The Next President?

Strange that his wife's revealing comment 'This is the first time I've felt proud of my country' didn't do much damage..

I would have imagined a racist comment would derail most campaigns. Not much mud has stuck to Obama in the last few months.

I've been holed up in a hotel for the last 2 weeks and have has CNN as the only English-speaking channel .. it beggars belief that America is the most powerful country in the world when you listen to the intellect on display in both candidates speeches, and the 'analysts' on TV.

Anyone campaigning or analysing in such way in Europe would be derided and dismissed.
 
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The idea that Obama is going to ruin the economy is far fetched. He has surrounded himself with old Clinton people and I remember the American economy being pretty good back then.
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Totally different circumstances. Every country was booming at the time.... I have a bit of time for Clinton but a bollard could have steered the economy at that time

Andrew... Tend to agree with al lot of that. I thouight his acceptance speech was romaticised drivel with that awful "yes we can!" line trotted out over and over...

Im not saying that the acceptance speech should have announced that nuclear missiles were currently winging their way to Tehran and Russia's pipelines have been seized (he can do that in good time), but will be a relief when the preaching stops soon have to stop...
 
Totally different circumstances. Every country was booming at the time.... I have a bit of time for Clinton but a bollard could have steered the economy at that time
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What?? Did you miss the recession that allowed Clinton to win on his "it's the economy, stupid" campaign in '92?
 
Strange that his wife's revealing comment 'This is the first time I've felt proud of my country' didn't do much damage..

I would have imagined a racist comment would derail most campaigns. Not much mud has stuck to Obama in the last few months.
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I'm not sure how that's racist, exactly, but here's a thought: for the millions of young voters who turned out for Obama yesterday, and who came of age in the last few years of the miserable Bush years... maybe it actually resonated?
 
Her comment was a reference to the colour of her husband's skin, not a reference to reign of Bush. Hence, I'd say it is very racist..
 
The American economy is already fucked - and if/when it goes down further, it will hardly be Obama's fault. In fact, the economy is just about the one thing that is largely out of his control.

As for the romanticised speeches, agree that they would be ridiculed in Europe/UK, but let's remember that they were aimed at an American audience. Frankly, they were no more or less ridiculous than Thatcher quoting St Francis of Assisi upon her election, or Blair talking of "one Britain, one nation" when he was elected.
 
The previously mentioned watching of CNN left me wondering is the whole thing just some sort of circus? The American Presidential race reminds me of modern western society .. everyone obsessed with the cult of celebrity (what are the most popular primetime programmes?), the quest for fame and popularity. No-one strives to be good at something, knowledgeable or do the right thing. This has transferred itself to the (US) Political stage.

Joe the Plumber (for God's sake!) was used by McCain as a PR tool on the economy even though Obama's tax plans would benefit him more. Why? Because, in a general sense, the American electorate are so ignorant they simply believe the rhetoric spewed to them, and stand there chanting USA, USA, waving a flag and so on.

How this country is even involved in the round table of world politics is beyond me ..
 
Andrew Hurley said:
Her comment was a reference to the colour of her husband's skin, not a reference to reign of Bush. Hence, I'd say it is very racist..
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Here's the quote:

What we have learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback. And let me tell you something. For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I've seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues, and it's made me proud. And I feel priveleged to be a part of even witnessing this, travellng around states all over this country and being reminded that there is more that unites us than divides us, that the struggles of a farmer in Iowa are no different than what's happening on the South Side of Chicago. That people are feeling the same pain and wanting the same things for their famillies.
 
Andrew Hurley said:
Joe the Plumber (for God's sake!) was used by McCain as a PR tool on the economy even though Obama's tax plans would benefit him more. Why? Because, in a general sense, the American electorate are so ignorant they simply believe the rhetoric spewed to them, and stand there chanting USA, USA, waving a flag and so on.
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Did you miss the bit where McCain lost?
 
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Totally different circumstances. Every country was booming at the time.... I have a bit of time for Clinton but a bollard could have steered the economy at that time

What?? Did you miss the recession that allowed Clinton to win on his "it's the economy, stupid" campaign in '92?
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Given that the recession was technically between 90 and 91, quite what Clinton did to turn it around after being elected in late 1992, i have no idea

In fact, the economy is just about the one thing that is largely out of his control.
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Exactly. And room for manouver is restricted of course. Apart from a different emphasis on tax, there probably would have been very little to seperate Mccain and Obama going forward
 
Her comments illustrate a thought process of being proud referencing a black area with a white area..

If she genuinely thinks South side of Chicago has much in common with Iowa, she's clueless..
 
I have worked in quite a few different management roles. I used to absolutely love coming into a situation like Obama faces. Everything in sh!t and no matter what you do the metrics in 3 years are likely to be better and you can claim the credit. Brown and Cowan for example, face the opposite problem.

Secondly, I know the speeches are aspirational and vague, but lets go with Galileo for a week and enjoy the moment. Let's believe for a week in promise, in hope and in a better world. can we do that? Yes, we can.
 
I agree with Andrew. Its been covered enough already, but if she wanted to remove doubt then she would have been (at the very least) well advised to steer clear of a chrurch and organsiation that praises to the heavens, a worm that describes Hitler as a great man
 
Everything in sh!t and no matter what you do the metrics in 3 years are likely to be better and you can claim the credit
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I tend towards optimism when things are bad, but I sense that four years will not be enough. Not by a long way. Might be green shoots in certain areas by then but not enough to make americans (or anyone else) believe that they are living is Obama's fucking yeswecan disneyland
 
Let me just clarify .. clearly Obama is the better candidate but to think, or for you AC, hope that he's going to drastically change America, or more specifically, it's foreign policy (Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, G Bay) is naive.

America, it's people, it's policies are often so ridiculous you couldn't make it up... it's like an episode of The Simpsons ;)

How has it got to the position it has in the world is the question I'm asking myself.
 
I tend towards optimism when things are bad, but I sense that four years will not be enough. Not by a long way.
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Funny you should say that, because Obama actually said much the same thing in his speech last night. You did actually hear the speech, right?
 
Andrew Hurley said:
The previously mentioned watching of CNN left me wondering is the whole thing just some sort of circus?
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I happen to think you're spouting shite about Michelle Obama's supposedly "racist" comments, Andrew, but I do have to agree with this point- the whole thing is an absolute feeding frenzy, an 18 month travelling circus (that probably reaches fever pitch during the primarys rather than the general in many respects).

And I absolutely fucking loved it..
 
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