antonia williams-gary.pngOh, the places you’ll go!  The lengths you’ll go to get there!  And the tools you’ll need to help!

These were some of my thoughts during the past week, post-debate drama-debacle, and the decomposition of the Obama myth.

Thank God he appeared as he is: weary from the world theater of our two wars, despondent over the unmanageable revolutions abroad, battle-fatigued from the skirmishes within Congress and, now, the unrelenting scavenger picking over every decision he has made as the leader of the county that leads the world. 

President Barack Obama has shown us that he has been working hard.
What a privilege to watch how he has carried us all this far.  With grace!  With class!

With dignity!  With such presidential aura. Is he through?  Finished? Does that one inconsequential loss of the first debate signal a wash out?  Can he answer the second bell?

These are some of the questions taking place around water coolers everywhere.
Barack Obama must be having the most dynamic internal dialogue since he made the final decision to actually run, and then win, the highest office of the land.

We all lifted our voices in praise of his victory — our victory — and gave a collective sigh of relief that he made it alive this far.

What next?  Could any man, no matter how strong, have been able to stand any taller against the raging winds and flood tides of ill will, hatred, disrespect and general beat down that Obama has had to withstand since January 2008?
Our three-branch government model prevents any one person from taking the absolute lead over the country.

Obama and every other president is only as good as the other two branches — the legislative and the judicial — allow  and we know how Obama has been hamstrung from day one.

However, in 2008, we were given hope and, in the beginning, our hopes ran very high over the promise of real change in America, one that would actually make us feel better.

I remain hopeful still but I have also lowered my expectations.  And I’m reminded by the lyric of the popular song: “It’s never as good as the first time.”

I don’t know about you but I have grown tired of the daily – no, hourly — analysis of every detail in support of or detraction from the statistical reports about the economy, number of jobs lost or gained, housing units started, bought and sold, babies born, mothers crying, white men losing money, etc.

What I know for sure is that Obama connects with me in a personal way. There is a sincerity in his voice. His eyes blink with emotion and wit. His swagger covers up an edgy bad boy trying hard to be good. And his show of love for his wife and family is infectious!

Yes, I like him. But I have had to temper my expectations to accept that this is not a one-man show and, also, that part of my responsibility in support of Obama is to make sure that at the local, state and congressional levels I continue to support candidates who operate from the same platform and policies so that the president won’t remain alone in his fight for what is good for me.

And, yes, I do believe he is doing what is good for me — for now and for my future.

So what is the POTUS going to do at the second bell?

I recommend the following:

• Get a makeup artist to remove those bags!
• Wear a man-corset that will force a straight stance.
• Put on thigh-high rubber boots under the suit pants to more easily step in the mess.
• Don’t leave home without the Posse, including the girls and mom-in-law.
• Smile, knowing that it will drive the opposition crazy to see you look comfortable under attack.
• And, finally, stick to the script of the winner: “Yes you can — do it again”! 

By the way, there is a new report that 25 percent of eligible voters are still not registered. Once again, I urge all to be sure your voter registration is current.  Help members of your immediate family register.

And please go to the polls in November and vote, vote, vote.

Antonia Williams-Gary may be reached at toniwg@bellsouth.net.