For Barack Obama: The real fight begins now

Stealing the election away from an eminent Republican politician is only the beginning for Barack Obama. Yes, he deserves props for going from virtually unknown to worldwide phenomenon in under two years, and for suspending doubts about his relatively limited experience. He even deserves kudos for shattering the racial barrier that has plagued this country for centuries, but the truth remains that these obstacles are tiny in comparison to what Obama now faces.

As president-elect, Obama faces three immediate challenges: confronting the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression, determining what to do in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and leading his party and the nation, who expect that the change he’s promised come now.

Add to this the reality that Obama must take these on with no room in the budget and a rather bleak backdrop: Unemployment is currently at 6.1% and is expected to rise as high as 7.5% by this same time next year. Wary consumers aren’t borrowing or spending much, sending retail and the real estate market into further financial crisis. Homes are foreclosing left and right. And, seven years into the war on terror, more than 180,000 troops remain in Iraq and Afghanistan. And since the president in power always suffers when the economy tanks, chances are Obama will be blamed for recession woes despite the fact that he inherited the mess from Bush.

To say that Obama’s got some Goliath-size hurdles to overcome is an understatement, but he must still lay the path in which our country will head, stone by jagged stone. The country is waiting with baited breath to see when, how and if Obama will fulfill all the promises he made while campaigning for the most powerful position in the world.

Unfortunately for Obama, coming in with a big victory in no way guarantees success or longstanding popularity. Voters took a chance on a relative newcomer to the national stage, and they have very high expectations of this 47-year-old black man from Chicago. Only time will tell if he will be able to live up to them. The world is watching.