The elephant in the room... AKA... the American Election

[Ellendra]

I have a huge problem with someone with zero experience except for "running for office" being in charge of the whole shebang.

But then again, you could say his time spent as a community organizer and civil rights attorney would put hm more in touch with the majority of Americans than most who enter the political fray from elite oil/big business circles.

I don't know what community organizers are like where you are, but all the ones I've met have been little better than trained thugs.

[Clara]

First guantanamo, now reform of USAid - OMG this guy might actually stand for something! Hoping he pulls off universal healthcare, and how about a tougher stance with the Israelis?

I get the feeling some of the Americans here don't much like him or what he stands for, but I truly believe he will improve the way the rest of the world looks upon you.

[contadina]

I don't know what community organizers are like where you are, but all the ones I've met have been little better than trained thugs.

It seems views of community organisers in the the US depends on your politics: those on the right view them as seditious Bolsheviks while those on the left view it as a way of promoting social change from the bottom up.

During Obama's time as a a community organiser he helped win victories regarding landfills and helped win employment training services, playgrounds, after-school programs, school reforms and the removal of asbestos from public housing.

I'm sure some community organisers can be too zealous but overall, I admire the majority of them for daring to care. Thankfully, people from all walks of life tend to get involved in helping their communities in the UK.

[eek]

I'm white 40+ and cynical. I would have voted for Obama

I'm 40+ and cynical too. I am also hopeful, but I know repeatedly saying "hope and change" won't necessarily bring about change.

I think its about time a black person was president. also about time a woman was too....

Isn't it also then time for a black person to be prime minister? President of France? Married to a royal? Why do Americans always have to take the lead? How many Arabs hold office in the UK? Easy to say when it's not your country, not that skin color even matters. And he has no experience in foreign policy, economics. His appointee for head of finance is a freakin tax evader! Great choice! This is where we 40+ whites have issues.

No question he will be stacks better than W Bush, but really.. that's not hard.

There were other options, we do have third party candidates here, unfortunately no one really pays attention to them or takes them seriously.

yay for closing Guantanamo, that undoing a terrible wrong.

Yes, it is a horrible place, but no one else on the planet wants to take any of these guys. Torture should not be tolerated. Neither should subway bombings, suicide bombings, hijackings, child soldiers, IED's, etc. It's a no-win situation no matter how you look at it.

[JulieSherris]

.............................I think its about time a black person was president. also about time a woman was too....
......................Why do Americans always have to take the lead? .................

Ummm.... not ALL the time you don't, we had Maggie Thatcher....

Look, I'm not going to get drawn into the actual capabilities of the man, but as a figurehead for your country, he's a breath of fresh air.

I think we all know that the President of the USA doesn't really run the country, it's the folks behind him that we don't really see.

Anyway, I'm 40+ white, not too cynical, but I must say, he's a lot easier on the eye than our Taioseach, or the UK Prime Minister!!
Can he do the job? Well, he probably won't do any worse than other recent Presidents - and at the very least, he's already given the country a boost by reaching the heights of his office... showing other people of colour that it IS possible.

[Ellendra]

I don't know what community organizers are like where you are, but all the ones I've met have been little better than trained thugs.

It seems views of community organisers in the the US depends on your politics: those on the right view them as seditious Bolsheviks while those on the left view it as a way of promoting social change from the bottom up.

Perhaps it would help if I described the actions of the community organizers I have dealt with?

They (there were many) would seek out the small, family-owned shops, the kind that seldom hired help outside the family and if they did, it might be only one person to help during the weekend rush. The CO in question would propose to the owner of said shop that the shop purchase a paid membership to sponser whatever organization the CO was pushing that day, usually ACORN (Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now). They'd do a hard sell, and if the shop owner refused, the shop would suddenly find itself on the receiving end of both a vandalization campaign, and a discrimination lawsuit for not having a "diversified" workforce.

If the shop refused to cave it was sued out of existence, and a year later the CO in question would be mentioned in glowing terms by the media for having been "a voice for equality" or "reform" or some other such thing.

Pardon me for being skeptical.

[Ellendra]

There were other options, we do have third party candidates here, unfortunately no one really pays attention to them or takes them seriously.

No kidding! What we have are politicians elected by the media. There were several candidates whose supporters had to send signed petitions to the news networks just so their candidate would be allowed to participate in the general debates!

If the media refuses to report on a candidate, that candidate might as well not exist.

[Rod in Japan]

Obama is already a war criminal. He has authorized the murder of several children in Afghanistan, and he intends to murder a lot more, both in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

And what's more, he announced his intention to do this quite plainly all through his election campaign.

Naturally, this will have horrible consequences for him and for America.

The pastor whom Obama disowned had some strong and highly relevant things to say about this.

[eek]

No kidding! What we have are politicians elected by the media. There were several candidates whose supporters had to send signed petitions to the news networks just so their candidate would be allowed to participate in the general debates!

If the media refuses to report on a candidate, that candidate might as well not exist.

AMEN to that! I can think of several decent, honest candidates that never made it to the podium because the media didn't deem them relevant. And ACORN, don't even get me started.

There is a website called Wilson's Almanac. I think the guy is Australian, not sure, but he posts the news from around the world, great to get perspective on things.