Not so easy: No wonder there is no line to win the chance to be president

In this year of bad news and partisan bickering, it is time for an olive branch -- a shared moment of understanding between those who think one way and those who prefer another.

There is one indomitable fact that it is pretty apparent to anyone who is "lucky" enough to decide to throw his or her name into the hat to become the president of the United States.

This job is not easy.

From the outside, it looks pretty good. You get an Oval Office, a big house and someone takes care of your every need for four years.

And, while you are the boss, there are plenty of other people to blame if something goes wrong -- because even if you say it does, the "buck" really does not "stop here."

And so this is the job that President Barack Obama has found himself in. It is not easy, and you can't just come into office and change a culture overnight. You have to deal with missteps, misspeaks and every other kind of mis- you can think of without the benefit of preparation or rumor control.

And to top it off, there is always someone out there who thinks you are just downright stupid and isn't afraid to say so. President George Bush found out that even leaving office doesn't stop that perk of the job.

Perhaps being president should be a challenge -- and it should not be for the faint of heart. But it is easy to get bipartisan agreement on one issue -- as much of a thrill as there is in getting in, there is an equal amount of thrill in turning over the keys to someone else.

It seems like the president might already be figuring that out.

Published in Editorials on January 13, 2010 10:51 AM