Don't let your guard down

Obama will be the next president of the United States. This is certain. Or at least I hope it is. But we cant simply forget the last 8 years, and more importantly, we cannot forget the last 50. Obama has already been called "the new Reagan" and if that's true, he is soon to be the most polarizing president in the history of the United States. The election was far from a landslide, a 3 percent difference. 3 million people. Half of the country down there doesn't want Obama to represent them. There will be tension, there will be horrible things said, racism will become a new issue in the forefront of our minds.

We also cannot forget that Obama is a religious man. He's a step away from the evangelical policies, true, but he is not a secular man. I hope he, being by far the most secular since... well since Clinton, we'll see some more progression in the school systems and text book authorities, but we must never let that thought leave our mind.

We must also not forget that he is an American president. He is not a representative of the world. He is going to fix his country first, most likely at the detriment of Canada's economy and welfare. Maybe even at the expense of Mexico. We may see a shift away from a strong united North America through free trade to a more globally minded trade system.

Regardless, be vigilant and never forget that yes, this is a significant day for change politics, but simply being a dynamic leader of a large government is not enough. All those people we hated with Bush are still in middle management, in the CIA, the FBI, the NSA, the school boards. New face, yes. New body, no. In the spirit of this blog, embrace and celebrate this man's journey, but do not let your guard down.