Almost Georgetown

January 20, 2009, 12:14 am

The American Democracy

In a little more than 11 hours, the Bush administration will come to an end.

In a tribute to the power of term limits and peaceful transitions of authority, Americans everywhere will witness one leader stepping off the stage and another of a different party stepping up. Without a fight.

The transition will mean the end of perhaps the worst presidency in American history, too. The drubbing given to Bush's party was the final disgrace for a man who spent a third of his presidency on vacation, but missed a hurricane, ignored dire warnings of terrorist attack, failed to see faulty intelligence on weapons of mass destruction, limited the civil rights he claimed to be protecting, and dismissed the warning signs of a groaning economy ready to collapse. But America has term limits, and tomorrow none of that will matter.

The viewing stand where President Barack Obama will view the parade down Pennsylvania avenue. This is right in front of the White House.

It's not that the consequences will suddenly vanish. New Orleans will need to be rebuilt; terrorism is still a threat we're all afraid of; we have a war in Iraq that must be concluded with dignity; the poor excuse for judges that Bush appointed are given lifetime terms to further chip away at the rights our Constitution grants us; the economy is still not out of the woods yet. But tomorrow we have the opportunity to start over. Without war. Without strife. Without political violence. We get to express the direct will of the people. The people have spoken.

As Mr. Bush leaves office, his legacy is still unwritten. But America's legacy is one in the peaceful transition of power, and a steely resolve to survive even the worst of leaders and most dire circumstances they can create. Tomorrow will testify to that.

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