| The Winter Olympic Games were set to open in | | | | its pundits, as liberals and independents expected. |
| Vancouver on February 12, with the Paralympics | | | | Established rules allowed for steady, sustained |
| following a month later. By then, America’s new | | | | improvement. |
| world-friendly President would be in office for slightly | | | | The periodic cycle of the Olympic Games and the |
| over a year. | | | | American elections are another parallel for 2010 |
| In that time, America’s new President had reversed | | | | America to note. The winter and summer Olympic |
| a global economic crisis and had begun to mend | | | | events are held every four years in alternating cycles. |
| America’s damaged image in the world after eight | | | | That brought an Olympic event to the world stage |
| years of a bellicose conservative administration. Even | | | | every two years. Similarly in America, presidential |
| so, dire warnings were going up about plummeting | | | | elections are held every four years with midterm |
| support for his agenda among the American people. | | | | elections in between, meaning that political parties |
| America, however, would be wise to take a cue from | | | | come onto the national stage ever two years. |
| the nature of the Olympic Games and the athletes | | | | Like Olympic athletes, however, American politicians |
| taking part in events so as to start putting out the | | | | don't sit idly waiting for their next big turn in public. They |
| message that America can overcome its national | | | | prepare and hone skills by competing in local, national |
| ailment of Attention Deficit Disorder to keep its | | | | and regional events. One loss does not knock them |
| recovery going in midterm elections. | | | | out of contention. It firms their determination to perfect |
| For starters, as a reminder to independents and liberals | | | | skills for the next event to stay in the running. |
| growing disappointed with Obama’s failure to bring | | | | America’s new President is doing just that in his |
| about radical change in America during his first year in | | | | own field. His response to criticisms is an indication of |
| office, there is the fact that the Olympic Games are | | | | his growing skill in conveying a message of a "lesson |
| not an impromptu street hockey session but a series | | | | learned" rather than of having met a defeat. Whether |
| of formalized matches played by established rules. | | | | on health care reform, national security or financial |
| Those rules are the equivalent of America's | | | | sector reform, he stays on course with an eye to |
| infrastructure, its institutions and its legislative, | | | | progress without complain about unreal expectations in |
| administrative and executive constructs. The | | | | on short year. Of note, Olympic athletes have four |
| foundation built upon those governing mechanisms | | | | years to prepare for the next judgment of their |
| accounts for the country not only having become | | | | performance. |
| great but solid in its standing. | | | | Finally, the great lesson of the Olympics for 2010 |
| In 2010, the Iron Curtain over Eastern Europe was just | | | | America concerns global relations and the role of race |
| 20 years in the past. Many of the world's near 200 | | | | in keeping the world dynamically renewed. There was |
| countries, including the former Soviet states, were | | | | a time in American baseball, for example, when Jackie |
| struggling to establish the rule of law so as to get onto | | | | Robinson broke the racial barrier in 1947. By the global |
| the global prosperity highway. Their lack of | | | | Olympics of 2010, racial difference in sport, as in |
| infrastructure to enforce laws was their major | | | | entertainment, is an assumed given and an |
| handicap. By contrast, the United States Constitution | | | | uncontested source of strength. |
| accounts for the country's greatness by allowing for | | | | America brought that dimension of racial diversity as a |
| amendments that over time gained rights for women | | | | strength to the world of global power with the 2008 |
| and minorities as global civilization advanced. The need | | | | election. In 2010, all America and the world had to do |
| to abide by established constitutional rules was the | | | | was to acclimate to broadened horizons presented by |
| reason why the western industrialized world's first | | | | ancient games made globally available through new |
| non-white leader could not simply dismantle the | | | | technologies influencing attitudes and policies both. |
| American system and dispense with Wall Street and | | | | |