Metaphor Blizzard Hits Washington, D. C.

Being gainfully unemployed, I was able to watch the inauguration and the events surrounding it yesterday. Online, I read a blurb from the BBC that characterized the whole affair as "the American Coronation" in one of its news releases. Judging from the behavior of the mainstream media, that's precisely the metaphor I would have used. Of course, the Brits forget that we, the people, elect our figurative and literal head of state. It is not connected with the Divine Right of Kings, despite the actions of some of the electorate yesterday, found swooning over the end of what is perceived as the worst Presidency in memory, and the swearing in of Obama.

Everyone knows that every transaction in life, be it in business or in friendship, is based on a win-win proposition. Those selling a product or idea must receive like consideration for the transaction to take place and for each party to be satisfied. Those that sell for a living know that managing expectations of the party of the second part is a crucial component of the sale being satisfactory, or the creation of a win-win situation. This management of expectations must necessarily include both the perception, and the reality of what is being bartered for it to be successful.

In politics, the politician must convey their ideas in such a way that it convinces the electorate that the ideas themselves are valid, and that the politician is capable of effecting the changes suggested in the ideas themselves. The adhesive holding all of this together is the perception being "bought" versus the reality of the eventual delivery of the promise. This, then, is the key of any politician being successful.

With President Obama's "goodwill" rating somewhere north of 80% on inauguration day, we can safely say that he has the perception part down pat. Whether or not he can manage our expectations long enough to effect some or most of his agenda is a question yet to be answered. This, then, is the proverbial "Honeymoon" period of every Presidency. Most give him six months. His most avid supporters will accept that it will take at least two years to get anything accomplished.

The warning I would give the new President is that public opinion is extremely fickle. Our friends, the Brits, rewarded Winston Churchill for taking England through its "darkest hour" by unceremoniously dumping him as Prime Minister at the end of World War II. We Americans have no less a checkered past. We despise the leader who fails to live up the a false vision of the Office of the Presidency and swoon when we think we've found one that will.

In the euphoria and excitement surrounding yesterday's events, it will be interesting to follow American sentiment, as it almost always ebbs and flows with perceptions. One of President Obama's most crucial tasks the first year of his presidency will be to control a nation's perception of who we are, and where we are on the parabola of economic cycles. That he will be able to manage the juggernaut that is our federal government to create the society he envisions, is another matter entirely.