In spite of my excitement about Obama's victory I'm still terrified

About the economy in general, about my personal economy in particular, about unemployment, about people's retirements disappearing, about unaffordable healthcare, about war, global warming, about our dependence on fossil fuel, about the insane anger currently being displayed by the Republicans and the level of hatred, bigotry and willful ignorance of the Right. I feel like the fabric of our society is getting really close to the tearing point. Obama,even though he will be "the most powerful man in the world" is only one man. I think he is brilliant but I don't know if that's enough to prevent disaster. I guess my postelection euphoria has started to evaporate and I'm back to seeing the fragments W has left of America and I hate to use the "perfect storm" analogy/cliche but there are so many bad things happening all at once I'm not sure if it's not too late to fix it.

I look at the future and my hope is clouded by insecurity. I don't know why I'm posting this except maybe to ask if anyone else is still scared.

My point is being afraid and worrying is going to get you nowhere. I live in Ga and I am surrounded by Rednecks, racists, etc. Who gives a shit about them? They are being left behind and they know it.

We've been lead by a drunken sailor on a path to total destruction. Now, we have a LEADER. Huge difference. Yes, I worry too about all that you've mentioned, but with President Obama at the helm and a Nation of supporters WE CAN CHANGE THE FUTURE....YES WE CAN. So, try to look at things from a new perspective. He is only one man, but he has millions of supporters and we will ALL have to take an active roll to turn this mess around. Hang in there and look to our new president to lead us in a new direction.

Oh sure, many of us may not be able to stay in our 2.5 cars and 3000 sq ft homes and brand new clothes every month. Some of us didn't live that way to begin with, weren't raised that way, and have never stopped enjoying hand me downs, and hand sewing, and leftovers, and make due or do without.

I've been in my home for 32 years and if I lose my job I will probably try to sell my house and move back to where I came from to live with one of my brothers for awhile to help keep one of them in their home. Beats the crap out of being homeless = which alot of American may end up. It won't be easy to survive in tent village but it's possible.

Seriously, it's far too heavy a burden to carry and still maintain your emotional health.

Look at it this way - an awful lot of the financial problem is perception. Deregulation, leading to dubious business practices, led to a real, solvable problem surrounded by a gigantic miasma composed of fear. Listen to the financial reports: "Nervousness about the proposed Chinese financial bailout led to a XXX fall in the Dow"; "Today the Dow climbed XXX on the good news that......" Credit is frozen, not because money isn't there, but because the guys who have it are giving the hairy eyeball to the guys who want it. Frozen credit means businesses can't buy materials, meet payrolls, etc.

Enter Barack Obama, a man who has an almost preternatural ability to inspire hope, optimism, good feelies, and other assorted future-positive moods in people. Combine that with his cool, calm demeanor, his innate leadership abilities, and the fact that he actively seeks and respects a wide variety of viewpoints and advice and you have a president who just may be able to bring about a solution to many of the real problems and inspire the nation to find its own way out of the worst of the fear miasma.