Barack Obama 44th US President - Yes We Can!

[Jan Van Quirm]

No matter who you vote for the government always gets in..... well substitute President for government I suppose, but at least that's only one person

Politicians are not my favourite people but every so often one comes along and you think - hey this one will make a splash *in hopeful tones and positive note* Regrettably the last time I thought that it was Tony Blair, but Obama seems to have avoided the inane grinning so far (which after a few years started looking like he was having a strangulated hernia...).

He seems an intelligent and principled guy and god knows the USA could use someone like that - and so could the rest of us - so I really hope he stays as charismatic and determined as he appears.

[swreader]

Today is a great day for the United States and a hopeful one for the world. President-elect Barack Obama is an extraordinary man, a new face with new ideas--not bound by the old prejudices and givens about this country or it's place in the world.

I ask for your prayers, good thoughts and help for my would-be adopted country and Barack Obama's and for our chance, together, to improve the world.

I haven't been able to sign in as mysef for the last week, so Tony posted (and modified my original statement). Now, several days later--I'm am increasingly pleased and impressed with the obvious and readily apparent difference between our 43rd President (GW) and our soon to be 44th President (BHO)--including the fact that the transition staff are presently going over GW's previous and new Executive Orders to try to correct the damage GW has unilaterally (no Congressional approval) done to our nation in matters such as the enviornment, women's health, the constitution and others too numerous (unfortunately) to mention.

January 9th can't come soon enough!!!

[Tonyblack]

I have to say that I never, ever thought I'd get so hooked on the politics of another country, but the election here in the US has been rivetting. I've even got a 'Vote Obama' t-shirt and was incredibly moved one day when an elderly black lady came up to me with a huge smile on her face and said "thank you!" to me. I just wish I'd been able to actually vote.

[mattygroves]

I am, for those of you who (which will, I realise, be nearly all) don't know, I'm a transplanted American - I've been in the UK for over 20 years.

I have never, ever cared so much about an election result, and was as pleased as the proverbial punch on Wednesday 5th November. Even though I owed two people lunch, one person dinner, and one £20 (I bet against the man I badly wanted to win, on the basis that either way, I'd have something to look forward to).

I was tickled when several people in my office congratulated me. I was saying to them..."well, it wasn't just me. I had help".

Saying all that....Obama is bound to disappoint. Partly because he's a politician, but also because we've (by 'we', I just mean...well...every thinking person, it seems) given him almost messianic attributes, at least in our own minds. And he's not the messiah (he's a very naughty boy - sorry, wrong context), he's just a man. A man who will misstep and make mistakes at best. Who will be Jimmy Carter (a very good man, but a very bad president) at worst. I said to someone that I hope Obama doesn't surround himself with idiots the way Carter did, and then I realised that surely Carter didn't become president and then say to himself "I know what I'll do, I'll surround myself with morons." No. Carter didn't mean to. Let's hope Obama really IS the new hope he seems to promise.

Last thought on this:
Democracy gives us the choice,
Of which machine to vote with;
Or to choose which brand of razor blade,
We'd rather cut our throat with".

Not original with me, sadly, but amusing nevertheless.

That's my take - sorry to hijack the board - regular programming may now resume.

Cheers!
Kate

[swreader]

Well, it's been a little over a week since the election, and Obama seems to be behaving with considerable intelligence and skill (i.e. - picking White House staff before Cabinet members) and without many leaks--as was his ability during the campaign.

The points he has made seem sensible, and he is already showing signs of trying hard to work at bipartisan consensus (sending a Democrat & a Republican to represent him at the G-20 conference, but not attending himself--there's only one President at a time). But all indications are that he is going to hit the ground running (and with good ideas about problems and undoing some of the mess Bush has made) on January 21st.

There are, unfortunately, still some racial bigots in the country--and they have been making themselves seen and heard in much larger numbers than one had hoped for as reported here. But if he chooses Lincoln as a model in selecting members of his cabinet, he won't go far wrong.

[Dotsie]

Sharlene that's pretty shocking. I would hope that they would see what a great difference he makes & change their attitudes, but people like that don't have normal thought processes. I don't get it, I just don't

[Jan Van Quirm]

Like the man says at the end of the article - it's like kicking the dog after a bad day at the office. Completely pointless but it makes you feel better for a bit...

I find most 'isms' disgusting and to make it even worse many so-called 'committed' Christians seem to excel at two of the worst - racism and to be more exact homophobia. Where does 'love thy neighbour as thyself' come into burning crosses in decent people's gardens? Maybe the people who do this should be 'committed' to the nearest prison asylum and they can complain for a real reason then?

Rationally however we are all guilty of prejudice to some extent and it is seemingly a part of human nature to be so. I'm talking here about the 'us' and 'them' syndrome. It's just a question of degree and how extreme the hysteria is I think.

Black people are as guilty of racism - remember Rwanda in the early 90's? They achieved proprtionately in about 100 days something that it took the Nazis in Germany years to do and massacred 800,000 Tutsis in an horrific tribal retribution and left a nation in shock and horror... and right now they're starting to do it again because the hate is still there and the country's problems have merely spread into neighbouring countries in central Africa where the resident Tutsi's resent their own displaced Tutsi cousins putting pressure on their livelihoods and socio-political positions - and so the cycle of atrocity and trauma and famine continues...

Still not as bad as Germany under Hitler? It's exactly the same my friend - Hitler was at least broad-minded in his prejudice and exterminated homosexuals, gypsies and yes, black people, as well as the Jews. The only way it was worse was because it was institutionalised and methodical and therefore more truly callous and calculated. And evil too, and here you slip yourself into a kind of reverse prejudicial hatred where Israeli soldiers persecute Palestinians and the Muslims push right back against Judaism and Christianity the world over...

So America has done a marvellous thing and voted in an intelligent and high-principled black man - that doesn't mean the idiotic, rabid die-hard rascists are going to be happy about it. This was bound to happen and all the crazies will continue to crawl out of the woodwork. Democracy cuts both ways folks, like it or not and part of any democratic system is that people have the right to hold their own deeply beliefs no matter how disgusting or unacceptable they may be. This is why the Pilgrim Fathers chose to flee religious prejudice in Europe, why European slave-dealers were in demand to provide abducted black workers for the cotton and cane fields, why Poles and Russians and Irish and Italians fled political and economic repression in the 1800 and 1900s...

Rascists may have a constitutional 'right' to hold their nasty reprehensible views but they do not have the 'freedom' to seek to impose it in any criminal manner. The USA has one of the more robust and reactive justice systems in the world and in that they are lucky for that will be what the decent and peaceable majority will demand to counteract these idiotic bigots. President-elect Obama appears to be the kind of person who will pull out all the stops to ensure that the good people of America get this lunatic fringe made ineffectual.

Roll on January and here's hoping that reason and honour are served.

[Catch-up]

Ditto to what Sharlene said.

And, Kate, no worries! Obama doesn't need to be anywhere near messianic levels to be a huge improvement on the Bush administration. No need to anticipate disappointment until we actually see what happens.

Dotsie, no one can relate to that kind of horrible mindset. Unfortunately, this reaction from some people is not a surprise. Big changes bring out the ugliness. Let them crawl out of the woodwork. Better that we can see them and know them for what they are.

[Dotsie]

Let them crawl out of the woodwork. Better that we can see them and know them for what they are.

Very wise words indeed

[BlackAssassin]

I heard this little ditty and I have been singing it since the election of Barack...

"Bob the builder, CAN WE FIX IT?
Bob the builder, YES WE CAN!

Barack Obama, CAN WE FIX IT?
Barack Obama, YES WE CAN!!!!!

I am very happy with the results also - both hubby and I have been following progress for ages and glad with the outcome.

[Katariina]

I heard this little ditty and I have been singing it since the election of Barack...

"Bob the builder, CAN WE FIX IT?
Bob the builder, YES WE CAN!

Barack Obama, CAN WE FIX IT?
Barack Obama, YES WE CAN!!!!!

Brilliant Ally!

[Tonyblack]

He's done it again!

This cheered me up tremendously when I heard it on the news this morning.

Congrats Barack!

And well done America!

Here's an email Sharlene got:

I'm about to go speak to the crowd here in Chicago, but I wanted to thank you first.

I want you to know that this wasn't fate, and it wasn't an accident. You made this happen.

You organized yourselves block by block. You took ownership of this campaign five and ten dollars at a time. And when it wasn't easy, you pressed forward.

I will spend the rest of my presidency honoring your support, and doing what I can to finish what we started.

But I want you to take real pride, as I do, in how we got the chance in the first place.

Today is the clearest proof yet that, against the odds, ordinary Americans can overcome powerful interests.

There's a lot more work to do.

But for right now: Thank you.

Barack

[ChristianBecker]

Oh, bummer!
This means another 4 years of anti-Obama threads on Gentoo's OTW .

Apart from that: Congratulations Mr President. Congratulations to the US people, too.

[Dotsie]

What a relief this is! I couldn't imagine what the US would be like under Romney.

[Del]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well DUH! I was reading this thread and got past HEAPS of posts before I realised it was from 2008 !!! (Hey its been a VERY long and busy day here)

YAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How good is this?..... It was on every channel here for hours.... and dont get me wrong... thats SO unusual... that our TV channels would cover an American election to THAT extent.

Personally I am so please he will have a chance to show what he can do.... medicare for one. It was tough that such an intelligent man came into power at the crux of the worst global financial situation since the Great Depression, so I am hoping that he will have a chance to show his leadership and economic reforms without the full force of the GFC looming over him. At least he WAS put in power at the right time. Most national governments (ours included) have been thrown out with the bathwater because unfortunately the hype and mudslinging always seems to focus on an incumbent government being solely responsible FOR the GFC. You always HOPE that majority of voters are intelligent enough to see past this kind of political hyperbole but I have long ago given up on the hope that sense shall prevail; and I am not talking just about American politics. Good to see that the Americans came through for Obama and the reforms and policies he has worked so hard to introduce can be continued and given a fair chance to work.

I may be displaying a sense of innocence but he seems to be more of a leader of government and less of a puppet for "the back-room boys" of former American governments and companies and banks with severely vested interests globally. I wonder if THATS one of the reasons that the whole world was watching this election so closely. And if he IS a leader as I suspect he is, he has always had my admiration for being able to implement some of the changes he has in the Washington political environment. I suspect also that given a freer reign he would introduce much more sweeping changes for the better to the American landscape.

I used to be severely interested in politics and during the presidential eras of some of the past presidents (should we mention any of the Bushs?) it seemed that they were little more that "press secretaries" standing and announcing at the White House lecturn than world leaders. Obama had reignited an interest in American politics when he was first elected.

Of course it would be remiss of me to add to all the Americans on this board that this is only the view of a lowly and ill-informed Aussie. You can never KNOW a government, or how it affects your individual life when you don't LIVE in the country itself... and of course, I am coming to the knowledge with a lifetime of MY political knowledge and OUR system. Honestly... our health system is NOT the best (it used to be)... but I cannot understand a country that does not have a level of free health-care for all its citizens.

To end..... I also do not understand a situation where voting isnt compulsory. To think that the most powerful world leader is elected by 3 to 4% of the population is soooooo scarey. And so open to abuse. What shocked me last night was our collective horror at watching people line up (in winter?) for up to FOUR HOURS???? to vote. No wonder noone turns up. I would think twice about it too... especially if I had small children. One commentator here remarked to an American commentator who seemed quite blase about a 4 hour line up.... "Well perhaps because it has always BEEN compulsory here we got really good at organising the voting booths." I cant ever remember having to wait for more than a few minutes while the officials checked me off the voting roll.

Perhaps if something as simple as the lines could be fixed and (omg) nationalised, then more Americans would be willing to come out and do what if the most basic and fundamental right of a democracy.... VOTE.

Anyway....

YAYYYYYYYYYYY OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I believe the whole world has breathed a collective little sigh of relief.