November 4, 2008….a day that I will forever remember. I will remember where I was, who I was with, what my sentiments were. But more than anything, I will remember the feelings of awe, pride, and sorrow. I had no doubt in my mind that our new President-Elect, Barack Obama, could take this election. However, it still was not real until I saw the words flash across the CNN screen. And at that moment, my heart filled up and bubbled over with excitement. While November 4th was a historic day because we elected our first African American president, I hope America can see that it was so much more than that. People of all races, nations, backgrounds, and social status united for a few moments in time to elect a new leader. Children of both genders and all backgrounds will grow up with the realization that they really can achieve anything they put their mind too.
After leaving an election watch party, I journeyed to the Square for a quick celebration. It was there that I noticed the long faces of some obvious McCain supporters. While listening to the coverage and talking with friends, I was asked by a McCain supporter who I voted for. Upon replying, Barack, the guy yells…Are you Crazy?! Not even for thirty minutes could I fully enjoy the moment of having voted in such a historic election for a man and family who stands for so much.

While I could write all day about my emotions and what President Obama stands for, I will leave you with just a few thoughts. First, I hope people look not just at the fact that an African American man is president, but that a new man has taken office. I hope that the American people hold Obama to his promises and polices and notice that it will take time to clean up the mess that has been left. Oprah summed it up best with her quote, “I feel that anything is possible.” I was sent an email this morning with an insert from Judges 4:4-6. This moment was written, history has been made. Regardless to whether you are Red or Blue, it is time for us to work with our new president in order to rebuild an America that we can all be proud of!

The next president assuredly faces many daunting challenges in the next four years, only a handful of which were addressed by Holbrooke in his article, which, by the way, was extremely biased in my not-at-all-expert opinion. However, many of the issues he addressed will be a major focus and should be carefully considered.
Iraq is a huge issue, and one of the biggest administrative disasters of the Bush era. A withdrawal is necessary, but should not occur all at once. Now that we have been asked to leave, and Iraq feels it can handle itself, I feel that we should bow out. It is no longer our battle (if it ever was) and our time there should now come to an end.
Green energy is also a large focus, and neither of the candidates are as strong as I would like to see. Emily made a great point in her blog concerning Al Gore. We most assuredly would not be in the position we are today if he had been elected. The United States would be a greener country and the better for it. I'm not saying I would have voted for Gore solely on his environmental platform, I was far too young to vote anyway, but he had a good vision for this countries environmental progress and the next president should definitely take that into account.
Our presence in Afghanistan should also be addressed. Americans are still angry about September 11, even if they are not as vocal about it as before. Continued presence in Afghanistan would not raise the kind of outcry that the same in Iraq would create. Furthermore, relations between the U.S. and the Middle East must be carefully analyzed. Yes, Muslim extremists exist, but the U.S. has allowed a view of the Muslim world to remain in our country that is deeply biased and a negative representation of what the majority of Muslim people are about. Yes, jihadists and Muslim extremists exist. No they do not accurately represent the whole of the Muslim world.
Finally, we must consider the lack of U.S. assistance in Africa. It seems to me that the United States is willing to fight the battles of some nations in the name of Democracy, but unwilling to stop slaughters in others (Rwanda, Sudan, Darfur). And while I am not calling for U.S. involvement, it does seem necessary to me that the U.S. establish a foreign policy and stick with it, not just fight the battles that will benefit them the most in the long run.
The next president faces many obstacles and many decisions. It is a job that I would never want to have, and a responsibility that I could never handle. I only hope that the candidate that wins the election is fully prepared for the situation they will enter and has a good head on their shoulders.