And I'm sure there'll be times when he fails; he's human. But damn, we need a leader now.