Inauguration Time

One of our advertising representatives told me that she got bawled out by one of our clients when he learned that we were doing this Obama Issue. Apparently, he's not such a big fan of our president-elect.

This cranky client missed the point: The Obama Issue was open to all of our readers--even those who are not Obama fans--to say whatever they wanted. And you readers came through, big-time.

By the time the deadline arrived, we were overwhelmed with submissions--so many that we could not fit a good number of them in, even after opening up more space than we had planned.

I hope all of the readers whose submissions we couldn't include will accept my apologies. As for the readers whose submissions we did include: Wow. I must concede that I was nervous we'd get a lot of stuff that was, well, lame--but that didn't happen. Largely, the stuff we got was compelling, artistic and thoughtful. I can't thank you enough.

I think that the portrait that these Obama Issue submissions paint is a pretty accurate representation of how Southern Arizonans are feeling as the 44th president takes office: Some people are skeptical about our president-elect; some are downright disappointed in him. Most of you are happy to see President George W. Bush go--although at least one reader claims Bush did a decent job. Finally, most of you are hopeful and excited about Barack Obama, while you recognize the obstacles that he and the country are facing are enormous.

Whatever your feelings are about Barack Obama are, we hope you'll enjoy our Obama Issue, brought to you by your fellow Southern Arizonans.