The only way President-elect Barack Obama can expect to live up to the hopes invested in him is to r [...]…

This is interesting:
“Politicians usually shy away from asking the people for help to create a better society and nation because polls and advisers tell them to seek popularity rather than sticking to principle.”

I've been thinking about this in terms of the environment (getting everyone to do their part), enery, and most recently with the economy. I think it's really sad that politicians seem to think the American people are unwilling to do our part. Especially in times of crisis, I think we all look to how we can be part of the solution, and we look to a leader to tell us how to help. I remember after 9-11, every American was looking to President Bush, a leader who at the time still had a great deal of clout with the public, to tell us what we could do, how we could help. Now, granted, that didn't work out so well, as he told us that we needed to get riled up and angry, accept deep cuts into our personal liberties, and to go shopping. The point is, we did exactly what he told us to. Boy, did we ever.

I think we're now in another position where we know we're in crisis, and we want to be part of the solution, we're ready again do our part under the direction of a leader. This is why I think Obama will be ok asking us to sacrifice things for the greater good, at least most of us.