You don't need to be Nostradamus to say that dear author.

The way people and the media are carrying on you'd think he was the new Jesus, or better, James Dean, except dark skinned.

I don't know what possesses people to give this sort of adulation to a politician. Politicians lie and so does Obama. He also will fail to meet expectations as no one could meet what is being loaded on his plate.

He's one man who is still essentially governed by a Party of old, white men. How is he going to change anything? Let alone everything?

Sure he's intelligent, articulate and gives great speeches but that doesn't actually achieve anything except getting him elected.

Unless he can clean up Wall Street on his own and do the same to the banks, on his own, the change will be superficial and short lived as the greedy take what they see as "theirs" and run with it. To do that cleanup he'd need Al Pacino's "little friend".

Never have so many expected so much from so few. And we know how that goes. On the brighter side anything is better than Bush and it will help calm down the Middle East. He does carry the name Hussein.

This bloke is going to be the biggest disappointment ever. He is going to be about as useful as K Rudd is proving to be.

He's an orator, & by definition, that's all talk. If any one can tell me of an orator, who actually achieved anything, I'd love to hear.

Just look at WW11. Both sides had leaders, who were orators, & they had a major competition to see who could loose the war. Fortunately for us, we had some strong non orators, who sat on ours, from time to time, & saved us.

One of our PMs, from not too far back, was a bit of an orator, & his time was far from well done. Remember his "Long may we say" speach? His finest moment was after he was kicked out.

Another question. Why is it that a white man, with 15% black heritage, is called a black man, but a black man, with 85% white heriatage, is still called a black man. If that is not discrimination, I don't know what is. The sooner we are all a nice tan colour the better, as far as I'm concerned.

benjamin wrote "The problem with words like economy, environment and government...seem like malevolent entities, independent of ourselves."

not seem...but made out to be this...yep the media...and we the sheep follow...

common person on the street, whom suffers most with economic melt downs...or sons sent to wars to prop up the the home economy(hint...bush and gang)...has little access to how/why/whats to all things that affect their daily lives...

yeah...the corporate media...that seem repeatedly with 'news' to promote fear/prejudice/anger while hide 'relevant material facts' to major issues...and its world wide...I scan newspapers from all over the globe...details/theme/assessment to any issue is almost identical or similar...currently they are on 'give turnbull space to entrench his power', and 'attack rudd' mode...yep...taken on the 'queen-king-maker role'...

worse there is almost no enforcement of media responsibility and accountability for 'inaccuracy' all the way in range to blatant lies when the 'truth' finally comes out...years later of course when purpose of the deceit has bared fruits and those gained now disassociated themselves far from it...and media then worthlessly come partially clean...

...same to corporate medias organized silence...like intentional childhood emotional trauma to control, its expression and effects in adulthood...and family courts devastation on meaningful fatherchild relationships...or government agencies gone wrong like csa...

and obama would have seen this...issue is how to bring corporate media back to the straight and narrow...as they act than years later...his ''National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation' http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/01/in-first-act-ob.html has not hope unless media serves its true purpose to keep common person illuminated to all facts and inter-relationships affecting them...in real time...

so seems that the first step is to enact a simple and effective law that is untamperable even by the highest court of land...that demands sufficient media investigation prior to any article being printed...the whole fact stated to specific situation...then to clearly separate their 'opinions/assessments'...and ban 'organized-reporting' from one central location to multiple news-media outlets...and must keep details of 'source/witnesses' etc for court assessment if necessary...

sam
and michelle obama sure focused on demanding/getting/holding obamas attention in situations...sign of a women with her own agendas...hope he's skilled at dealing with these things...

Give the guy a break, he's just been inaugurated
and already the knockers come out in force.

What's wrong with you people?

Why don't you google the full transcript of his
Inauguration speech, and read it.

"On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the
petty grievances and false promises, the
recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for
far too long have strangled our politics.

Now, there are some who question the scale of
our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot
tolerate too many plans. Their memories are short.
For they have forgotten what this country has
already done; what free men and women can achieve
when imagination is joined to common purpose, and
necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the
ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale
political arguments that have consumed us for so
long no longer apply..."

History will judge the man, and you can go
ahead and try to tear him down, it's a trait,
after all, isn't it? The Tall Poppy Syndrome.
Just remember, when you cut down the tall poppies,
only the weeds remain.

Well said. One man will not make the difference, but he might be a catalyst for the sort of change required.
How to change a press that has made dishonesty par for the course?
How to change a private parasitical banking system that funnels wealth to the "dead zone" of financial instuments and the uber-wealthy?
How to wind back the military industry and turn resources to productive industry?
How to reign in the CIA and restore a shred of honor to the US?
How to distribute wealth in an age where machines will generate most of it? (Next decade will see this problem emerge)
How to wean people off the messiah complex and get them follow the ball, not the man? How to turn on people's BS detectors?
The next few months will tell just how brave/enabled he is.
Sadly, the harder he pushes the more chance of assassination. That could *really* mess things up.

1. His victory is a huge victory for all minorities, for race and religious minorities, A huge boost to the fight against race discrimination worldwide. A HUGE BENEFIT FOR THE WHOLE HUMANITY.
2. It is true that under new-conservatives, extreme rights USA took a very dangerous direction not only for them but for all other countries. Human rights, peace, environment and international law WAS THE BIG VICTIMS FROM THEIR POLICIES. In the economic level, the big crooks was left free to destroy the economy and create a huge financial crisis in USA and world wide. Bush policy was catastrofic for USA and the whole world, IT WILL NOT BE EASY FOR OBAMA TO HEAL ALL THESE DEEP WOUNDS FROM ONE DAY TO AN OTHER BUT HE WILL DO THE MAXIMUM HE COULD DO UNDER THESE BAD CONDITIONS.
KOY KLOYX KLAN, WHITE SUPREMASISTS, RIGHT AND RELIGIOUS EXTREMESTS, SUPER NATIONALISTS, THE ENEMY FROM THE PEACE,PROGRESS, UNTERSTANDING AND COOPERATION WILL DO EVERYTHING TO CREATE PROBLEMS TO OBAMA BUT THEY WILL FAIL! THE PEOPLE OF USA AND OTHER COUNTRIES KNOW THE REAL CONDITIONS AND WILL GIVE TO OBAMA THE TIME AND SUPPORT HE NEEDS.
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide