Watching the rapturous faces of the huge crowds gathered for the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th president of the United States, and the celebrations, I couldn't help thinking that Americans were expecting too much ; if the rest of the world expecting too much.
As I watched the proceedings - including the balls that Obama and his wife attended, the gushing commentaries of political pundits and presenters, and the almost adultory opinions of ordinary Americans on CNN and BBC in my shop - I heard myself exclaimed : "Awesome".
Yes, it was awesome.
That the son of a black man and a white woman could become the president of the most powerful nation in the world speaks volumes for the maturity of the United States and its people. From almost nowhere, Obama is now here-the leader of the world's superpower. It is bound to inspire people everywhere, not just in the US.
Moving with a remarkable dignity, he exudes a confidence and serenity that seem to say : Yes, you can trust me.
Yes, I think, we are expecting too much of this man. We can have high hopes but we should temper our expectations.
It was not too long ago that George W.Bush took his oath of office for the first term (on Jan 20, 2001), promising to, "show purpose without arrogance".He leaves office with the US entangled in two wars and facing a crippling economic crisis. Bush said " I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity". Americans are glad his second term has ended.
We must remember too that Obama has hardly any experience in governance.
But, Obama knows that expectations are high. That explains his call to Americans to take responsibility and to work with the government. Especially, in the short speeches he made when participating in the 10 balls after the oath-taking ceremony.
He tried to dampen the exceedingly high expectations by saying in his inauguration speech, that the many serious challenges facing the nation would "not be met easily or in a short span of time".
As a Malaysian weary of American's unilateralism under Bush, I am latching on this statement of Obama :
"And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that the America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more".
His speech echoed sentiments expressed by several past presidents. For instance, Obama's call to Americans to take reponsibility and to be service-oriented resonates in Franklin D.Roosevelt's March 4, 1933 speech. John F.Kennedy, to whom Obama is often compared, said in his inauguration speech : "In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than in mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course."
Obama's "remaking America" call finds paralles in Bill Clinton's Jan 20, 1993, presidential inauguration speech: "And so today, we pledge and end to era of deadlock and drift; a new season of American renewal has begun".
But I get the feeling that Americans and most of the rest of the world want Obama to succeed in remaking America.
For the world does not seem as bright as before, with armed conflicts raging in various regions and economic crisis threatening to plunge more people into poverty. And there seems to be a sapping of the human spirit, resulting from man's increasing inhumanity to man.
In such a scenario, many see the eloquent and charismatic Obama as an Ivanhoe or Spiderman or Superman. Or, the Dark Knight perhaps ?
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