Dear Mr. President - A Letter to Barack Obama

Dear Mr. President,

First and foremost, I want to offer my congratulations on your new job.

Gathered among such a great crowd of witnesses, you have committed yourself to your country--to our country--in a remarkable capacity. Only 43 other men have served in this highest civilian calling; some of them are remembered with great admiration, some with disdain, and others forgotten, save for a few pages in the history books.

Like you, they had repeated the oath and accepted the honor and responsibility of ensuring our freedom, promoting our prosperity, and protecting our shores. Some have transitioned in peaceful and prosperous times, some during great turmoil.

This is a time that tries all of our souls.

Every man and woman who voted, whether for you or your opponent, was speaking out to preserve a way of life. We spoke to ensure not just any future for our children, but a better one. Millions have come to our great nation to start over, and at this time of economic crisis, millions are starting again.

You have promised to unite us, to bridge partisan and racial divides and to bring out the best in us. We are not a collection of casual lines on a map. We may look different, we may speak different languages, but we are these united states, a quilt whose material is dreams and whose stitching is hard work.

We want fiscal responsibility at all levels of government. You take your cut of our paycheck off the top. We expect that you handle our money with respect.

We voted for change in our energy policies. Green energy isn't a Democratic talking point, nor is it a Republican curse word. It's the air our children breathe and the water they drink.

We voted for better security and more equality in our health care.

We all either have aging parents or are aging parents. The shattered economy is driving their hopes of secure retirement away. We want to go back to the financial principles that made our nation prosperous before.

We want you to listen to us. We don't want you to govern solely by consensus or poll data, but we do want you to listen to the will of the people.

You will make mistakes. We don't want excuses or finger-pointing. We want you to acknowledge them and take corrective action. We're a very forgiving nation if you tell us the truth.

We voted to bring in a new era of responsibility. You have told us to hold you accountable.

We will.

We will commit to supporting you so long as you commit to supporting the American dreams for freedom, prosperity, opportunity, and equality.

It's a tall order, but you have told us to believe that you can do it. We understand that it may take time, but we're willing to wait so long as you lead us down the right path.

Leaders give us a vision. Good leaders instill the vision in us. Great leaders inspire us to accomplish the vision.

We want you to be a great leader.

If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know.

-ag