Now What?

The Change.gov site has a set of forms for sending an account of your story or your vision to the transition. I know, I know, it's an occasion for sentimental, faux-movement self-congratulation, but it's not a bad idea to do some stock taking at this point and ask yourself -- and maybe tell the new president-elect -- what you hope for now.

I stumbled on the site and found myself writing this spontaneously

I hope for a country at peace, with widely shared prosperity and a commitment to accessible health care for all, accessible higher education, and open, transparent government that leads with both action and clearly argued commitments.

I hope for a country where the fellow putting a new floor in our 35-year old house doesn't have to lose a tooth because he could not afford the $700 that a root canal, which would have saved the tooth, would cost him and his family.

I hope for a country that can provide support that honors the commitment of Nancy C., whom I drove to the polls on election day to vote for Barack Obama after she had spent six hours in chemotherapy and was exhausted and in pain.

I hope for a country where the college students in my classes at Penn State can graduate from college without massive debts that will hold them down for decades, shaping their career choices and limiting their lives when they could otherwise be doing more to serve the public good.

I have high hopes for relief, recovery, and real reform.

Congratulations on this magnificent campaign and this historic election; now let's roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Tom Benson
Professor
Penn State University

Why not tell them what's on your mind at Change.gov