Two Roads Diverged in a Wood...

I was blown away by Barack Obama's inaugural address on Tuesday. Others have been critical because he did not deliver a policy speech - this is like picking lint off an Armani suit - but I was impressed because he made it point to do specific things during his speech.

First, Obama took his opportunity in front of the world to say that it will be difficult and that personal sacrifices will need to be made by all in order for the United States to live up to the promise of our charter. He also said that there are no easy solutions or fixes and that the road back to prominence will be steep. And now every time when something goes well or better than expected, he will look like a genius.

The ability to under-promise and over-deliver is a critical part of every salesperson's routine. And since a politician is nothing more than a salesperson, it should not be surprising that Obama has this technique down. He practiced it well towards the end of his campaign and he reaffirmed it in his prose on Tuesday.

And then on Wednesday he immediately put it into practice by issuing an executive order against torture, putting a freeze on the salaries of the White House staff, restricting gifts to White House aides and executive branch officials, and cracking down on the "revolving door" practice - where government staffers quickly moving into lucrative private sector jobs lobbying the government. The latter fulfilled a campaign promise. (Obama pledged that "no political appointees in an Obama-Biden administration will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years. And no political appointees will be able to lobby the executive branch after leaving government service during the remainder of the administration.")

Not everyone will look at these as positives, but the majority of Americans do. And by knocking all of that out before 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, he casts a favorable light on himself and his administration.

Second, Obama took the opportunity to illuminate the differences between he and his predecessor. In a particularly muscular and stern part of his address, he lambasted President Bush and his administration. He said:

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expediencies sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

Obama swiftly dismissed the bravado-filled tenure of Bush and Cheney by slapping them upside the head with history of peace during dangerous times. He rebuked their argument of action with no boundaries in an effort to keep American citizens safe. There are certain lengths to which we should not have gone because there was no imminent danger - only a pervasive fear started by terrorists and kept alive by our government.

Not since Reagan's 1981 inaugural speech has there been such a fiery retort to the outgoing crew. Obama one-upped the "The Great Communicator" because he didn't rely on politics as usual. He established the politics of the future.

Robert Frost wrote:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Obama just started down the path less traveled. We will have to see if it makes all the difference.