The victory of Barrack Obama in the 2008 presidential elections signaled, for many people, the dawning of a new progressive era in American politics. The slogans, “change” and “hope,” were recognized and welcomed by diverse sections of U.S. society – especially after eight years of Republican dominance in Washington. Now that Obama is in the driver’s seat of the most powerful nation on Earth, the question is, where do we go from here?
With less than a month to go for the Bush administration, the eyes of the world will necessarily gravitate toward “hope for change” president-elect Barrack Obama to “sort out” everything from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the global economy, all the way up to the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. But how will the incoming Obama administration, which the majority of individuals on the American Left still maintain confidence in, face its first unexpected and undesired major challenge?
It is readily apparent that the majority of individuals who consider themselves as part of the Left are throwing their support behind the Democratic Party and Barrack Obama. It is certainly understandable why progressive Left forces in the United States support Obama’s run for the presidency. The Bush administration has, undoubtedly, made it relatively easy for the Democratic Party to return to political prominence. The concern, however, is that many on the Left still continue to have faith that an Obama presidency will change the economic and political landscape in the United States.