President Obama, you have our attention; now just give us something to believe in

For the first time in a long time, President Obama had an exceptional week last week. His State of the Union Address seemed to signal a reemergence of the candidate who we campaigned so ardently for and subsequently voted for and expected so much from.

And his verbal beat down of the GOP at the House Republican Retreat in Baltimore on Friday was perhaps enough to reassure those on the left that he is indeed in charge and out front and recapture the support of those skeptical and/or cynical independents and moderates who were beginning to doubt his intestinal fortitude. He met the GOP on their own ground and then masterfully met each of their weak, disingenuous thrusts with a parry until he had seized from them whatever advantage they thought they might have.

Now I am waiting anxiously, if not impatiently, for the second act. President Obama has made this drama interesting again. He has almost reprised his campaign performance that captured the hearts and imaginations of so many. The cast is reassembling backstage, awaiting their stage directions; however, we need to see just a little more. We need something to make us believe.

It is understandable that when a charismatic president with amazingly high approval rating and backed by a solid sixty seat senate majority is not able to push through anything resembling the comprehensive Health Care Reform package as promised, that people will began to get a bit disillusioned and cease to believe.

And when one integral part of the governing body decides against governing, but instead chooses to even go so far as to impede the progress of those attempting to govern, then I am not surprised that some should begin to shake their heads in disbelief, that some should wonder in just what direction the country is going, that some should question just who is in charge. However, if we are to believe, the president and his party must find a way to break this impasse, and they must do so sooner as opposed to later.

But let’s not leave out the mainstream media because they have played a huge role in fostering this growing sentiment of incredulity and distrust. When the media ceases to be a source of credible information and instead becomes just another entertainment outlet, who do we then turn to in order to inform ourselves? Perhaps like most, I have grown tired of having my reality interpreted for me and being told what to believe.

Do you remember back in school when we were assured that the separation of the three branches of government—the Executive Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the Legislative Branch—worked to insure that no one branch became too powerful, thus helping protect our freedoms? Or that of the three, the Judicial Branch was the most apolitical?

Well, that bubble has been burst. With the Supreme Court’s ruling that corporations are individuals with all the rights there of, it became all but plain that at least two of these branches seem to be in collusion. Or, at the very least, are politically driven. If that is not enough to make one skeptical, to make one cynical, to cause a state of disbelief and outright fear, I certainly cannot figure out what is.

But we move forward now. I think we all get it now. I think we all realize that the actions of the president alone do not ensure success; we must be willing to do our part, to play our roles as assigned to us. We again take our places on stage, and look to the wings for our cue to begin. All we need now is a reason to believe.