Does Barack Obama understand my empty diary fear?

A friend of mine has just had a baby. Motherhood fills me with “car crash” fascination but I managed to participate in some semblance of polite conversation by asking her if she was scared. For her, the most perturbing aspect of imminent motherhood was that, post due date, her diary was… blank. Admittedly, the stark white pages are an apt symbol for the uncharted territory upon which she was embarking. How can one plan for a future they have no former understanding of?
Ironically, I can now empathise with her seemingly blasé answer, albeit in a very different way. Like Obama, I have made a drastic career change for 2009. I have left teaching for journalism; gone are the common garden parents evenings and report deadlines that have filled my new diaries for the past five years. I am left in an abyss of uncertainty.
So in some very small, inconsequential way, I think Barack and I have a connection. Arguably Barack Obama is one of the most inexperienced presidents to date. Even Peanut farmer Carter had a stint as governor. Therefore I am curious how he feels about his new diary. In one of his rousing campaign speeches, he talked of shutting the page on past policy and turning to a new chapter. While the metaphor fits nicely with my point, he should not be too hasty.
Obama has apparently been reading up on Lincoln recently. I hope this is not just part of the carefully coiffed media campaign that surrounds the “Barack Phenomenon”. Historian, James McPherson, argues: ‘A president who reads history, knows history and realises the value of understanding history.’ Before one ventures into the unknown, it is crucial they make sense of what has gone before them. Yes, America needs change but Obama must ensure he firstly has an intricate understanding of what, exactly, he is changing and the inevitable consequences; secondly he must calculate how he can create new policy that will not mirror mistakes of the past.
His problem is that he faces too many problems and everyone is banking on him to solve the woes of the world. Internationally he needs to edit “War on Terror” rhetoric without seeming weak; remain strong in his dealing with countries that pose a nuclear threat like Iran and keep the up and coming superpower of Russia, China and India at bay. Domestically he needs to take on the albatross that is the economic recession with additional problems including social security, tax redistribution and amending NAFTA to appease the protectionist contingent. He is also operating under the all consuming cloud of climate change.
Can Barack Obama dodge all of the obstacles and pitfalls that have harangued presidents of the past? It is difficult for even the most optimistic to believe that he the magical exception and his bi-partisan, technocrat approach, focusing on “what works”, may actually end up satisfying no-one. His cabinet appointments have already disappointed female academics. Only 5 out of 20 jobs have gone to women and critics feel that this does not represent the kind of change that they had hoped for. Homosexuals are upset with his decision to have Pastor Rick Warren lead the invocation on Jan 20th. The cynical may argue that the Barack campaign for change has encouraged all facets of society to look into a magic mirror and perceive the change they want to see rather than read between the lines carefully and actually see the moderate, pragmatic approach that Barack believes he has never hidden. He may have been ideologically saddled with far too much baggage and if that is the case then some has to be culled or he will fall.
Suddenly my empty diary seems slightly less worrying.