Optimistic and grateful for President Obama

Americans made history last week when Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of these United States.

I witnessed this spectacular event in person, and witnessed some 2 million screaming, yelling Obama fans, showing their pleasure at what was taking place. All Americans should rejoice and celebrate.

We have not only made history as a nation, but re-affirmed that the Constitution works.

As my wife and I sat in the crowd, I could not help but let my mind wander as Aretha Franklin sang "My Country 'Tis of Thee," and the new President Obama was delivering his inaugural address.

I thought about Abraham Lincoln, whose life was taken, in large part, because he believed black people deserved full citizenship. Lincoln pledged his life and his Republican Party to the principle that all men are created equal.

I thought about Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, and the sacrifice the Rev. King had made for this historic inaugural.

I thought back to Cleveland Avenue in Montgomery, Ala., on Dec. 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus to a white person.

I thought of Frederick Douglass, W.E.B DuBois, Harriett Tubman, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, my late father J.C. Watts Sr., and Mittie Watts, my grandmother who so believed in the NAACP and the fight for equality.

For 45 to 50 minutes, my mind was all over the historical map.

I watched Americans -- red, yellow, brown, black and white -- rejoicing, dancing and applauding at what was happening.

I made it home after fighting subway traffic and 20-degree wind chill, and watched a bit more of the events unfold on television, and remained optimistic and grateful.

Then I thought to myself, how wonderful it would be if we could create a "why can't we just all get along" powder? Or, a "One America" powder. Then, when someone from the Republican or Democrat parties starts complaining that the economic stimulus package is too big or not big enough, you sprinkle them with the powder.

When Republicans and Democrats start debating whether you keep a child in a failing public school or allow parents to send their kids to a private school or home school, when the debate gets ugly, you could sprinkle some One America powder on them.

When we run into problems with Iraq or North Korea, rather than the president having to go through the drama and stress of the decision of going to war, we could just sprinkle the Can't We All Just Get Along powder on the respective parties.

The fact is, we all know we can't do that, but it would sure be nice if we could.

As a matter of fact, what occurred to me later in the evening on Jan. 20, was that if President Obama were to be re-elected at the end of four years, and definitely at the end of eight years, we would be tired of him. Because of the way politics is, there would probably be an Obama Derangement Syndrome, just as there was a Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS) and Clinton Derangement Syndrome (CDS). I didn't think anything could match the vitriol of CDS, but by the time George W. Bush left office, some folks had terminal BDS. Regrettably, some in attendance at the Obama inaugural went as far as to chant and cat-call against President Bush when he appeared on the platform prior to the start of the ceremonies. This is truly sad, particularly on a day of celebration.

These syndromes usually originate with opposing parties. Republicans had it bad with Clinton, but Democrats had it in triplicate with George W. Bush.

I pondered over a period of two or three days following the festivities, puzzling as to how we could replace these syndromes with the energy and excitement and patriotism I felt on Inauguration Day. I suspect it will continue to be difficult, considering both parties are invested in the failure of the other.

Be that as it may, President Obama, witnessing you being sworn in on Jan. 20, I hope all of America shares at least a modicum of joy and pride in that landmark accomplishment. I was extremely proud for you and your family and proud for all of us, and for what it represented. Indeed, it represented much.

Of course, Republicans will have time to organize as the loyal opposition. But on this day, Mr. President, this was your day, and I really do wish you all the best.

I will pray for you by name. I will pray you will be a profoundly successful president.

The issues facing our great nation today are too critical to do otherwise.

J.C. Watts, chairman of J.C. Watts Companies, a business consulting group, is former chairman of the Republican Conference of the U.S. House, where he served as an Oklahoma representative from 1995 to 2002. Reach him at JCWatts01@jcwatts.com.