"What's Next?"

In our time of crisis, we find peace. In our time of despair, we have hope. But for many, we still have the partisan bickering that has repelled us from faith in our government. Does this mean President Barack Obama is doomed in his efforts enact the change for which he campaigned? Maybe not, but history doesn't bode well for him.

There have been many presidents who have called for the beginning of a new era in government. John F. Kennedy called it a new era when the young man (second youngest ever to hold the highest office in our land) succeeded the older general (at the time the oldest ever to leave the office). George W. Bush called it a "new commitment to live out our nation's promise through civility, courage, compassion and character. " But were these really new beginnings?

Not really. Instead, we saw the continuation of old. Kennedy, with all the greatness many perceive him to be, could not get most of his agenda passed. He struggled to get his New Frontier dreams into reality, although he did quite a bit by introducing the world to mental health issues. It wasn't until after his assassination in 1963 that action started happening in his name. Then, under Lyndon Johnson's Great Society program, did we see the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, education aid and real civil rights legislation.

Bush's goals took a severe turn towards foreign policy because of September 11, 2001, and the idea of the "compassionate conservative" seemed to disappear from our lexicon. Instead of living our our nation's promise, we started to defend freedom at all costs. Included in that cost was Bush's standing among the American public. His domestic agenda took a backseat to homeland security, leaving No Child Left Behind withering away.

This doesn't mean there is no hope for Obama. Other president's have initiated new directions for this country that have proven to be highly successful. Theodore Roosevelt called for a renewed Americanism for the 20th Century, fusing his jingoism with the needs for government and business reform for a new America. His ascension into the presidency in 1901 sounded the death knell for the spoils system in our government and ushered in the era of progressivism. The Roosevelt Corollary and the Great White Fleet introduced the world to America's naval prowess.

His cousin Franklin is largely credited with creating a massive expansion of government through his New Deal, although I'd argue that it was Herbert Hoover who started the enormous injection of government into our economy before Franklin Roosevelt took over and bulked Hoover's plans into the juggernaut we know today.

The success of the Roosevelts to enact change, along with previous presidents who were able to make sure our nation continued to grow into the pillar of freedom she is today gives hope to Obama's success in restoring our faith in a government and ending the vicious partisan fighting reminiscent of the 19th Century. However, recent history shows it may be easier said than done, especially with the limited amount of time Obama may have.

In our nation's 222-year history under the Constitution we have rarely had three presidents re-elected consecutively. Actually, we've only had one instance when this happened, and all three were from the same party. Thomas Jefferson was elected to succeed John Adams and stayed for two terms. James Madison succeeded his friend and served through a war, which nearly cost him his reelection and damaged his popularity in the nation. His Secretary of State and War, James Monroe, succeeded the little commander in chief and then enjoyed the most popular reelection in history, save George Washington. This back-to-back-to-back instance of 24 years and three presidents did not happen again in the traditional sense. (I don't recognize the Roosevelt-Truman-Eisenhower years because Truman was elected to one term as president, having served most of Roosevelt's fourth term after FDR died in office.)

This means Obama not only has to overcome the partisan rancor but tradition. It is a rare feat to change the direction of our nation under one president, but it has happened and will happen again. Just like sports, because it doesn't happen often doesn't mean it will never happen again. We'll just have to wait and see if this truly was a historic occasion for reasons beyond the obvious.