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Have you checked out the most recent Obama video done by Will.i.am? If not, I encourage you to check it out. The video is compelling, encouraging and inspiring. Although I am already an Obama supporter it made me even more excited. I literally felt a surge in my soul and could understand why people are calling this a MOVEMENT!

But I have a concern. It seems that the nation is turning Senator Obama into a type of messianic figure that will take away all of the sins (oops, I mean problems) of the world. Don't get me wrong. I believe that he is amazing and refreshing but he has, in my opinion unintentionally, fallen into a very dangerous trap. Honestly, this is what we always do. We place people on pedestals with expectations that are completely unrealistic. Then when we get one report that confirms that they are not perfect, we throw our hands in the air in disgust and say "Just as I thoughtno leader can be trusted".

Haven't we learned our lesson? Haven't we learned that it isn't fair to our leaders (be it our pastor, our civil rights leader, our high school counselor, or even our parents) to be placed in a position where we consider them our only hope...our only way out...our last chance? It is extremely frustrating to me when we people are set up to fail.
That is exactly what is happening to Mr. Obama. There is no way that he will be able to be all that we are hoping him to be. It's not humanly possible. It has never been done, and no human should ever be expected to fulfill all of our needs on their own.

I believe we should give the man a break. If you so choose, give him your support, but at the same time give him a break. Let's take a little of the pressure off. We should place an expectation on him that is reasonable. We should expect for him to represent us all with dignity, integrity, strength and perseverance. But we can not, or should not expect perfection.

Let me clarify. I am not blaming Will.i.am and his new video for what is going on with Barack. It is not the video's fault. I can't say that the blame falls on any individual. I believe that placing people in a savior-like role is what we do as a wholeas a society in need of change.

Let me add one more, often politically incorrect thought. The pressure is even worse because if elected he would be the very first Black President. Although Senator Clinton would obviously be the first female President which brings with it a lot of pressure as well, even Clinton supporters would have to admit that there isn't the same movement' type feel following her. So, not only have we made Obama out to be the savior of us all' but on top of that he has the cultural pressure of being the "First Black". Most African American people will tell you that as a culture, we hold our heads up with pride when our racial brothers and sisters make a history changing impact. At the same time we often carry the weight when that same person lets us down.

So on top of potentially being the first African American President, he is also carrying the "you are our only hope for the future and if you don't handle all of our needs our whole country will fall apart" pressure. Do we really think that he can withstand it all? And even if he can, or thinks he can, will we let him?

Or will we lift him up and then pull him down before he can make any real change (like we do with many of our heroes)?
Regardless, I am still lifting my right hand in the air and loudly chanting: O-ba-ma; O-ba-ma; O-ba-ma; yet with an understanding that he can't do it alone.

Learn more about this author, Robin May.
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