Art of the Union

Oh Mr. President, the times are indeed changing. What happened? What happened to 2008 Barack Obama? I remember so fondly my  president elect, so sprightly and full of conviction. Voted into office with an army of youth, the might of 100 kings and the horses they rode. No world could hold him down! Be-bopping and galavanting every which way as our charismatic political Dean Martin. Lighting up audiences faces on talk shows, crisscrossing on the basketball court with Magic Johnson, dancing with Mrs. Obama on live television like an animated Disney feature. What happened to the dancing?!

I began following Mr. Obama in 2004 after his fantastic speech at the Democratic National Convention. It was thrilling! I was exhilarated. Finally, my generation had a role model that wasn’t born of MTV lunacy. A figure that could teach the youth, a person to lead us into the future. I would catch whatever television segments of his I could and never missed the chance to talk of him with anyone willing. As time went on I eagerly awaited 2008, the year I turned 18 and my first presidential election that I could actively participate in. Here he was, my very own John F. Kennedy!

Now I sit in 2011. My beacon of hope has slowly turned into my sad Grandpa Barack. Wrinkled and grey after 3 years in office, what used to be television appearances and invigorating speeches has now gone silent. What is left in place is an old broken man watching life from a window, only taking trips out into the world to steal Isotoners from Walmart. What used to be lively, hopeful State of the Union addresses have devolved into a senior shouting at his congressional children, realizing they won’t amount to what he had hoped in the beginning. Now he’ll just send them into time out and sing into a bottle of whiskey thinking about the good ol’ days. What used to be a man eagerly leading the fight against Republican antics has faded away, leaving in its place a worn Danny Glover-esque figure who is indeed “too old for this shit.” I knew on election day that no politician can keep all of their promises, but I suppose in the end I still expected more than this.