Comments on: Obama and McCain stylishly display their belief in democracy

By: Rose

Rose — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:08:19 +0000

I would put President Senghor of Senegal above the two you name.

By: Stuart Fairney

Stuart Fairney — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:35:58 +0000

I have to agree, I admire the idea of primaries even if you do get odd choices like Obama, Hilary Clinton, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney? Personally, I'd love to vote for a British Ron Paul not just Cameron or Brown

By: Stuart Fairney

Stuart Fairney — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:34:02 +0000

Would that be the Mandela and Mbeki that have delivered South Africa unto Jacob Zuma and power cuts?

How much melanin a man has in his body is for me as relevant as his eye colour and thus I find the whole "first black president" stuff an absurd distraction

By: adam

adam — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:42:40 +0000

I dont know what Barack will do.
I think much of what he stands for he has already achieved
simply by being elected.

I enjoyed watching both the speeches

By: mikestallard

mikestallard — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:55:51 +0000

I want to address the race issue.
When I was 18, I went out to newly independent Ghana and fell in love with Africa, especially the West African negro race, which embodied, I felt, the excellence of Africa.
Since then a lot has happened.
Nelson Mandela – Thabo Mbeki – OK now name me any five more African political leaders who come up to their knee caps.
Fast forward to Mugabe who embodies all the spite, filthy tricks, corruption, racial hatred and religious bigotry that so many African leaders have demonstrated. Name me five more like him without any difficulty at all!
I must admit I was beginning to lose faith in any African person assuming power successfully and graciously.
And now, Obama's – and McCain's – behaviour over the election has been exemplary.
After the chaotic shambles that is Africa today (look at the ANC for heaven's sake!), it is so good to see a black man who is cultured, educated, civilized, at the helm of modern Rome.

By: Derek W. Buxton

Derek W. Buxton — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:33:51 +0000

Stuart

No, I do not think you are wrong, get just one of those wrong and there will be trouble.

However, it was good to see democracy in action, the winner voted in by the populace can do something, good or bad. We do not have that chance. Apart from the lack of different ideas from each party, we are governed by Brussels, Westminster just does as it is told. Strange idea of democracy!

By: Jabba the Cat

Jabba the Cat — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:02:53 +0000

The turkeys have voted for Christmas whilst in a state of divine rapture, with the green saving of the planet substituting for cranberry sauce.

That was the immediate thought that went through Jabba's head as he listened to the Anointed One as he spoke and mesmerized the masses after John McCain conceded defeat in the early hours of this morning.

Reality will click into focus sooner rather than later, and the American electorate will see that they have traded in their freedoms and the contents of their wallets, on an unprecedented scale, with long term detrimental consequences that will take years to put right.

By: Stuart Fairney

Stuart Fairney — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:55:43 +0000

I do not share your optimistic views. Mr Obama has four major challenges. First Iraq disengagement. This will prove way more difficult than the left imagines. The US cannot simply leave and see the Iraqi government taken over by an energised Shia Mullah ~ this would be the ultimate foreign policy failure. I think they will be there for some time to come. This may anger his core supporters but you can't simply yo-yo deploy/withdraw troops willy-nilly.

Second, the promised universal healthcare model is a millstone. If he is smart, he will realise the cupboard is bare and pass peripheral legislation to great fanfare. If he is not so smart, he will try to socialise medicine. Even if this makes it out of the senate, it will be destroyed by fiscal pressures and lawsuits.

Third the economy. If he is smart, he will keep the pledges to cut taxes which will necessitate a cut in spending. I find this unlikely to put it mildly. Instead I fear, like Clinton before him, the tax-cut pledge wil be discarded more or less straight away. The government will increase still further in scope, scale and nasty authoritarianism. Taxpayers will be raped as never before. This will prolong the recession.

Last, if he actually lives up to any of the green nonsense spouted, we can expect energy tax increases and stupid restrictions of various trade at exactly the time the US economy does not need them.

I hope I am wrong. Anyone care to bet?