Congratulations, President-Elect Obama

Congratulations to my fellow Columbia Poli-Sci/IR graduate. I hope.

Socially, there is much symbolic good in Senator Obama's election. Regardless of whether he turns out to be an effective president, his election is an important historic step for our society.

As far as the job, the next president, like the current president, has great challenges to navigate our nation through, both at home and abroad. President Bush is a good man who held the reins as well he could, better than I think most people give him credit for. Bush had the right qualities for what was needed from his office on 9/11. President-elect Obama, potentially, has the right qualities for the next stage. Now that Obama will be assuming the office, I hope very much he will transcend his leftist background and radical associations and become the President we need now. We know his impressive personal qualities, but we do not yet know him. The best thing I've heard said about him is that he's ambitious and pragmatic, which I hope to mean he will rise to the job we've hired him to do.

On an issue closer to my heart, I hope President-elect Obama means ROTC will come back to Columbia.

Eric