Change?

While thinking of topics for the final blog post of the semester, we reviewed the previous posts and realized that the campaign and election were largely ignored on an overall scale. Although we discussed specific issues that related to the election, we never fully delved into the campaign promises and the future of the country. Both campaigns were full of rhetoric and slogans meant to persuade voters. The common theme between the two parties was the idea of “change,” something that we heard repeatedly from both candidates.

With all this rhetoric about change, we were wondering what direction our nation is heading towards for the future. Talking about change is one thing, but bringing it about can be a complicated and slow-moving process. The idea of change provides a sense of hope to Americans and has caused many Americans to become more involved in the political process. In a time of economic struggles and other hardships, change is the logical solution that voters flock to.

Some critics contend that change is not necessarily always a good thing and have taken extreme views on President-elect Obama’s strategies and policies for bringing about change. For example, Congressman Paul Broun has drawn comparisons between Obama and Hitler. He accused Obama of having Marxist ideologies because he expressed his support for ideas that are similar to those of Hitler, such as a “national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded [as the military].” Although Broun has since apologized for his statements, there are probably others that hold this same extreme viewpoint of Obama’s strategies.

With Barack Obama taking over the presidency in January, what kind of change can we expect? Will the change have a positive or negative effect on the country? Do the radical opinions of critics like Congressman Broun have any basis in fact, or are they merely meant as scare tactics?