17People Returns,,, Cynically

Had two conversations this morning that surprised people.

Here they are...

1st:

"Did you watch the festivities yesterday?" a co-worker asked me this morning.

"Yeah, those were two good games and that Ravens-Steelers game was outstanding," I responded.

"Ugh,,,, I meant the Obama Inaugural deal they had yesterday on HBO," he responded.

2nd:

"I thought you'd be heading to DC for the inauguration this week. Are you taking tomorrow off to watch it right," a co-worker asked.

"Uhh, no. Not worth the day off to watch and not worth the money to go," I responded.

So by no means am I surprised by either of these questions or conversations, but my responses really seemed to surprise my co-workers.

While there are many metaphors made,,, politics is not sports. The big events are all we see in politics,, but the truth is the real moves are made behind closed doors. Where the money is spent or how the laws are written are never seen by the public.

As a country we get too lost in things like debates, speeches, or pep rallies.

This is the part of politics that really irritates me.

Worthless pageantry like concerts are all fluff.

While I'll sound like a total cynic,, I don't care what school Sasha and Malia are going to or what Church the Obama's are attending in DC or what celebrities are attending the inauguration or inauguration Balls.

I don't care about any of it. I don't care what Obama says tomorrow and I don't care about how 'historic' the moment is.

These are unprecedented times and the country action and results. We now need our government to get its act together and figure out a way to stabilize our economy.

And to be honest, I hope that President Obama doesn't care about it either.

Like many Americans I am more uneasy about my future than ever before. I worry about losing my job and then not being able to pay my rent. It could happen as easily as my company losing a major account, not because we lost the business, but because our customer is cutting back or declared bankruptcy.

On Friday I came across an article which to me encapsulated just how scary our current economic situation. It isn't written by an economist offering theories of a 'doomsday' or 'depression' scenario. Instead it just listed companies that were laying people off. It wasn't just the auto industry, or the banking industry as we have come to expect. It was over 20 companies,, some of which are the best known companies in the world.

Hell, if Google, GE, Pfizer, and Halliburton are laying people off,,, then any company could be in the same situation.

Here's the deal,, I am proud to have voted for, supported, and worked to get Barack Obama elected. I think he has handled the transition exceptionally well and has assembled a first rate team. I believe in him now as strong as I did when I voted for him.

Yet, believing in him or thinking he is brilliant is not enough for me.

I am not part of a cultish group who thinks that the mere presence of Barack Obama is going to fix the country. He isn't a messiah, he isn't a savior. He is a smart guy who is about four years removed from being a State Senator from the South Side of Chicago.

Now he is facing the hardest job in the world, in some of the most trying times in generations. It isn't enough to 'hope' he is the right guy for the job,, he damn well better be the right person for the job.

I'm ready for the 'pageantry' to be over and for our 'lame duck government' to do it's job and work for the American people.

Bottom line, it's time to put up or shut up.