Yes, we can.

So, I don't want to be a wet blamket on the eve of 'The Day of Global Catharsis'®. And I totally get why there's a lot of excitement. I wish I shared the 'Hope'. But I think it's way too much to throw on the shoulders of this one guy. Of course, a lot of the elation has to do with the end of the 'All hat, no cattle' era. And I'm like the vast bulk of the world in that regard.

Still, much as one might like to think that eight years of of complete ass-hattery are just going to go *poof* are as deluded as the thankfully outgoing Commanduh in Chief. There's too much leftover crap. And to think that President Obama is going to put on his wellys, roll up his sleeves and muck out the sty on his own-some ought to reflect on the most memorable slogan of the campaign past.

'Yes, we can.', from an advertising perspective was pretty good. Break it down and it means 'Positive, collective ability.' Plus, I think it's essentially empty (A good thing in advertising sometimes). It's something to feel good about, but it doesn't really contain anything resembling a promise, a unique selling proposition, or a strong branding element. It's not, ''Yes, I can', or 'Yes, I will.'

What it does have is a signal of faith in the resilience of the American people to muck the thing out together . In other words, it's the Nike version of 'Ask not what your country can do for you...". It is, at its heart, a call to service, a happy face call to action on behalf of the ailing 'Greatest Nation Evah!®'.

And that's as it should be. As John Ibbitson noted in his dispatch to today's Globe, tomorrow's the celebration. After that, though, it's time to get busy.

With what? Well, positive, collective ability, one hopes.