| The world welcomed the inauguration of the first | | | | Caucasian. In the Senate, only one was African |
| non-white leader of a western industrialized country | | | | American and two were Hispanic, meaning that 94 of |
| and cheered on the day he moved into the White | | | | the country's 100 Senators were Caucasian. |
| House with his family. That very day he began | | | | Early errors in the new administration were widely |
| implementing the radically new approach to a | | | | covered by the press, in particular with regard to the |
| crisis-crippled country that had catapulted racial bias to | | | | withdrawal of three cabinet nominees within the first |
| stake everything in the newcomer's ability to bring | | | | three weeks. Yet as a New York Times editorial on |
| about the drastic change required to repair the | | | | Sunday, February 8, pointed out, news moved quickly |
| damage of an eight-year retrogressive policy during a | | | | in an electronic age and accuracy could suffer. |
| time the world grew global. | | | | In the reporting on the withdrawal of the new |
| The scale of the economic, financial and social crises | | | | administration's nominee for Secretary of Commerce |
| needing emergency address left a fundamental | | | | on Thursday, February 12, as an example, the question |
| question unanswered. How many in the country | | | | of how the nominee came to be nominated was |
| perceived the new leader through the same | | | | never clarified. It was clear that his withdrawal was |
| perspective as the conservative candidate who had | | | | based on irresolvable differences in views with the |
| referred to his young upstart rival in the election as | | | | new administration. The nominee even admitted he |
| "that one?" | | | | had made a mistake in accepting the nomination. Still, |
| The pared down stimulus package passed in February | | | | the fact that some sources suggested he had been |
| had virtually no republican support. The $2 trillion bailout | | | | recommended while others quoted sources saying the |
| plan for financial institutions the new leader's Treasury | | | | nominee had sought the position left room for the |
| secretary proposed met with rejection at home while | | | | possibility that no mistake had been made. |
| welcomed to some extent abroad, as reported the | | | | The new president took the newest misstep in stride. |
| weekend of February 14 by numerous news sources. | | | | He even joked on Abraham Lincoln's birthday that the |
| The term "that one" was much debated after it was | | | | heroic figure might have wanted the job of Commerce |
| uttered during the second presidential debate on | | | | Secretary in a year when the country's financial crisis |
| October 8, at a time when serious doubts were raised | | | | was of proportions unseen since the Great |
| about the chances of a black candidate being elected | | | | Depression. |
| to the presidency of the United States. The | | | | The ease of being able to draw on humor was the |
| experience of the young non-white candidate was | | | | kind of steadiness in the face of startling |
| also in question. The term "that one" could have | | | | developments that had won the confidence of the |
| erroneously slipped from the mouth of the "renegade" | | | | country for the candidate during the historic 2008 |
| 70-year-old conservative candidate. | | | | presidential campaign. Youth and ease with the |
| Regardless of the referent quality implied by the | | | | vagaries of electronic communications no doubt played |
| phrasing, it was possible that it continued to be applied | | | | a part in developing such command in the modern day |
| once the new administration came into office. For one, | | | | in a startling contrast with the conservative opponent |
| the new administration was young. It was also | | | | who admittedly did not use a computer. |
| multiethnic and gender integrated. In all those ways, it | | | | The contrast was also clear with regard to the |
| was in stark contrast to the American Congress. | | | | conservative vice-presidential candidate who accused |
| As of mid-February, the Congressional website carried | | | | the liberal future president of "palling around with |
| the breakdown of membership in both the House and | | | | terrorists." Among her own now infamous encounters |
| Senate. By party affiliation, 56 senators were | | | | with the media, the question was left open as to |
| democrats, 41 were republicans and 2 were | | | | whether she even read in print. |
| independent. In the House, 260 representatives were | | | | The new American president's comfort with his |
| democrats, 178 were republican and one was | | | | performance and his self-presentation to the world |
| independent. | | | | was remarkable during the campaign. It rose to a |
| Further, in the Senate, 95% of the senators were | | | | markedly solid stature when considered in context of |
| Caucasian, 82% were male and 90% were over the | | | | the Congressional environment made up of the House |
| age of 50, with only nine in their forties. In the House, | | | | and Senate. |
| 83% were Caucasian, 82% were male and 76% were | | | | An ability to lead at such a high level of competence |
| over the age of 50. | | | | would by necessity require more than the agility of a |
| The breakdown also showed that 41 of the 440 | | | | global youth who had matured in an electronic age. |
| representatives in the House were African American | | | | Experience in relating with those who considered him |
| and 24 were Hispanics, meaning that 365 were | | | | "that one" no doubt must have played a role. |