free speech, but for a price

i got a 75 on this in my public affairs class. of course. the assignment was an opinion piece, but clearly i was supposed to use someone else's opinion.

Change has been his motto, and subsequently throughout the last year and a half, the majority of the country has jumped onto President-elect Barack Obama’s bandwagon.

It is nearly inevitable his inauguration speech will mimic the same theme, addressing the last eight years of so-called failed leadership and promising revolutionary actions. He will advocate for the American dream and vow to give every American the opportunity to achieve their dreams. His pledge to resolve the economic crisis will be empowering and optimistic. The nation will be relieved that finally, finally, there is a leader that will make the right changes.

But it won’t be the first time.

Coming out of the Vietnam War and Watergate, America was needful of something fresh and new. It needed a leader who was honest and intelligent, willing to restructure the country into the greatness it was known for. In came Jimmy Carter. A Georgia governor with minimal national and foreign-policy experience, his ideals of change alleviated the nation’s anxiety that had built up over the last few years. He pledged to create jobs, albeit by increasing federal spending. In his inauguration speech, he addressed the American dream.

“The American dream endures,” Carter said. “We must once again have full faith in our country and in one another. I believe America can be better. We can be even stronger than before. … These are not just my goals, and they will not be my accomplishments, but the affirmation of our Nation's continuing moral strength and our belief in an undiminished, ever-expanding American dream.”

But it didn’t take long for Carter’s approval rating to drop dramatically. His failed attempts to deal with an Iranian seizure as well as U.S. economic problems consequently flushed his popularity.

Although the Obama-infatuated country may refuse to see it, the president-elect is not exempt from the risk of failure – especially with the tremendous platform of change he has promised America, which he will likely reinforce during his inaugural speech.

The risk has nothing to do with Obama as an individual, except perhaps that he has vowed things he may not be capable of delivering. It is, however, his appeal to such great change that the country now expects. It may be that once he doesn’t perform like he said he would, his popularity may be drowned, just as Carter’s.

Think of the powerful, patriotic words President George W. Bush spoke during his post-Sept. 11 speech in 2001. The country was on his side ready to “make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.”

Eight years later, that same country despises their once-adored leader and condemns the actions of security measures, like wiretapping.

Unfortunately, those are the results of a free nation, and that is the risk Obama takes by making such big promises of change during his campaign and his inaugural address. With good fortune, he’ll thrive and go down in history books as one of the biggest presidential success stories of all time. But it is likely he will make mistakes, as do all leaders good and bad, and those once adoring fans will turn on him as they have his predecessors.

Nevertheless, the soon-to-be President will inevitably deliver a typical Obama speech during his inauguration that will knock the socks off the nation, if not the world. It will be a message representative of the powerful and persuasive orator he has proven to be throughout his campaign. It can be assumed, with regard to his previous speeches, that he will not imitate George Washington’s second inaugural address, which was a whopping 652 words.

But whatever Obama brings, whether it be a simple smile or an all-day event, it is sure to be unforgettable. It will be a day America will remember forever.