Friday, November 14, 2008

Generous & Thoughtful

Those aren't two attributes one generally thinks about when contemplating U.S. Presidents. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure most previous Presidents have been generous and thoughtful in the context of their personal lives and even in their extended social networks, which by definition would be quite extensive. But usually, just because of circumstances, the things you hear about a President relate to wisdom and courage and honesty...stuff like that.

I'm already on record as being happy and proud of who we elected as our next President. I'm hopeful and optimistic about the upcoming Obama Administration. Note: I'm not jumping on the ecstatic "Obama farts bunny rabbit rainbows and shits little nuggets of gold" bandwagon (yes, that's its official name). I think a lot of people have some impossibly high expectations and they're just setting themselves up for a monumental disappointment. What I do expect to see is a Presidency that will work toward restoring our country's standing in the world; a Presidency that will lead calmly, confidently and somewhat quietly; a Presidency that is deliberative, informed and competent.

I wouldn't have thought to add generous and thoghtful to that list until I saw this story in the NY Daily News. It seems that the Obama Campaign is giving a bonus to all workers who have been with the campaign since September equal to one month of their salary. Now, granted, most campaigns are so deep in debt by the end that such generosity is impossible, but to have thought of these folks who are suddenly out of work in a bad economy is...well...generous and thoughtful.

Bravo Mr. President Elect.

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