I agree with you there, AAC. If an accomplished, experienced, world-savvy President-elect was ready to be inaugurated in a couple of weeks, the US might just turn this whole world around.
As it stands, we will have an inexperienced figurehead who will say all the things the politically-correct crowd wants to hear.
Someone like Reagan, Nixon or the first-term George W. Bush, taking office now, would lead this country to unbelievable heights.
Will all that's going on being nothing less than a complete downer, for better or (probably) worse I am looking forward to seeing Obama being forced to actually make decisions. No more posturing, promising, claiming but actually going on record and allowing the American public to judge him by actions, not promises.
Many people here may not believe it but many Democrats, including some of the more rabid ones, are much closer to seeing the danger of an enlargened government, intrusion and cost of "fighting" global warming, the complete subservience to Muslim separatism etc. than we may think.
Any New New Deal will simply not be able to hold back any disillusionment in the internet/cell phone age; in the 30's you had a very sequestered population that turned to newspapers and neighbors for info and discussion but that was it. Today as many high schoolers and college grads hit the market into some jobs with growth they will resent the free ride given others that they grew up with and had similar backgrounds. They will connect on sites with similar bitches and be able to create organised protest.
The leftist's "Hail To The Thief" boogeyman, George Bush, will not be able to be blamed for any longer than two years no matter how the Dems try.
And come January 20th George Bush, with all his faults that have been enumerated here and elsewhere, will have achieved his greatest victory - no attacks on the US since 9/11. Even if Obama were to be so lucky it wouldn't have been luck - he' will aasuredly do some minor facelifts but in the end will use almost to a T every weapon Bush did and eventually some that voted for Obama will call him a liar and a traitor while others will have their eyes opened and realize all the BS they were fed for over seven years.