Barack Obama has been compared to Martin Luther King, the greatest American presidents of the past century and a half and, in a recent Harper's magazine article by South African writer and painter Breyten Breytenbach, Nelson Mandela. Mr Obama took office a little more than a month ago on a sea of the highest of hopes and exuberance; he has not had it all his own way with his cabinet appointments but, still, the shine has not worn off. All the world's problems have been laid at his feet and we expect him to fix them. It's time for a reality check before we get totally carried away and start referring to him as the next Jesus: he is a mere mortal, not a miracle-maker.
I don't mean to be a killjoy. Times are bad and, if a rare politician comes along who inspires and brings cause for optimism, we should give him or her our every support. Mr Obama is a breath of fresh air to a world that has lost faith in its leaders. In the absence of anyone else who inspires confidence, let's give him the ball and the opportunity to shoot a few hoops.
That said, we should not get carried away. For all his apparent qualities, he is not yet a great leader. He has no track record at the international level. Our wish list is far-reaching and broad; the majority of these issues have been on the global to-do list for decades and will not be resolved in two years, one or two presidential terms, or perhaps ever.
To his credit, the president has told us not to get too carried away. The economic meltdown will take time to come to grips with, he has said. Climate change will similarly be a tough nut to crack. But he has nonetheless told us his administration will come up with solutions and steer the world out of the gloom.
Economies move in cycles; Mr Obama is correct to say that the good times will one day roll again. Given that no one is exactly sure of just how deep the crisis will be, whether the upswing will occur while he is at the helm is a matter of guesswork. Global warming could be here to stay. Mr Obama may well get leaders together and deals struck, but just how effective they will be is a matter of wait and see.
His promised approach to foreign policy is laudable. He wants to reach out to old friends and talk to foes. Iraq-style invasions are not on his agenda. But past diplomatic failures make up the bulk of the State Department's in-tray: North Korea, Iran, the Arab-Israeli conflict and terrorism.
