Barack Obama's State of the Union Address

Like most of America, I nervously watched President Barack Obama's state of the union speech Tuesday night; and listened intently to every spoken word for signs of promise and an economic recovery. This address to the American public was probably the most widely anticipated speech of any President of my generation.

Was I disappointed in President Obama's speech? Not exactly. Was I ready to stand up, cheer, and shout approval for the decisions, policies and plans of our new President? Not exactly. Although the President's tone was a bit more positive than of late, it still reflected the seriousness of the country's current state of affairs. However, although I was a McCain supporter during the election, do I want this Democratic president to succeed? Absolutely!

As the mother of a family raising two children in this tumultuous society, I am completely distressed by the current state of our beloved country. The jobless rate continues to grow, the housing situation continues to worsen, and my children's generation may be the first generation in history that will be worse off economically than its previous generation. Quite honestly, it's now to the point that I can barely stand to watch the news. It's simply all too depressing.

America, regardless of your political beliefs, the time to rally around our country is right now. Never before has it been more critical that we stand united and support our current President; and hope for a turn-around of the current mess we are in. Remember how we all felt so united after 9/11? American flags were proudly displayed on almost every house, and never before did I ever experience such an overwhelming sense of pride in our country. I want to experience that same overwhelming feeling of pride again. I so strongly want this country to come together so that we are united in our desire to make this country the strong, powerful, and undivided nation it once was, and will be again.

President Obama, I may not have supported you during the election, and I may have been upset when you defeated my candidate. However, you have my support right now. I support you in your efforts to turn this economy around. I may not agree with your economic bailout plan, but I sure as heck hope that it works. The future of my children depends upon it. The future of this country depends upon it.

To all the radical right wing radio commentators and personalities, I say "back off!" Let's give this plan a chance for survival. There is simply too much on the line for us to condemn and plot its failure before it has even had the chance to fly and succeed.

Failure is simply not an option I am willing to accept.