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Advising Obama

... Don't worry- I am not about to become the billionth person to dispense advice to Barack Obama. I am here to ridicule those billion-minus-one people before me.

As an Obama supporter, I am ecstatic about his victory on November 4th and I am much more optimistic and hopeful about the future of the U.S. and the world with him in charge. What I find strange (or at least noteworthy) is how every one seems so eager to give advice to the president-elect. This is the third U.S. presidential election I am witnessing and I don't remember so many people having so much to share with the president elect. Why? Here are many possible explanations:
  1. Many people contributed to his campaign financially (3.1+ million for $600+ million as of beginning of October 2008) and they feel they have earned the right to give advice.
  2. People are really engaged because of the gravity of the country's problems. The U.S. is at a critical junction and its citizens are anxious. They are trying to come up with ideas to rescue their country.
  3. People just have more medium for dishing out, thanks to the internet. Before, you were limited to newspapers, magazines and public events.
  4. He promotes dialog and civic involvement himself. His website (www.barackobama.com)uses Web 2.0 to solicit advice, connect people, ... etc. His new transition website (www.change.gov) seeks to draw even more people and ideas.
  5. Many people just like Obama and want to help out.
  6. Obama is a blank slate and everybody is projecting their vision of which direction the U.S./world ought to go.
The answer is probably all of the above. Part of me says average Joes should stop giving out unsolicited advice, and the other half says why not.
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