President Barack Obama’s Transition - “Are We There Yet”

The entire country’s aware that President Barack Obama’s transition as the 44^th President of the United States must work smoothly because of the state of the economy and the state of foreign policy. This is not the first time in history where the transition of executive power had to work swiftly with the public resonance of “Are we there yet?” A quick glance through the pages of history reveals that President Abraham Lincoln because of the rapid secessions of southern states had to position his “Team of Rivals” expeditiously after James Buchanan left presidential office. The Great Depression that began while Herbert Hoover was President was a major political issue that necessitated for the fast transition of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt into Presidency.

How is the Presidency of Barack Obama succeeding with the transition of power? The problems that President Barack Obama faces do not pale in its comparison with bringing the north and the south together and the Great Depression of the 1930’s. President Barack Obama will have to appoint up to 4,000 political workers to help him with the complexities of transitioning into the Presidency. One thousand of these appointees will have to be confirmed by the United States Senate. So far, only one appointee has stepped down from his appointment because of the FBI’s scrutiny of his public record. The Chief of Staff gave President Obama a bit of resistance playing hard to get but finally consented to his post. Hilary Clinton has been confirmed as Secretary of State but there were a cloud of conflict of interest because of her liaison with former President Clinton. With the appointment of Hilary Clinton, the American people realize that President Obama is clearly following President Lincoln by choosing from a team of rivals.

As televised on C-Span and the national television networks President Obama shook hands and hugged appointee after appointee in confirmation of thousands of political appointments needed for the transition. President Obama has already been tested by proactively announcing the cabinet members giving Americans first class seats as TV viewers President Barack Obama knew that foreign leaders see America as vulnerable while the transition process was proceeding and wanted to get the task accomplished as efficiently and expeditiously as possible. Immediately after his acceptance speech at Grant Park in Chicago, President Obama began the decision making process of assembling the Obama administration team. Are we there yet? Roll down your car door window and take in the clean refreshing air of hope and change for America. Then roll up both of your shirt sleeves and get ready to serve your community, your city and your country. What you do for America has a lot to do with answering the question, “Are we there yet?” As President Barack Obama quoted “Our climb will be steep” but America, we as a people will get there.