After all the hope and expectations of Barack Obama have settled into reality I think his first term will be judged on three big items.

Number one will be the two front war he inherits. Iraq and Afghanistan will occupy a great deal of his time over the coming months. In Iraq there is the expectation now of success. He will not want to be seen as the one who “dropped the ball”. Rather, he will want to make it a part of his legacy. Afghanistan will be more troubling.

Obama has already commiteed to the plan to send more troops to keep that troubled land from reverting to a terrorist outpost. Here he will have to be very careful. Afghanistan has been a geopolitical bed of quicksand for nations going back to the time of Alexander the Great. Nothing is easy for foreign troops in that troubled land.

Number two will be the question, “will he keep us safe from another terror attack?” President Bush did. Nothing has occured since 9/11. Will an Obama administration maintain the safeguards put in place during the last eight years? If a major terrorist attack occurs on his watch he will bear the responsibility. It can be no other way.

Number three is the economy. He inherits the most dangerous economic situation in our generation. Expectations are high. He has the “best and brightest” minds at work on the problems. It is now his economy and it will occupy front and center beginning tommorrow.

We wish him well and pray for his success.