In the year before us, 2017, we can only play the hand that is dealt us.
Thus, we refuse to speculate about what might go wrong; instead we dwell on the possibilities of what could go right. We hope it will be quite a lot.
So, Happy New Year!
The year holds, in only 20 days, a change in presidential administrations. Though we did not as an editorial page endorse President-elect Donald Trump in the Republican primary or in the general election (preferring a non-endorsement over favoring his opponent), we nevertheless feel a hopefulness for the country that has been missing for the last decade.
In the waning years of the administration of President George W. Bush, the war in Iraq and then a recession soured the mood of the country. Unfortunately, in President Barack Obama, we have had an administration that has consistently governed against the will of the people and given us morasses such as Obamacare and a tattered Middle East that will take time to untangle.
In Trump, with whom we will never be sure what we'll get, we're nevertheless expectant of a conservative Supreme Court selection who will temper the leftward drift of the justices, at least a partial takedown of the expansive and expensive Affordable Care Act, strong border enforcement and a federal government more interested in helping than strangling businesses.
If the new president achieves just those things, he will have fulfilled many of his campaign promises, and that in itself will be novel. If he, in fact, does those things, he'll also make believers out of those blue-state voters who helped elect him and convince them and others of the viability of a government that listens to them instead of one that only marches to its own drummer.
We hope Trump will do even more, though. Though stock market and unemployment figures are solid, those who study the economy know things are not what they should be below the surface. Many people gave up looking for work during the last eight years, others can't find a good-paying job, the debt continues to increase and the deficit is back on the rise again. An improved business climate in 2017 would help in all those areas.
The national media's game of the moment is to criticize everything about the president-elect, from his cabinet picks to his young son's moisturizer applications, in an effort to delegitimize him before he ever takes office. To say the degree of attempted destruction is unprecedented would be an understatement.
However, we're glad in many ways he doesn't feel tied to doing things the way they've always been done. Though it frustrates the Beltway media, a president who communicates with the people, doesn't pick the usual suspects as cabinet members and says he'll make policy based on what the American people want would be a refreshing change.
Nevertheless, we will not be immune to calling out Trump as president when we believe he has erred. But since none of his cabinet picks has been confirmed, since he can take no official action until he is sworn into office and since he has yet to move into the White House, speculation about what he may or may not do is only that - speculation.
So, we'll remain hopeful.
Locally, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., by the end of 2017, likely will have decided on his future. The former Chattanooga mayor, who was considered by Trump for vice president, secretary of state and perhaps other cabinet posts, is up for re-election in 2018.
Currently a vigorous 64, he is not the retiring sort. But whether he will pursue a third term, return to the state to run for governor or seek an entirely new venture will have to be on his to-do list this year.
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, the man who succeeded the man who succeeded Corker, is running for re-election in March along with all City Council members.
The mayor has not been flashy, though steady, but has run up some negatives. But his negatives - an increase in shootings and homicides probably the largest - may not be enough to deny him a second term. When the city election and subsequent April runoffs are done, the City Council - which usually follows Berke's lead - could return intact, or have up to four new members.
Fortunately, the city they govern is - despite the isolated violent crime - the envy of many. High on numerous lists of "best" cities for this or that in the last half decade, the Scenic City continues to be a beautiful place to live, continues to have a relatively low cost of living and continues to be an enviable place in which to do business.
Though Chattanooga has been in the news in the last two years for terrorism, tragedy and weather, we're hopeful that in 2017 the city - and the nation - are more in the spotlight for what's right rather than what's wrong.
After all, we're all due a good year, right?