Thoughts on Our New President, His Inauguration, and Leaning Away from Extreme Views

The 44th President of the United States was sworn in this past week. His inauguration reached epic proportions leaving some to wonder if this was the President or Elvis resurrecting from the dead. A Woodstock-esque atmosphere in D.C. Tuesday served to remind all of us that America seems, at least in the broadest terms, to be happy again.

I didn't vote for him. In the summer I voted for Mike Huckabee in the primary, and then for John McCain in the November election. However, that's not to assume that McCain would have been my first choice. I don't think he was for many conservative Republicans. We simply didn't want a liberal in office. Unfortunately for us, most of America did.

That said, I'm not prepared to bash our new president. It will certainly take getting used to, saying President Obama when for 8 years we've had the name Bush following that prestigious title. I cannot say I agree with all of Obama's ideals and philosophies. However, I cannot attempt to say the man does not have the best interests of America and it's citizens at heart.

The biggest issue I've had with Obama's campaign and inauguration was actually not related to Barack Obama himself. It has to do with America's reaction to him (midly put), or in reality, their nauseating love affair with him.

It's easy to point fingers at the media, but they're the main ones to blame for a nation so hell-bent on crucifying former President Bush that they abandoned journalistic integrity to disgrace a man that was simply trying to do the same thing that President Obama is: making the USA a better place to live.

We've seen only negative images of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We don't see the schools being built, communities thriving, and lives being saved. We're told to view Bush as a tyrant, a vllainous fool who's love of oil fuels his greed and motivates his brash decisions. We're told Bush is to blame for the economy, despite mountains of evidence pointing towards the greed of business men and poor policies enacted by previous presidents. We're told Bush is to blame for Hurrican Katrina, that it's his fault 2,000 lives were lost, and not anyone at the local or state government in Louisiana.

And to think, America used to not be this ignorant.

President Obama has all the makings of a great president. He's young and energetic, much like John Kennedy or Teddy Roosevelt. He speaks as well as any leader we've ever known. He comes across as calm, cool, and collected. He's got a beautiful family, one sure to be adored by Americans over the next 4 years. But the question is can he lead a nation?

I would implore fellow Christian conservatives to end the hate-fest. We have a new president. He may not be who you voted for, but for the next 4 years, Barack Obama is your president. I'm not his biggest fan, but I'll certainly support him as he leads our nation.

At the end of the day, he's just a president. Our authority goes much higher than the Oval Office. Derek Webb says it best: "My first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man. My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood. It's to a King and a Kingdom."