Bush & Company

How long, it seemed, was the wait for the Bush tenures to end! Once a Democrat was in office, things would get better; and they did.

Ironically and sadly, though, the side effects of such a superior commander-in-chief's tenure seem sometimes to negate the positive.

The rancor, the jealousy, the vengefulness from the opposition party; the unbridled freedom of speech from the radical Right media; the hysteria and credulity of portions of the electorate; the violent acts of demented extremists all seem unstoppable.

Yet this Obama, with his sometimes maddening forebearance and tolerance, may ultimately prove himself to be the almost perfect president and peacemaker the majority of voters envisioned on election day 2008.

How long, this time, must we wait?