Pre-Ramble: The Inauguration of Barack Obama will be remembered as a profoundly significant event. The crowd, the security, the cold, the ceremony, the oath, the speech, the message, the flags, the cheers, the tears, the poem, the daughters, the dignitaries, the stars, the song, the invocation, the parade, the ball, the dress, the dance - a crescendo of pageantry ushering our rock-star, superhero, champion-of-all-things-good-and-noble across America and into the White House. A dizzying spectacle of patriotic pride and unity unparalleled in the history of our country.

No pressure there. In a gasp to manage expectations, the newly elected president tempers his much-anticipated Inaugural Address with the recognition that exceedingly hard work awaits us in the days and weeks ahead, stressing that “the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many… “  He acknowledges as well that these challenges “will not be met easily or in a short span of time.” Once in the White House, the anointed leader finds his way to the Oval Office, unpacks his pencils, and looks to an exhaustive list of to-dos. He signs a series of executive orders designed to make a clean and intentional break from “business as usual” and establish a “shovel-ready” tone around his transition effort. Sure – smart, strategic, prudent.

But no! Even before the last Inaugural port-o-potty has rolled off the National Mall, journalists are already ambushing the President in the press room, and giddy critics scrutinize the fall-out from Week One. Week One!? Apparently, some of the new president’s most ardent supporters already feel “let down”… It has been only two-and-a-half months since Mr. Obama was elected, but his Yes We Can coalition is already “fraying at the edges...,”… “Mr. Obama’s willingness to adapt carries the risk that he will either alienate his liberal base or fail to convert Republicans whose support he hopes to win…,” … Critics warn that the White House must “follow up their words with real behavior“…

OH, FOR PETE’S SAKE!  We just elected this guy! Less than a week ago he was the symbol of national unity, charged with Camelot magic, and gazing into the eyes of his best girl on the dance floor. What happened to the honeymoon? The First Hundred Days? Where is the “transition” part? In so short a time, how can President Obama be anywhere within lobbying distance of “frayed,” “alienating,” or “failure to act”? Hold on to that last port-o-potty, I’ll show those early detractors “shovel ready.”

The Take-Away: GET REAL - AND GET THE HECK OFF MY CLOUD! I’m not ready to give up the energy and spirit of the hope-driven, love-fest that was/is the Obama promise. I still want the counterveiling force of competency and change that Obama represents in the face of political corruption, dismal economic indicators, and daily bomb blasts in the Middle East. I still want to feel good about where the nation is heading; where the world is heading. I still want to think that we can do better that what we’ve been doing for the past eight years. I want to give this fresh new administration a chance. It is beyond premature to be calling this game.

Post Note: The song “Get Off My Cloud“ was written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger of the British rock band, The Rolling Stones, in expression of their aversion to people’s unrealistic expectations of them following the hugely popular hit song “Satisfaction.”

Pre-Ramble: With the inauguration of Barack Obama just a day away, I wanted to post something relevant and meaningful; something that would invoke the significance of this historic event. I’d like to be able to articulate some eloquent angle on Abraham Lincoln, or wax poetic on Yale professor, Elizabeth Alexander, who has been commissioned to compose and read a poem for the inauguration … but all I can think of is President-elect Obama going in all net on a one-handed leaner. And I am certainly not the only one thinking about this; sports writers and gym rats everywhere have been celebrating the significance of a commander-in-chief who has ”got game.” (Caution: short, white girl chucking up quasi-hip/hackneyed basketball references ahead. If I start using terms like rock, pill, brick, paint, skates, cookies, or “That’s yo aaaassss Mr. Postmaaaaannn,” just shut me down.)

The special bond shared by the weekend basketball warrior hits particularly close to home; my husband plays pick-up games at the local “Y” whenever he can. Known as “old school” by the young punks at the gym, he takes great pride in hauling himself up and down the floor with kids half his age. As he bounds out the door in his sweats, I implore him to play nice with the other kids and not to rip out his already threadbare ACL. 

As Washington dusted off its pre-inaugural high tops last week, the NY Times Style section ran the headline, “Rule No. 1: Do Not Call Him ‘Ball-Hog-in-Chief,” and our own St. Paul Pioneer Press declared incoming President Obama, “Hoopster-in-Chief,“ tagging him, “Barack Slamma Jamma Obama.”  Ok, whatever.  Actually, any individual who can demonstrate a passion for Abraham Lincoln, appoint an inaugural poet, and bust a few moves in a game of pick-up basketball has got my respect and allegiance.  As I think about it, the basketball analogy may be ideally suited to the profound and demanding challenges which will face our nation and its leader in the months ahead. Let’s face it, it is highly doubtful that W will be able to crank up a three-pointer at the buzzer to pull us out of this mess.

But here’s the thing: Barack Obama has shown that he is a principled, articulate and strategic individual, but even on his best day there is no way that he is going to be able to carry all 300 million of us on his back for the next four to eight years. We’re headed into the biggest pick-up game of our lives – picking up the pieces of the last eight years – and whether you voted for him or not, each one of us has got to bring our “A” game to the very serious issues that face our country. Former secretary of state, Colin Powell describes our call to action this way:

While government has a role to play in restoring the American dream at home and rekindling the dream that is America abroad, there are limits to its ability to restore our sense of purpose as a nation. That task falls to us. Particularly in hard times like these, we are charged with living up to our shared responsibility to one another [and to our country]. This is not a time to retreat into our homes and wait until it is safe to emerge. It is the time to give more, to step forward and serve our fellow citizens, and to reach into the reservoir of this nation’s unrivaled capacity for good… At a time when so many of our countrymen are in need, everyone has the power to help.

Coaching Tip: Without trivializing this very significant moment, what we need here is the ultimate “alley-oop.”  The alley-oop is an offensive play in which a player throws the ball near the hoop to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid-air, and scores a basket, usually with a slam dunk (think North Carolina State in the 1983 national championship).  The alley-oop combines elements of teamwork, passing, timing, and dunking – perfect for meeting the challenges we will face in the weeks, months, and years ahead. And I’m sure we can all think of some folks on the national political scene who could use a good dunking.

The Take-Away: President-elect Obama has appointed many high-quality players to his cabinet, but ultimately, we are the national dream team that he will need to drive meaningful change. Unlike a scrappy pick-up game, there’s no room for cheap shots and trash-talk - we need to suit up and step up. It’s game time.

Pre-Ramble: Minnesota Musical Chairs is a game played by a group of people (usually children or senators) often in an informal setting, like Congress. The game starts with two candidates and one U.S. Senate seat. Local election officials recount ballots and attorneys for each player issue statements to the press while the candidates circle the contested seat.  When election officials stop counting, the players scramble for the nearest bank of microphones. The first one to declare himself the winner is free to assume that he will be seated as the junior senator from Minnesota, while the one left out begins legal proceedings. Everyone gets cupcakes while a special three-judge panel examines “inconsistencies” and “irregularities” and then the game begins again.

Minnesota Musical Chairs goes on until one candidate can no longer afford the gigantic legal bills, both candidates are declared complete idiots by their constituents, or mom steps in and sends everybody home.

Note: A similar game is played in Illinois called Monkey-in-the-Middle. Also played out in the media, it involves a corrupt, foul-mouthed Governor, a bunch of riled-up senators, and a blind-sided former Illinois Attorney General. 

The Take-Away: Party on!

There’s going to be a new puppy in the White House! 

The Pre-Ramble: Yup – President Elect Obama told those darling daughters, Sasha and Malia, that they could have a new puppy when they got to the White House. He said it out loud in front of a couple million people, so there’s really no turning back.

The tradition of pets in the White House began with George Washington who apparently received a dog named “Vulcan” as a gift from Revolutionary War hero, Marguis de Lafayette. Most recently, of course, George W’s “Barney” graced the White House lawn … preceeded by the Clinton’s “Buddy” … and before that, Barbara Bush’s best-selling author, “Millie.” Other lessor known first canines include Herbert Hoover’s “King Tut,” Richard Nixon’s “Checkers,” Jimmy Carter’s “Grits” and James Garfield’s ”Veto.” Margaret Truman had an Irish Setter named “Mike.”

The Possibilities: This begs the question, what kind of dog will be appointed to the 44th Presidential Household? Have potential candidates been campaigning for the position? Patriotic Pet Tricks, perhaps? Do we bring in 10 or 20 dogs and vote one off every week? Somehow, I’m not seeing Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and despite the charming literary characterization of “Karl the Dog,” a big ol’ rottweiler doesn’t feel right either. A Rhodesian ridgeback would cut a fine figure around the White House, and bred to tree lions out on safari, they could work foreign affairs when needed (think Medvedev out on a limb in the Rose Garden). The smart and agile border collie could run back and forth across the aisle, herding all manner of stray creatures. A fiesty, cute-as-a-button beagle would bring a lot of energy to the party, but the howling and barking every time the doorbell rings may grow tiresome. A couple of labs and a tennis ball would have a field day on the National Mall and could shred documents in their down time. The downside here is, while labs are rambunctiously wonderful, they have a knack for getting into the trash. The last thing we need is coffee grounds and bacon grease all over the oval office.

Clearly, there are a number of appealing options. According to a report by the BBC, Michelle Obama is advocating for a rescue animal and a recent survey by the American Kennel Club selected a “pedigree poodle” for the First Family. Tamar Geller, a California-based celebrity dog life-coach, “is confident that the Obamas will choose a rescue dog.” (For my tax dollars, a “celebrity dog life-coach” makes Sarah Palin’s Neiman Marcus tab look pretty tame.) Early polling shows that the Obama’s dog may, in fact, be a rescue “goldendoodle” – a non-shedding part golden retriever, part poodle, meaning less likelihood of allergens for sensitive humans and less fur flying in Air Force One. 

The Take-Away: There’s no real take-away from this little romp; the good news is there’s probably already a doggie-door in the White House and enough room in the federal budget for a bonus bag of rawhide bones. Whatever the top choice, we’ll want to vet the options thoroughly to make sure there are no scandals buried out back. I’d also strongly recommend beefing up security with an Invisible Fence. Daisy received a zapper collar for Christmas last year (see above) and has not roamed out of the yard since. (I’m thinking that this may have been useful during the Clinton administration, although a rolled up newspaper to the snout may have been just as effective… on Bill, not Buddy - you should never hit a dog with a newspaper.)

The Pre-Ramble: Just one more day until it’s officially time to vote. Phew!  It would be an understatement to say that this election season has been a unique and wild ride. Campaigns have been playing the ultimate game of political dodgeball as new personalities, technologies, and formats force candidates to engage with John and Jane Q. Public in new and unconventional ways.

Ever since 1992, when Slick Willy played “Heartbreak Hotel” on his golden ax on The Arsenio Hall Show, the self-important traditional media has increasingly found themselves standing on the sidelines as Comedy Central and Late Night serve up the candidates’ latest spin. Spit-polished political hopefuls squirm in their chairs alongside the night’s Top Ten and hot young actress du jour, trying to engage the viewing electorate with clever self-effacing banter. Forget Charlie Gibson - candidates are chewing their nails in the green room waiting to test their metal in a verbal cage match with the gals on The View. (I’ve never actually seen The View, but from what I’ve heard, it sounds like a pretty scary scenario.) And,“Live, from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”  … These words, spoken at the end of the coveted SNL opening skit, are now the solid gold standard for political street cred. This season everyone from Hillary Clinton to Sarah Palin has appeared on the show. Frankly, some of the candidates play better than others in the hip, “watch-me-make-an-ass-out-of-myself” venue. One of the candidates, who shall remain nameless (and likely un-inaugurated), came across significantly older and less presidential than he might have imagined.  

The Point: In addition to the entertainment factor, what I like most about this political season, that seems different from years past, is that somewhere along the line someone gave us all permission to drop the ton of political apathy that was hanging around our collective psyche and let us be genuinely excitied about the political process. Commentator/comedian D.L. Hughley and his guest, the Reverend Al Sharpton, sat on CNN the other night talking about how historic and giddy the whole thing really is. This year there is a palpable sense of energy and unity, a kind of pride in our country and the possibility for real change that hasn’t been out there in a long time (if ever). 

An article on the front page of Sunday’s New York Times (11/2/08) describes the new brand of engagement with the political process, “… Across the country, black men and women who have long been disaffected, apolitical, discouraged or just plain bored with politics say they have snapped to attention this year.” Sure, there’s the black/white thing, but it feels like way more than that.  Among the folks interviewed in the article, Brooklyn bartender, Timothy Hairston, 47, who has never voted before put it this way,

“I wanted to be a part of a historical moment…to say that I was an active participant as opposed to someone on the sidelines rooting for change but not involved in the process of making change. I think it’s a testament to [Barack's] campaign that he can inspire. At the end of the day, no matter what party you vote for, I think every once in a while there are inspirational moments that call for people to wake up from their deep sleep and become involved.” 

No matter your political stripes, this election is about something fundamental to our heritage as Americans. The tone of this election invites every American to reengage with their civic privilege and responsibility. It invites us to step up, individually and collectively, to be engaged, to do what we can given our gifts, to make our community, our country, and our world a better place. Most of all, it inspires individuals to take themselves, their lives, and the potential they have, the inherent right that they have to a point of view, seriously. This election invites every American to take action, to lift up their voice and reach for the hopes and dreams they have for themselves and for their children. This election represents a new patriotism for a new time.

The Take-Away: It is an honor and a privilege (and unbelievably awesome) to be able to stand among our fellow Americans at this decisive moment in history and have a role to play in the outcome.

Nuff said (I’m getting a little bit of vertigo up here on the soapbox…) – LET’S GO VOTE!