Obama's Challenge: America's Economic Crisis and the Power of a

Barack Obama approaches the US presidency at a critical moment in American history - facing simultaneous crises of war, the environment, and healthcare, but most especially in the economy. If he is able to rise to the moment, he could join the ranks of a small handful of previous presidents who have been truly transformative, succeeding in fundamentally changing the US economy, society, and democracy for the better. But this will require imaginative and decisive action as Obama takes office - and will be all the more difficult given the undertow of conventional wisdom in Washington and on Wall Street that resists fundamental change. Solutions to the country's multiple challenges do exist, but they won't be found in overly cautious or expedient quick fixes. Obama could be the right leader at the right time to reawaken America to the renewed promise of shared prosperity, coupled with responsibility towards future generations and the international community with whom the US shares the Earth. Invoking America's greatest leaders, Robert Kuttner explains how Obama must be a transformative president - or a failed one.