A Surge of Hope from the US

[sqforever]

I really felt that Obama spoke a great victory speech. And McCain too, for his words.

I will put my support behind the new President and give him my respect.

However, Barack Obama talks the talk, but he's never walked the walk. Nancy Pelosi, Reed, and Obama together means the Democrats will have an unhealthy dose of power in Washington. Although many people believe otherwise, the current economic woes were primarily caused by the actions of Democrats in Congress; their lowering of loan standards for example. He has never changed anything in the past, and looking at his plans, I'm not sure if this will be change for the better or worse. But we shall see if the great "wealth spreader" will truly bring the change that Americans actually need.....

[kapitan]

Have we sat down and thought of this.......

Obama & Biden (President & Vice President elect)
Osama b Laden (US greatest enemy)

Uncanny similarities!!!????

[N_Architect]

It appears the U.S. citizens have understood that change is the sign of times and that they are they ones who had the historic opportunity to initiate it first. And they did so by casting their vote to Barack Obama. Well done.

I am always skeptic of 'charismatic' leaders, though. While Obama's win for the presidency was a one-way option for the U.S. (and for the rest of the world, actually), let us not forget the complexity and diversity of problems he will be faced with. Of course there is nothing new here in what I say. It is truly historic to see (at last) a high-potential African-American leader becoming president of the United States. The joy and tears in people's faces and hearts in the U.S. and all around the world are rightfully revealed. But (a) he is not perfect, (b) he is not a magician and (c) he comes from this world, not from outer space. He will have to be in touch with reality, this is a fact. And the economic & political reality means that progress will be slow, change will be hard to implement, and as a result our daily reality may not be that different in four years time.

That is not to say that change should not be initiated. On the contrary, there has never been a better opportunity than this. And he will indeed initiate change. And the people will follow, I believe. How will the system react, though? How indebted is he to the forces that always try to exert influence (to a larger or lesser extent) on U.S. internal and external policy? How well can he balance initiating change with leaving unshaken few 'pillars' of the system (those that need the least change). Time will tell.

I personally do not have high expectations. If he gets few fundamental things right (changing U.S.'s foreign policy arrogance, for example), without making other fundamental things worse than they are now, then I'd consider his time in office successful. Four years are actually a very short time for us to see the immediate effects of most of the changes he may initiate.

Another point to consider would be the effects this election result (and forthcoming presidency) will have in other areas/countries, e.g. I specifically refer to the E.U. Will people be influenced and participate much more in their forthcoming country elections (voter turnout) as the U.S. voters just did? I think so. Will European leaders feel they have more to share with the U.S. President now? Perhaps yes. How will Russia react? How will they feel?

The restructuring cycle has started. Each step forward is irrevocable. For a world that desperately needed change but didn’t know where to look for it, or did not have the right leader to initiate it, change has come. Let us take advantage of this unique opportunity.


San Francisco, Financial District. May 2008.

[9V-SIA]

Yes we can!

I liked Obama's manifesto, and his tenacity in keeping to them

What's admirable is he stuck to it throughout the campaign in contrast to McCain, who changed tactics what seems like daily.

When in the midst of $4 a gallon fuel prices, while locked in a close fight with Hillary in the primaries, Hillary and McCain did the populist thing and announced yhey would lower fuel taxes. Obama refused. He said the solution was reduce dependence on foreign oil with green cars.

Look at the amateurish way McCain behaved when the economic crisis blew. First he says he will suspend his campaign to fly to Washington to hammer out a rescue.The campaign didn't stop, he flew to Washington albeit 24 hours late, and the didn't get an agreement on the bailout. Obama's response was more Presidential and cool: He's in the loop with Treasury in Washington.

And they paint him as inexperienced.

There's great optimism for the next 8 yeras

[KeithMEL]

I liked Obama's manifesto, and his tenacity in keeping to them

What's admirable is he stuck to it throughout the campaign in contrast to McCain, who changed tactics what seems like daily.

Indeed. Ideology aside, from a campaigns strategist's point of view I've always thought the Republican machine was the more effective one when it comes to campaigning, but for this election it'd seem that the Republicans have lost the plot, with v confused messages. Started out fairly well but fizzled out and went all over the place.

The Obama/Biden ticket was much more on message, multi-pronged and holistic, and most importantly focussed on a consistent theme ('change') throughout the campaign.

Some parallels to be drawn from the Australian federal elections of '07, really.

Though I still wish it was Clinton who won the Democratic preselection.

[HUGE AL]

Though I still wish it was Clinton who won the Democratic preselection.

You've got to be kidding me! Though all USA health care solutions sucked, that woman's health care plan was the most disastrous thing ever written.

[milehighj]

Though I still wish it was Clinton who won the Democratic preselection.

Clinton v. McCain might well have gone the other way...

[HUGE AL]

Clinton v. McCain might well have gone the other way...

[KeithMEL]

Clinton v. McCain might well have gone the other way...

Even after that Katie Couric interview?

A lot of jilted Clintonites actually hoped for Obama/Clinton - that'd have been the dream ticket politically but would have also resulted in lots of bruised egos and infighting.

[milehighj]

Even after that Katie Couric interview?

Palin was picked in an attempt at appealing to disenfranchised Clinton supporters. (I'm not saying it worked... )

If Hilary had gotten the nomination, then McCain would have selected a different running mate to peel off some of the Obama base.

[HUGE AL]

Palin was picked in an attempt at appealing to disenfranchised Clinton supporters. (I'm not saying it worked... )

If Hilary had gotten the nomination, then McCain would have selected a different running mate to peel off some of the Obama base.

In either case, McCain should have gone with Romney.

[KeithMEL]

Palin was picked in an attempt at appealing to disenfranchised Clinton supporters. (I'm not saying it worked... )

I had a feeling Palin was also picked to appeal to Middle America in general.

I am not sure if there's much leakage of votes from jilted Clintonites though there were many in the initial stages of the campaign who'd declared that they'd vote for McCain after Obama got the Democratic endorsement. However, some of the previously red states Clinton won in primaries did turn blue eventually (PA for instance). Either people decided the Obama ticket was lesser of 2 evils after observing Palin, or they'd realised that they still want a Democratic President over a Republican one. I was initially quite surprised at the extent to which politics in the US is tied to personalities rather than the political parties per se. Personally I could never bring myself to support people from "the other side."

[KeithMEL]

If anyone's interested here's a pretty cool TR, A Road Trip We Can Believe In written by 5 of my mates, fellow Labor hacks who were traveling across the US to observe the elections and help out with some of the Democratic campaigns:
http://www.aroadtripwecanbelievein.blogspot.com/

[Lobster]

I had a feeling Palin was also picked to appeal to Middle America in general.

The trouble was that she was supposed to appeal to too many categories which of course in the end clashed.

Her very conservative attidutes towards abortion, gun control etc were supposed to appeal to the far right of the party who thought McCain was too liberal. Her avergage Joe Hockey Mum style was supposed to appeal to Middle America but of course this clashed totally with her conservative views which put Middle America off (as well as her total incompetence). Then as she is a women she was supposed to capture all of the votes from women who would have voted for Clinton. Of course this idea is just totally insulting to women as it supposes that they are so politically naive that they don't care about policies at all.

[Rejuvenated]

However, Barack Obama talks the talk, but he's never walked the walk.

Yes but the fact is the American people only had two choices where Obama was the better of the two and had little optimism that his opponent has the capabilities of turning around a battered economy and a battered foreign relationship image.