Obama to George W.: Thank You for poor governing!

Usually, when the leader of an organization leaves his post, he writes two letters and a short note for the new incumbent. The short note instructs the new leader to open the first letter when the first major crisis occurs and to open the second letter only in case of a major emergency AFTER opening the first letter.

Eventually, the new leader will inevitably have a crisis and will heed the advice of the note and open the first letter. It will instruct them in some fashion of the following: "Blame everything on me and fix it as best you can." They'll gratefully accept the offer and do as instructed. Should another major crisis occur, the incumbent will open their predecessor's second letter that will likely say: "Start writing two letters."

In January next year, I think it possible that George W. will write only one letter to Obama and it will say "You're Welcome."

Think about this and digest it slowly: If Barack Obama wins the presidency, he will have George W. Bush to thank for it.

For most parties, the Bush administration has left a nasty taste in our mouths. He started his run in a cruel and unforgiving way--he stole an election. Nearly 51 million Americans (and many from the other side) recognized immediately that for this man and those closest to him, winning was everything and morality was out of the window. Fast forward seven years and we all know the history. It's not his politics as much as his smugness that turns us off. We want better from our leaders. We want our presidents to create a culture of acceptance and unity despite our differences. I submit that Obama's success has been born from Bush's failure as a leader. Had he not been who he was, Obama's message would likely be falling on deaf ears.

In many ways, Obama's reflection on the Reagan administration is apropos. Reagan's message was very similar when facing Carter. We've fallen on hard times (stuggling economy and high gas prices--go figure), the security of our nation is at risk (brewing conflicts in the Middle East--go figure), but WE can recover and become a better nation (my friends this, my friends that...). It was a culture of ineptitude that bred the potential for Reagan's success and it's a culture of corruption and non-cooperative politics that has opened the door for Obama.

Obama's argument is largely cultural, but also one of style. When I hear the buzzwords of change and optimism, I'm hearing "Don't vote for me because I want to do it differently than Hillary. Vote for me because I want to do it with grace and a smile." Not just being right, but doing it the right way. That's a major shift in political ideologies and, I hope, one for which Americans of all races, genders, and creeds are finally prepared to accept.

Despite the tragedy that has been the Bush administration and the despair many have felt over the past seven years, I find some solace (and can appreciate the Creator's sense of irony) in knowing that the man whom Kanye West once said did not care about Black people will be replaced by our nation's first president of African descent. I find it further ironic that he will have beaten the "first Black president's" wife to do so...