It's a new day.

With the election of President-elect Obama, there is both a sense of joy and uncertainty. The joy is for the fact that America has put aside race as an issue and voted in an African American. For a country to put aside race and vote in a new person who ran on a campaign that promised "change" shows that the country is ready for change in many ways.

The combination of President Bush and Congress has left a heck of a mess to clean up. Although Iraq has improved over time, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated over time, and now the Taliban has begun to exert political influence in Pakistan. How President Obama deals with Pakistan is quite important. Though he gained his foothold in politics by opposing the Bush-led foray into Iraq, as commander-in-chief, Obama isn't one of the rabble speaking out on the war, he's the face of the United States. His words will now convey America's intentions as a protector of freedom and free trade though the world.

That trade isn't so free anymore. The American economy has been built on dept. While Congress slept, the Federal Reserve had their collective heads up their behinds. People working the night shift at Taco Bell were given home loans for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the banks made the loans even though they were bad. No down payment, no problem. The reason it was no problem is because Greenspan kept interest rates too low while simultaneously flooding the money supply. American consumers built up tremendous amounts of debt. Congress is supposed to regulate the Federal Reserve, but aside from Ron Paul, they all seemed to be kissing Greenspans backside rather than oversight. This "meltdown" that seemed to catch people off-guard was foreseeable.

Thus, President-Elect Obama takes over a country that is in debt, at war, and with a shrinking middle-class job tax base. The new president wants to tax the rich and corporations, but both may opt out of investing in the United States. That would be tragedy for the country.

So, all of a sudden, the keys to the United States will be handed to President Obama. Everyone should wish him well. It won't be an easy job.