America's crisis,public spirit and Obama

According to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, 82 percent of Americans said the country was on the wrong track. And most of them believe Obama may change that direction. That's a huge responsibility on the shoulders of a relatively new and young leader.

Since Election Day, Obama has been able to garner more trust from people, enlisting many who hadn't voted for him. It's remarkable when seven out of 10 people say they are optimistic about his upcoming policies. What makes that rate more impressive is the fact that not only his fellow Democrats, but also 45 percent of Republicans believe this.

In his holiday radio address, Obama recalled how George Washington crossed his troops over the icy Delaware River on Christmas Day in 1776 during the Revolutionary War. He went on to say: "Many ages have passed since that first American Christmas. We have crossed many rivers as a people. But the lessons that have carried us through are the same lessons that we celebrate every Christmas season -- the same lessons that guide us to this very day: that hope endures, and that a new birth of peace is always possible."

Obama knows very well that although injecting hope into a somber nation can never hurt, at the end of the day "talking the talk" will not suffice. "Walking the walk" is what counts. That's probably why he has led one of the most organized and well-thought-out presidential transition periods. No wonder 76 percent of respondents to the Washington Post-ABC poll granted high marks to Obama's transition handling. Even the controversy over Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's disgraceful efforts to allegedly sell Obama's empty Senate seat in an auction does not seem to have had a significant adverse effect. People are still hopeful that major changes will come with Obama's presidency.

When asked "What would you say is the one most important problem you would like to see Obama and Congress deal with next year?" 66 percent of respondents cited the economy and related subjects, such as jobs, mortgages and credit problems. Iraq came a far behind second, with 9 percent. For 6 percent, health care should top the priority list. Guess what. Terrorism, the war on terrorism and homeland security got a combined 2 percent.

Such surveys generally present a road map for administrations. It's no surprise that Obama and his team are mostly talking about the economy. They have long been working on a big stimulus package, largely supported by the public, that will probably be the first major legislation introduced by the new administration to the 111th Congress.

Due to the other more urgent pressing challenges of the current times, Americans seem to be increasingly less concerned about national security. One of those challenges, health care, will surely be an indispensable element in Obama's future performance rating. This summer a survey by the Commonwealth Fund found that 82 percent of Americans thought the health care system needed an overhaul.

Because of Americans' high expectations and hopes that Obama will fix the health care system, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a Democrat, has been introduced as a health czar: secretary of health and human services and director of a newly planned White House office on health care reform. Senator Daschle's congressional experience is expected to help him with the endeavor, since a serious reform can only be possible if the battle against the huge insurance lobby and their allies in Washington is won.