Congratulations, next President

To whichever candidate manages to come out ahead tonight – Congratulations! You’ve been elected the President of the United States.

But now that the cocktail parties are over and the victory speeches have been made, it’s time to get to work.

And you’ve got a lot to do.

The needs are many. Six in 10 Americans believe the country is headed for a depression. Home values dropped and nearly four million Americans could face foreclosure by 2010. More than 3.2 million jobs have been lost since 2001, and a $700 billion dollar bailout plan was approved. Still, many doubt it will make any real impact. Our economy needs major attention, but there’s so much more to consider.

What about the 47 million Americans who don’t have health insurance? Or what about the 3.5 million young Americans who don’t have a high school diploma? Or the 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide the United States emits into the atmosphere each year?

Clearly, the nation needs work. New government policies are vital. Better laws and policies must be passed. Oh, but don’t even think about more spending. You don’t want to deepen the $10.6 trillion dollar national debt.

Sound like fun? Remember, all of this work will only earn you $400,000 dollars a year, the continual scorn of the news media and the disapproval of about half the country. Your hair will turn gray, and the bags under your eyes will become permanent. You’ll lose sleep and time with your family.

Never again will you be able to dine without being interrupted or vacation without being followed. Your privacy is forever lost, and your safety is forever in jeopardy. Your successes will go unthanked, while your mistakes will be magnified.
Still happy you won?

The fact is, the job of president is not nearly as appealing as it seems. It’s tough, long, hard work.

So while all of us here on the Editorial Board will undoubtedly disagree with the policies you pursue and the order in which you pursue them, today, as your presidency is set, we all agree in wishing you luck.

You’ll need it.