Ah but then... what will Obama do with the MESS he's winning?!

Good question, but... in fact, this is the best time for Obama to be President - if he came in during good times, he's float along and it would be great, but in the end, it would be a missed oppertunity.

Here?  Obama's coming in at a point where we are at a nadir - he'll be put to the ultimate test - everything needs attention and fixing - now is the exact time we need a guy like Barack Obama!  After years - decades! - of dumbassery in the Oval Office, we NEED a wise and intellegent leader. 

I get the feeling that he'll tackle it all head-on, and that we're going to come out the other side doing great.  I see a post-Obama Presidency much akin to America in the 1940s - where once again, we are the best and brightest.  We stand for Freedom and we have a sound and healthy economy.   We can hold our heads high on the world stage, have pride in being Americans. 

I see a post-Obama Presidency much akin to America in the 1940s

I think you just want Fedoras to come back into fashion.  You dsay you're done with Indy, O'Brien, but I know better! 

I hope you are right my friend, I hope you are right.

I'd like to know in what ways America is at its nadir in history.

To clarify -- I don't happen to think it is -- but I was hoping that in the coming years we can again have a robust economy -- hopefully through efforts to become energy independent and by being a green tech leader.