So I began reading this article sitting in a tall, comfy chair, pen in hand, ready. Ready to read and expand my political cannon of knowledge, albiet forcibly by the hands of necessity innately related to class requirements. In the introduction the job of the next president was outlined saying,"his core challenge will be nothing less than to re-create a sense of national purpose and strength,after a period of drift, decline and disasterous mistakes." Now the last part is debatable, as most things in politics are, but basically I agree with the guy. The next president has a complex job to step into, one that I do not envy, and whether you believe in the power of prayer or even prayer at all, one that needs many prayers and often. If there was a mission statement for the new president's role in defining a vision and plan for the United States, I believe that Holbrooke wrote a sufficient outline when he said that it, "must be based on its enduring national interests, its values, and a realistic assessment of its capabilities and priorities, not even the most powerful nation can shape every event and issue according to its own preferences." My favorite is the last part, mainly because it rings the truest. The once irrefutable world power, the United States, is becoming somewhat refutable especially with " the greatest transfer of wealth from one nation to another in history," pertaining to oil , but transcending to power because as we all know and Holbrooke even alludes, money means power and ability to throw political, religious, and social weight around.Therefore our new leader must be capable of defining American values and determining how to integrate that into foreign policy and relations. Not every country will be ruled democratically, nor think or agree with ours. The next president must realize that you must play in the game you are in, not sit on the bench and watch the other one. In closing Holbrooke said that we are not in dire trouble, we are and still will be the worlds leader, but it will only stay that way through smart choices by the next president.