What to Do With All The Free Time

An unsubtle piece:

Waking up this morning with President Obama getting down to business and closing Gitmo, ending the worst excesses of CIA torture and hanging on to his Blackberry, I noticed several curious new sensations. For the first time in eight years, I found myself not immediately assuming that the actions of the President of the United States were motivated by personal arrogance, fascistic consolidation of power or the kleptocratic urge to benefit his wealthy personal associaties.

It was as if the President of the United States shares many -maybe even most - of my beliefs and intends to act in the best interests of the nation by gathering the most capable people that can be found to advise him on public policy, in conformity with the laws of the country and the ideals and requirements of the Constitution.

Suddenly, I am not being news-punched in the face every morning by the privileged Texas drunk who thought he was King Decider and his cynical or foolish followers. I realize that I am not going to be heart-sickened by an American smorgasboard of malfeaseance every god-damn morning. A lot of my brain schedule previously taken up by righteous outrage opens into a curiously large sinkhole of attention. I can only wonder what will rush in.

Which is Obama's call to service is interesting. The Laird noted a few weeks ago that Obama is suddenly every little kid's best friend. Obama is teaching the national ideals of America again to Americans, and far beyond mere policy to emotionally palpable democratic values and international good will, that very particular skill set of real inspiration, the kids are soaking it up. It bodes well for the future.

I have little doubt the President will disappoint me a hundred ways starting next Tuesday, although so far, I have trouble imagining a better early performance. But already the political mind finds room to imagine what is truly necessary and what is truly possible. This is the accomplishment of an amazing 48 hours in American history.