Tonight marks Obama's first State of the Union address to the nation, and as such, I have some thoughts. I am a Democrat, I voted for Obama and I like him, so please understand that I have a bias. Yes, things in the country are not where we hoped they would be, yes we Democrats have seemingly given away the advantage, and yes, health care is in the lurch, but the state of our union is much stronger now than at any time during the years 2001-2008.
Obama was handed the biggest mess imaginable, and everybody in the United States needs to back off. I don't have a job, I am going to eventually run out of unemployment pay and I am disappointed by the crisis, but I don't feel the need to start ripping the President because we haven't made a 180 degree turnaround from this time last year. Those who thought things were going to change for the better overnight are idiots. Republicans who want to call Obama's presidency a failure need to use their elephant memory and think back to how their guy and his people spent eight years ruining EVERYTHING! It makes me so upset that even those with the HOPE bumper stickers and Obama mugs are saying he hasn't done enough yet. Guess what? He told us repeatedly when he took office, and even in the campaign, that there would not be a quick fix, one hour photo solution to our problems, and that things would probably get worse before they got better.
Therefore, please have the HOPE that Obama instilled during the campaign, and give the guy a chance. I am trying to make the best of my situation, and everyone else needs to do that too. These are dark times for our country, but it could also very easily be our finest hour. It is critical that we band together and support the leadership in Washington. If we do not, and succumb to negativity and in-fighting, we will never know how much good could have been done. Barack Obama deserves the opportunity to make things right, and even though it will take time, I know it will be worth the wait.