Transition

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

Barack Obama
44th President of the United States

And so, with age old tradition and a 20-minute inaugural address we move to a new time. As our President so rightly states, his ascendancy to office will not magically eliminate the problems we face. It will not eradicate the petty politics that infects government at every level. It will not fully bridge the ideological divide between the Left and the Right, and despite the near-religious fervor that some of his long-time supporters have, it surely will not lead us to the land of milk and honey.

But it can serve as the basis for a new beginning—one that is onCenter—one that grasps the best ideas from all political positions and melds them to form the best path forward for our country. One that gives us reason to hope and leads to change that means something.

I wish our new President well.