A PUMA Christmas

In a holiday letter, one of those newsy “this is what we did all year” things, a friend gave thanks that we now have a president coming who “really cares about people”.

I found that stunning. Does she think that Bush doesn’t care about people? Or that Clinton didn’t care about people? Or Bush Sr.? Reagan? Carter?

What I want for Christmas is for sanity to return to the Obama faithful. Obama is just a man, not the Savior, not someone special, different, or transcendent. Yet the expectations are beyond high – they are over the freakin’ top.

Until they can talk about him in something other than hushed and reverent tones, or strident assertions of his unique and dazzling (fill in the blank), the real problems we face can’t be addressed. They are so sure that by the end of his first day in office he will have rolled back the tide of economic disaster, unemployment, diminished stature in the world, and the escalating consequences of two wars of invasion.

I don’t share their confidence, yet I do hope Obama cares about regular Americans and looks out for our interests rather than the interests of Wall Street and Big Business that financed his campaign. Unfortunately, I’ve seen little evidence that he does. I’ve heard words. I’ve seen slogans and photo-ops. Only time will tell whether my starry-eyed friend knows something I don’t.

Merry Christmas to all of us in PUMA-land. Prayers go out to Betty Jean and her family. May the holiday season shine light upon the joy in your life and bring you peace.