Best Wishes, President Obama

The entire crackerjack staff of Voting under the Influence offer best wishes and prayers to President Obama, and his family and his incoming administration. In this current crisis, it is paramount that Americans who believe in their country first try to find common ground to work with the new President, and indeed with all incoming elected officials, to tackle the huge problems we as a nation face. President Obama faces a daunting task, and as such, dissent and criticism should be limited to the relevant not the trivial.

However, let it be clear that on relevant matters of the times, there should be open dissent and criticism of President Obama. They is a disturbing chilling factor when it comes to the new President. Pundits and even comedians seem hesitant to criticize or lampoon the new President. Some even go as far as saying that they are leery of criticizing or making fun of the new President because it might appear as racial discrimination. Others tend to be afraid of bucking the mainstream cultural trend that has Obama has some sort of larger than life symbol.

While the above fears are understandable, they are not what democracy is all about. The ability of the people to have the freedom to criticize and even make fun of its leaders not only holds those leaders accountable, but it is, as Justice Holmes once wrote about the freedom of speech, a great safety valve that prevents the explosion of civil unrest.

Further, for those worried that harsh criticism or jokes about the nation's first biracial President are discriminatory, that is impossible. The President of the United States is the most powerful person in the United States. Some would argue he is the most powerful person in the world. Such a powerful person can not be discriminated against by a pundit or comedian who is merely just commander in chief of his own words or routine. The fact that so many pundits and comedians feel compelled to hold back on the new President is troublesome. That is not how things are done in democracies.

So, while Voting under the Influence sincerely wishes President Obama all the best, we will be watching him. If the President does something of substance that deserves criticism, he will be criticized. When President Obama does something to be laughed at, he will be made fun of. If President Obama does something praiseworthy, he will be praised. It is that simple. Obama is the President of the United States and as such, deserves no better or worse treatment than any other President of the United States.