American Idol?

By all accounts, Barack Obama is entering the presidency with a very high approval rating and unparelled optimism and good wishes. But is he really that popular? Are our good wishes really for him because he is so deserving, or are our good wishes more for ourselves? Usually, when a president of an opposing party takes office, we don't tend to have high hopes for them nor do we particulary wish they will do well. Actually, we kind of hope they will fall flat on their stupid faces.
But this time, the economy of not only the US but also that of the world is so shaky and things are in such a state of disaray that we have little choice but to wish him well and have optimism. It doesn't have so much to do with our faith in him as a person but rather, we can't afford to wish him to fall flat.
If he DOESN'T do well, we all are personally affected. It's kind of like that situation where your office building is struck by an earthquake and collapses. You find yourself trapped in a pile of debris and can't get out. Not only are you trapped, so is your family who stopped by to visit and all your co-workers, your employer, etc who share the building with you. In the background, you hear sirens and the first responders arrive. After a lot of digging, the face of your rescurer appears. But you realize that instead of a seasoned fireman, it is the young stuttering idiot that lives next door who just joined the fire department last week. Still, he is your only chance. Are you going to complain or are you going to wish him well, hope he does a good job and at least try to have some optimisim that he can get you to safety? There is a big difference between saying this guy is our saviour and the smartest thing to ever hit the political scene or that he is the new affirmative action recruit and the only one skinny enough to climb through the debris to get to you. Personally, I am taking a wait and see attitude.