There are all sorts of reasons for hoping that Barack Hussein Obama will be the next president of the United States. He seems highly intelligent. He has an air of courtesy and sincerity. Unlike the current occupant of the White House, he has no difficulty in orally extemporising a series of grammatical English sentences, each containing a main verb.
Unlike his opponent, he visibly incarnates change and hope, at a time when America desperately needs both.
It is no disrespect to John McCain – a brave and principled man – to observe that he has chosen a difficult time to stand on the Republican ticket.
An Obama win could signify the end of race-based politics
The legacy of George Bush may take years, if not decades, to determine.
But at present he seems to have pulled off an astonishing double whammy.
However well-intentioned it was, the catastrophic and unpopular intervention in Iraq has served in some parts of the world to discredit the very idea of western democracy.
The recent collapse of the banking system, and the humiliating resort to semi-socialist solutions, has done a great deal to discredit – in some people’s eyes – the idea of free-market capitalism.
Democracy and capitalism are the two great pillars of the American idea.
To have rocked one of those pillars may be regarded as a misfortune.
To have damaged the reputation of both, at home and abroad, is a pretty stunning achievement for an American president.
It would be tough for any candidate to receive the Republican baton from Dubya, and McCain can be proud of doing as well as he is.
His chief problem is that he does not seem to offer any hope of repair to those American ideals.
Or, to put it another way, it is not clear how America under McCain would recover her standing in the eyes of the world.
His chief selling-point is his grasp of foreign affairs, and his staunch belligerence in the pursuit of American interests.
He is certainly owed the respect due to a man who fought for his country, was captured and tortured.
But is this bellicosity really what the world is crying out for today?
When asked what his policy was towards Iran, Mr McCain sang – to the tune of the Beach Boys – “Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran”.
No doubt he was joking, but if I were an Iranian politician, those words would make me want a nuclear deterrent all the more.
McCain seems to stand for perpetual sabre-rattling against the terrors of abroad, and Obama wins because he seems to stand for hope, not fear.
Not that the Democratic candidate is a pushover.
He has shown terrific steel, beating off the Clintons, and defeating McCain in all three televised debates.
If elections were decided on the ruthless efficiency of campaigns, then Obama would already have it in the bag.
The defining image of the battle so far is of the two candidates leaving the stage after the last TV debate – Obama moving confidently off, after another grave and measured performance, and McCain gagging like a gargoyle, tongue out, as he realised he was about to walk over the edge.
I am not suggesting that McCain is a buffoon, or that Obama is quite as Messianic as some of his supporters seem to believe.
He gave a speech of unrivalled torpor in Germany, for instance. He needs to stick up more vigorously for free trade, and we must hope that any ill-considered new taxes will be thwarted by Congress.
But then again, he is patently not the Marxist subversive loony Lefty that some of his detractors allege.
I revere Melanie Phillips, and I have carefully studied her blog entries about Obama and the vote-stealers, or Obama and his association with a quondam terrorist called Ayers.
In the end I gave up, goggle-eyed and exhausted, having trolled the wilds of the Neocon internet without finding anything remotely approaching a smoking gun.
Obama’s terrorist chum is now a professor, and his last act of terrorism took place when the candidate was eight, and it is not really clear that he and Obama are chums at all.
The entire set of allegations seem to be an attempt to smear him by association, and are about as damaging as pointing out that some of Tony Blair’s colleagues used to be Stalinists, or that Tory party conferences used to feature people who advocated the hanging of Nelson Mandela.
Obama deserves to win because he seems talented, compassionate, and because he offers the hope of rejuvenating the greatest country on earth in the eyes of the rest of us. All those are sufficient reasons for desiring his victory.
And then there is the final, additional reason, the glaring reason, and that is race. Huge numbers of voters, whether they admit it to themselves or not, will hesitate to choose Barack Obama for President because he is black. And then there are millions of white Americans who will undoubtedly vote Obama precisely because he is black, and because he stands for the change and the progress they want to see in their society.
After centuries of friction, prejudice, tension, hatred – you name it, they’ve had it – America is teetering on the brink of a triumph. If Obama wins, then the United States will have at last come a huge and maybe decisive step closer to achieving the dream of Martin Luther King, of a land where people are judged not on the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.
If Obama wins, then black people the world over will be able to see how a gifted man has been able to smash through the ultimate glass ceiling.
If Obama wins, then it will be simply fatuous to claim that there are no black role models in politics or government, because there is no higher role model than the President of the United States.
If Barack Hussein Obama is successful next month, then we could even see the beginning of the end of race-based politics, with all the grievance-culture and special interest groups and political correctness that come with it.
If Obama wins, he will have established that being black is as relevant to your ability to do a hard job as being left-handed or ginger-haired, and he will have re-established America’s claim to be the last, best hope of Earth.
[This article was first published in the Daily Telegraph on 21 October 2008 under the heading, “Barack Obama: Why I believe he should be the next President”]
Bugger it, Bozza, I almost agree with you. Try to revert to anachronistic blustering in your next post, I like to know where I am.
“If Barack Hussein Obama is successful next month, then we could even see the beginning of the end of race-based politics, with all the grievance-culture and special interest groups and political correctness that come with it.” (Boris)
No it won’t, did the feminists stop whingeing after Maggie was elected three times? The far-left will always find a victim to champion.
Interesting point StevenL
>I revere Melanie Phillips, and I have carefully studied her blog entries about Obama and the vote-stealers, or Obama and his association with a quondam terrorist called Ayers.
So you do look at blog entries, Boris! Go!
Amazing comments about this political minefield and Boris has stuck out his neck and nailed his colours to the mast, even before the leaders of the Party.
I note that Boris wants Latin in all London schools.
However I also see that Barack Obama’s education policy is that everyone should learn a foreign language, but which one should it be?
The British learn French, the Australians study Japanese, and the Americans prefer Spanish.Yet this leaves Mandarin Chinese out of the equation.
Then why not Esperanto?
An interesting video can be seen at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8837438938991452670
A glimpse fo the language can be seen http://www.lernu.net
‘However I also see that Barack Obama’s education policy is that everyone should learn a foreign language, but which one should it be?’
I suggest English
So, BHO looks different (visibly incarnates) and can string a sentence together even if that can be boring (unrivalled torpor). Other than that he ‘seems’, ‘has an air of’, is weak on free trade (one of ‘the two great pillars’) and needs Congress to sort out his tax plans. Oh, Boris!
I totally agree with every single word of this article and it is an inspiring article and from the bottom of my heart I hope Obama wins.
As Boris says, John McCain is a brave and principled man, whose war record can only command respect,but I too fear his bellicosity and his hair trigger temper. The massive problems facing the world need cool heads and iron control, and McCain’s fiery temper, although endearing in its honesty, is not exactly reassuring.
He also, please forgive me, looks on his last legs, poor man. At one time, I feared he would keel over with exhaustion, and his health record must give cause for concern. Should he die in office, or only serve one term, that would mean political road kill – the uber pinhead from outer space, Sarah Palin would be POTUS! Nightmare scenario.
But Boris has made the most important point of all.
“If Obama wins, then black people the world over will be able to see how a gifted man has been able to smash through the ultimate glass ceiling.”
This would mean hope for all the black kids in the US and in the world who have been denied an even break. Hope for all the kids Ray Lewis fights to provide with a father by being their father.
And as Boris also points out….
“If Barack Hussein Obama is successful next month, then we could even see the beginning of the end of race-based politics, with all the grievance-culture and special interest groups and political correctness that come with it.”
If he wins, whatever sort of a fist he makes of the job, my God, the world will be a better place.
Whilst not being unsure about America and Britain’ roles in Iraq and Afghanistan, to me the American intervention in Georgia was very admirable.
Google: AMERICA POWER: WHERE IS NATO INTERVENTION IN GEORGIA
I have read somewhere that people hope Obama’s SKIN COLOUR will appeal to the terrorists, like he is one of them ( ?!!! ). Even Boris says: ” McCain seems to stand for perpetual sabre-rattling against the terrorists abroad. Obama seems to stand for hope, not fear.”
Throughout his post, Boris uses the words colour, black people, black voters, a role model for black people, the end of black-based politics … and nothing about whether Obama will be able to deal with the country’s economy or not.
Don’t forget the outcome of the WW2. To me America stands for freedom for themselves and for the world ( even if they make a mistake sometimes ).
Cough, cough, cough ****@@BOLLOCKS****
Here are the 10 amendments for Mr. Boris Johnson to memorize:
1) Yous can’t make friends with the terrorists by being limp-wristed.
2) Yous can’t plead with the terrorists for mercy because you think your dark coloured skin matches theirs.
3) Yous should not back a man to win/ not to win an election because of his skin colour.
4) Yous should not NOT to back a man to win an election because of his poor English grammar.
5) You should not focus too much on skin colours, races.
6) You should not mock at someone’s poor grammar.
7) You should not spend too much time dancing wildly at the annual Notting Hill Carnival.
8) You should not read Melanie Phillips’s blog searching for Obama’s skeletons.
9) You should google: OBAMA GAY RUMOURS if you insist on looking for his skeletons first before backing him.
10) You should always be grateful for even the the present of America in the world. Because America stands for freedom, even if she makes a mistake sometimes. And nobody is perfect.
cough, cough, cough ****@@BB**** CYRIL, I told you that Boris bloke is an eccentric buffoon, didn’t I ? He’s really obsessed with the English language and grammar, ain’t he? Last time he laughed at Arnold’s crap English, ain’t he ? Not that I’m taking Arnold’s side because of his bulging muscles, his tight pert bum, his bulging crotch… ( oooh, young man ) ***@@BB***
***@@BB*** BOLLOCKS to Boris !!! cough, cough, cough. Bollocks.
WHAT?!!! Did our Boris say America was aggressive ? I can’t believe it !!! NO WAY, JOSE !!! Who did most of the the dirty work in that second word war? Who gave me and me brother candies during the war? Whose ever present scares the hell out of the bloody aggressive, ruthless Russian commies ? Not me, I can tell you !!! ( not that I’m THAT ugly, to be honest with you. giggle, giggle ). It’s America, that’s who.
We should be grateful even just for the ever present of America in this troubled world, even if she makes a mistake sometimes, because nobody is perfect . True.
By the way, yesterday Madonna said that her Guy is busy telling his lawyers to grab as much dosh out of Madonna as possible and called him a gold digger. Well, I told you 3 days ago I thought he and Mandelson were gold diggers, didn’t I ? Not that people’ crumbling marriages delight me. It just that I always think a man should earn more money than his woman to earn her respect. If he can’t, then he should look at someone else who earns less ( or not at all: no working ) than him. At their wedding in Scotland, Guy joked to his friends that he would divorce Madonna after 7 years and grab her money. Must have been something always lurking in his mind, I guess, even if it was only a joke.
“If Obama wins, then the United States will have at last come a huge and maybe decisive step closer to achieving the dream of Martin Luther King, of a land where people are judged not on the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.”
That I choose to evaluate Sen. Obama by the content of his character – and his record of public service – instead of the color of his skin is precisely why I am voting for Sen. McCain.
Oldies, I do not understand your reasoning. How would it be a skeleton if Obama were gay? Or bisexual? Neither of those things is anyone elses business, they are absolutely nothing to do with fitness for office as President.
According to American historians, George Washington was probably bi-sexual and Abraham Lincoln was also supposed to be bisexual. Proof exist that Lincoln shared a bed with a neighbur, Joshua Speed, for four years and letters of affection exist between the two men. Benjamin Franklin was supposed to like threesomes and James Buchanan was reported to be gay.
http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=5227
Are you suggesting that two of the greatest Presidents the US has had, Lincoln and George Washington. should never have held office?
Surely the sexual orientation of presidential candidates is no longer an issue, surely we have come that far in the progress of civilisation?
I meant to say – Whilst not being very sure about America and Britain’ roles in Iraq and Afghanistan RIGHT NOW. But I have always admired their roles in those sorry countries.
( this correction is important to me )
Cough, cough, cough ****@@BB****
Oh, yeah, Angela ??? And YOU could strip McCain off ( oooh, young man! ) and spray fake tan onto him several times over and pass him off as Obama to please the terrorists- they would not suspect a thing. That way McCain would not have to lose at the election because he is white.
****@@BOLLOCKS***
“Unlike the current occupant of the White House, he has no difficulty in orally extemporising a series of grammatical English sentences, each containing a main verb.”
Of course you, Mr J, are perfectly eloquent at all times?… Takes one to know one I guess,
but otherwise, completely spot on old chap!
We don’t need a muslim President! Doesn’t anyone remember the 3000 murdered victims of 9/11/01? The murderers were muslims! Barack Hussein Obama counts among his closest associates, Tony Rezko, a muslim from Syria plus many other muslims. What about taking over the USA don’t you get? If we elect Barack Hussein Obama president, get ready for sharia law!
Couldn’t agree with you more! Obama has galvanised an entire apolitical generation with his discourse of hope and change. He is a transformational political figure who will sweep away the dross of the American Saga/Baby Boomer generation. Well done for supporting him so publicly.
“Who did most of the the dirty work in that second word war?”
—The Russians, I think. At least in terms of numbers dead.
This is a beautiful, well written article, and as a great Obama fan, I have to entirely agree with Boris.
We DON’T need John McCain’s bellicose attitude, well said Boris! John McCain is a fantastic war hero, but to me, he is out of touch, and an old fashioned politician, well meaning and courageous and decent though he undoubtedly is.
Great observations and, yet again, a thoroughly well balanced piece. I can always rely on Boris to fill in the gaps for me as I watch events unfold both globally and here at home. Boris you amaze and delight me with your ability to find the truth in a situation. I also believe that hope can achieve so much more than fear but recognise that people who live in fear can be easily manipulated for political purposes. Your humour, wit and knowledge make for wonderful reading, I just wish your influence in local government stretched further north.
Hi.
Not sure where I stand yet, it does seem like Obama will win.
I really admire the American spirit, we could do with some of that patriotism here.
It would be great if Boris would invest in cohesion by encouraging more young people to vote. I would love to see more national symbols in public places, we are a mixed bunch – like the States, why not bring us all together with a bit of national pride?
As a minority myself I look to America for an example, lets fly OUR Union flag high.
When the WW2 was over, who enslaved those eastern european countries, the balkans, east germany… for years and years until some of them broke free one by one? The ruthless russian communists, that’s who.
Who murdered all former soldiers in those eastern european countries who had been fighting under their not-communist governments before the ruthless russian communists enslaved their countries to avoid any future resistance? The ruthless russian communists, that’s who.
Who really freed other western countries and not enslaved them? The west and the americans, that’s who.
Who shamefully demanded huge compensation money from west germany before they agreed to pull out their soldiers from east germany ( dirt poor under years enslaved by the ruthless russians ) to rehouse their soldiers once they were back home? The ruthless russian communists, that’s who.
” Who did most of the dirty work during (and after!) that second world war?”
Well, well…let me think… who murdered millions, milions of their own countryfellows in harsh inhuman gulag camps ( their crimes? critizing their communist government)?
Oh, and who followed their own countryfellow dissidents in the west and murdered them?
Brian, Boris is such a popular politician, probably the most recognisable politician in Britian, that he hugely raised the profile of the London Mayors election and hugely boosted the number of people voted.
I totally agree with you about patriotism, but you will find plenty of patriots on this website. Join us regularly and find out!
Boris I loved your article. BORIS FOR PM.
Ah… I think that in this November when America has a new President called Obama, Great Britain will be not very from having a brand new PM called Boris, who is one of the very few can energize Britain again.
RPG, you forgot to add those other millions and millions of poor, pitiful, defenceless, inocent victims murdered by their own communist governments in other communist countries who were trained and told to do so by their Glorious Russian Communist Masters.
These inocent victims’ crimes: daring to critizize their governments, having anti government thoughts, trying to flee the country, having trying to flee the country thughts, being well educated, lawyers, docters, church ministers, land owners, large farmers, small farmers, having some money, having some properties, being religious, listening to radio broadcasts from the west behind closed door, reading materials printed in the west … all the “crimes” you take for granted in the West, RPG.
RPG, you are very, very lucky that your country were not enslaved by the wicked Russian communists. So please do not bite the hand that feeds you. It is no longer fashionable to be a communist sympathyser while living in the free world of the west. RPG, will you please pray for those inocent victims murdered by the communists everywhere in the world? It is not too late to do so now, RPG. Thanks.
It is so comforting to read such a beautiful uplifting article as this while in the House of Commons, Gordon Brown is demeaning the role of Prime Minister by seeking to inflame a petty row to distract the nation from his ineptness aand profligacy.
If Boris did not write such beautiful articles, I would lose faith in politicians and likely burst a blood vessel.
I would be interested to read your views on Kennedy’s ‘Block the Vote’ article in this Month’s Rolling Stone as the RNC attack on Acorn appears to have been an attempt at misdirection.
Vicus agrees with Boris – I’m going for a lie down!
Well done Boris, I agree with your sentiments.
Yes, great article, right for the times and excellently expressed.
I have never understood the line of reasoning that says politicians can never change their minds. Last year, Boris did write an article saying he supported Hillary Clinton. that was before he became London Mayor.
Since then, I believe, Boris has been on a huge learning curve and radically changed his thinking on many subjects, and he now prefers Barak Obama and is passionate about him winning. Because this is a radical change of thought, it does not mean it is not totally sincere. So any cynic who is criticising Boris for his change of heart should remember, he learns things twenty times as quickly as anybody else,and we all become enlightened and undergo metamorphoses as people, because of realisations we come to based on experiences we have had.Boris’s metamorphoses just take place miles faster then anybody elses, like Buddhas. This is one of the best most hopeful articles Boris has ever written and I hope, in time, everyone will see that, not just a lot of people.
American soldiers fought side by side with British soldiers in WW2. Together with the valueless helps from brave individuals every in the world. Their bravery and sacrifies will never be forgotten. Likewise, the bravery and sacrifies of the British soldiers and American soldiers who have been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan will never be forgotten.
Back to WW2, I understand that during the war, Russia was the ONLY communist contry in the whole world. When the war ended, western Europe had the right to govern their own countries as usual; so did Japan, even though she had attacked American Hawaii- America had done her job fighting to help end the spreading war and to them that’s it, whilst communist Russia swallowed and enslaved all eastern europe, East Germany, the Baltic, the Balkan, Minor Asia, Central Asia and all of the Artic minor communities… and subjected them to a life of misery, poverty, hardship, non-existing basic human rights…
Google: LIFE INSIDE NORTH KOREA
Watch: THE KILLING FIELDS ( a 3 Oscars winning film based on real life about Combodian communists murderring millions and millions of their own people when they took over the country in 1975 ).
If Russia has opened up a bit(like allowing their people free enterprise which has always been a natarual thing in the west!) it’s simply to avoid being overthrowed by their people like what happened in Eastern Europe.
Russia has lost a lots of their ” slaves ” that’s why now they are trying to grab Georgia, Lithunia, Ukrain… back in order to re-enslave them ( in this 21st century! ).
ALL the remaining communist countries in the world right now are run by communist dictators, communist tyrants or communist Russia / communist Chinese’ puppets. Fidel Castro ages and hands poers to his own younger brother Raoul (!!!). North Korea communist leader died, handing powers to his only son in his will (?!!!). Putin (now ONLY a Prime Minister) still runs the whole communist Russia country, sitting behind his new puppet Russian President (!!!).
Verdict: America stands for FREEDOM.
————————————
RPG
Verdict: Here hoping RPG is not one of those out-of-date wallies walking on High Street/ sitting in Starbuck wearing one of those embarassing red ” CHE ” T-shirt. Urban-wannabe-guerrillas are soooo unkool nowadays, dude!
Alistair Darling vowed yesterday to go on a multi billion pound spree in a bid to spur economic growth. The Chancellor will plunge Britain deeper in debt to ” protect jobs and prop up the economy “.
New hospitals, schools, SOCIAL housing planned for 2011 will be brought forward ( to cope with the huge influx of immigrants? ).
Even ex-Trade Minister Lord Digby Jones, a former Confederation of British Industry boss, said it was no good just throwing money at creating jobs.- ” It has to be public spending on projects that facilitate the productivity of the country. If it is spent just creating jobs, it doesn’t work! ”
Verdict: Labour’s desperately artificial instant economic recovery.
‘Bioethicists’ and Obama agree: infanticide should be legal
http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/5828/
As if abortion was not bad enough, Obama is very much in favour of murdering innocent babies. How can any decent human being support Obama?
Immigration Minister Phil Woolas was forced into a U-turn last night – after claiming Britain was ” screwed up ” about a cap on foreign workers.
In an amazing outburst, he also declared that Labour’s asylum policies had caused ” untold human misery ” . And he admitted Ministers had not got a grip on migrant numbers at all.
He made an explosive speech in London, declaring: ” Our failure to resource the asylum processes has caused untold human misery and division within our communities.”
He also voiced concern that Labour had failed to control immigration. He declared: ” People did not believe the authorities knew what they were doing and there is a very good reason for that – they did not.”
On limiting migrant numbers, he declared: ” We are, in this country, completely screwed up because we are asked the question about the cap without understanding what the the question means. ” !!! EU says UK has no right to limit EU citizens entering the country anyway.
On Saturday, Woolas suggested the influx of immigrants could be capped to stop Britain’s population going over 70 million. But by Sunday he retreated, saying it was ” very difficult ” to set a limit.
Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve said last night: ” The public will be sceptical that the Government, which spent 11 years building this problem, is the right one to solve it. So far, all we have had is kite flying – resulting in the minister tying himself up in knots.”
A total 3.2 million non-European foreigners have national insurance numbers. Half were dished out in the last 5 years alone! Even former Labour minister Frank Field said: ” The government has claimed it wants to create British jobs for British workers. If it is serious, it must stop handing work permits to outsiders at once.”
Verdict: The whole country is screwed up by this incompetent, comical Labour government again and again and again.
RPG
RPG, if you are so pro-communist, why don’t do pack up and move to Russia permanently? You are a waste of space in the free world.
Stacey your point about Darling’s spending spree, when the country owes billions, is what is making me feel physically sick with anger at the moment.
Brown and Darling are quite happily sacrificing the economic future of this country for short term political gain. They reckon they will try to buy their way out of a hole and if that doesn’t work they will create such a huge financial black hole that Cameron and Osborne will be hampered at every turn.
There should be a way of restricting such criminally selfish and irresponsible behaviour, but apparently not.
ANYONE WHO VOTES FOR LABOUR IN THE GLENROTHES BY-ELECTION WILL BE HOLDING A GUN TO THE HEART OF BRITAIN AND I HOPE TO GOD EVERYBODY REALISES THAT!!!
OPEN YOUR EYES EVERY MAN AND WOMAN WITH A VOTE IN BRITAIN! DON’T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT!!
I don’t think black people would be happy that some people back Obama to win the election because the colour of his skin will appeal to the terrorists. Or because there has never been a black American president and people want a change. Because to them it would be very patronising. They’d rather people back him because he will be able to deal with the country’s economic issues, too. And will he be able to deal with the country’s economic issues or not?
Even Boris wrote: ” He ( Obama ) needs to stick up more vigorously for free trade, and we must hope that any ill-considered new taxes will be thwarted by Congress.” Oh, dear.
It’s like the councils here banning any street Christmas decorations which has the word Christmas on it as not wanting to offend the Muslim communities living in the country. Or the police banning people displaying pig ceramic figurines in their front sitting room windows as not wanting to upset the passing Muslim neighbours.
To the Muslim communities, the councils and the police’ claims are very patronising as they themselves have never made a single complaint about such thing. They think the councils and the police are just too political correct and by inventing such new ridiculous laws will only make the communities grow further apart.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“An Obama win could signify the end of race-based politics” Boris
So do you think that Obama will end ‘positive discrimination’,eh ?
Tom, if Obama wins, and that signalled the end of race based politics that would be absolutely fantastic, and maybe you should be a bit more positive. After all, we have to do our bits, it is our attitudes, however small, that contribute to the bigger picture. It is so easy to be cynical, the hard thing is what Boris is doing, to have hope and be eternally optimistic. Being cynical and saying things will never get better is such a cop out.
I am sorry to keep repeating myself, but oh, this is such a beautiful article.
Ol Tom the Garndener is correct. And if ‘race-based politics’ really was ending then no-one would be mentioning Obama’s colour. Because it wouldn’t matter. But it clearly does.
Election Watchdogs last night insisted there was NO case to investigate over ” Yachtgate ” despite demands by the PM. Brown said claims that Osborne sought a donation from Deripaska should be probed. But the Electoral Commission insisted it had nothing to look into because no one had made a complaint. It also pointed out that there was so far no evidence of wrong doing.
Gordon told MPs: ” This is a very serious matter indeed and I hope it is investigated by the authorities. ” But he refused point blank, however, to say who should carry out the probe.
STRANGELY, Gordon Brown did not ever mentioned the fact that Mandelson himself spent a great deal of time with Deripaska – who benefitted HUGELY from a decision overseen by the then European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson HIMSELF to axe EU tafiffs on aluminium !
The lifting of the tariffs happened during Tony Blair’s 2005 stint as EU President and Blair’s global warming project IS still being partially bankrolled by Deripaska ?!
Yet, so often has Mandelson been disgraced and managed to rise again from the political grave that such dubious decisions no longer raise eye-brows very long.
The unfortunate Osborne, however, only has to share a cup of tea with Deripaska, who might or might not have been thinking about making a donation to the Tory party, and he finds himself engulfed in a political firestorm.
Who was it invited Osborne and Mandelson to his Corfu villa? Who was it who suggested a party donation might be possible? It was Nat Rothschild, old university chum of Osborne and friend of Mandelson.
Not to forget thet Deripaska is an IMPORTANT business client of Rothschild. And the theory and whispering go, in Parliamentary circle, that Deripaska was hugely embarrassed by the public airing of his CLOSE contacts with Queen P. so Deripaska leaned on the young tycoon Rothschild to divert attention. And whether Rothschild clumsily attacked Osborne out of a sense of humour and embarrassment to divert attention from the CLOSE contacts between two MEN: Queen P. and Deripaska.
( No wonder my gay friend said his accurate gaydar had been receiving rather strong signals from two well-known Batchalors – or supposed-to-be-married – all along; and we are not talking about the instant powder soup here.)
.Repoting from various papers and parliamentary gossips.
Yeah my gay friends told me that they had this, like gaydar or something, and they could tell if someone is gay or not at first glance. Weird.
Oh I’ve got one of those, Chris – if he’s really good looking, doesn’t talk to your breasts, is interested in what you say, dresses well and compliments your outfit, he’s gay.
If Queen P spends a great deal of time with Deripaska, he must have received lots of donations in return from his sugar-daddy, then ? Gordon Brown must ask for this to be investigated, too.
2 bachelors together on a yacht smells fishy, dodgy sex-wise and business-wise.
The Sun says:
” BEEB BIAS
” The integrity of the BBC is coming under question for the way it has treated the case of the Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska and his British contacts- BOTH Peter Mandelson and George Osborne.
Hundreds of viewers are complaining of unbalanced reporting – and with good reason. According to its own internal memo, hundreds and hundreds of listeners accused the BBC of bias against the Tories – pointing out that the party received NO cash at all.
And it’s strange that the BBC only went into overdrive on the story AFTER George Osborne’s name was linked to oligarch Deripaska. When just Peter Mandelson was involved, the BBC boasts it resisted making much of any allegations.
Strange, that.
And reason enough for their own enquiry into left-wing bias. ”
( The Sun newspaper, 23.10.2008 )
But Jaq, if Obama becomes President, that might herald the end of race based politics and it might cease to become an issue.
Smith, I totally agree with your post. But if Nat Rothschild wished to divert attention from the business dealings of Deripaska, boy did that backfire and his letter to the Times only lit the tinderbox. I am sticking to my view, it was really weird that Peter Mandelson picked George when badmouthing Gordon. As soon as I heard that, I thought “George don’t go there, that was no accident” or have I just got a too suspicious mind?
I followed your post except for the bit at the end, which two Batchalors are we talking about?
Angela – watch this: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zRqcfqiXCX0
If his colour doesn’t remain an issue in America, his religion certainly will. But I think his colour will too.
Personally I think both candidates have their problems. McCain’s can be summed up in two words: Sarah Palin. As John Cleese put it – she’s a nice-looking parrot. Or as I put it – a total nut-job with a pretty face. Obama might win despite the colour prejudice because the alternative might be her.
So what you are saying,Smith,that Mandelson and Deripaska are a pair of poofs.Am I right?
Tom, there is nothing wrong with being gay. I don’t like people using the word poofs, it is hurtful.
Jaq. but isn’t Obama a Christian? I know he attended the church of a pastor who was very extreme, but he has disassociated himself from that man now. Totally agree with you about Sarah Palin. She is out of her depth, and a potential disaster. All the more dangerous because she definitely has charisma and is very attractive, but I can’t get past her lack of brain, and her, to me, crackpot ideas.
ps. Russell Brand said he would ike to fondle her and now he is getting death threats.
Angela – Two Bachelors ( sounds similar to Batchelors instant powder soup . )
Ol’ Tom the gardener – Obviously.
I think it’s admirable that Johnson uses Obama’s middle name in a context where it can be interpreted positively. It’s a gesture toward brushing away the deformed logic some people rely on to stir up inarticulate fear and prejudices–the very same illogic, I feel, that underlies McCain’s repeated invocation of “Who is Barack Obama?” So, way to go, Boris! I do hope American conservatives will take a page from the British. I am a liberal, but I’m not unsympathetic to reasoned conservative arguments. It could be very constructive to have Republicans around who even tried to make sense.
NOT ONLY SEX SCANDALS BUT ALSO BIG MAFIA-LINKED BUSINESS
Pressure on Osborne is receding now as Rothschild called a true, who said ” he wanted to draw a line under this and to move on to other things as there was no interest in this ” (!). Really? Or is it because now attention has switched back to himself, Deripaska and Mandelson !!!
It now emerges that Corfu was not the first time Mandy has accepted Deripaska’s hospitalirty. Earlier this year, he stayed at Deripaska’s alpine chalet in Switzerland.
The Tories did not take any money from Deripaska, or even from his UK-trading firm LDV Ltd, which would have been within the law. Cameron was quite right in backing Osborne again last night.
However, there are serious questions hanging over Lord Mandelson, who oversaw trade issues that directly affected Deripaska’s business during his time as EU trade Commissioner. Tory MP Douglas Carswell yesterday wrote to Labour government’s newly appointed Business Secretary (!) demanding he sets out when he met Deripaska, where those meetings took place and what was broadly discussed.
Concerns over a potential conflict of interest have arisen after 2 companies asked for Lord Mandelson’s help following claims that they were victims of a share dilution scam allegedly orchestrated by one of Deripaska’s firms.
The firm in question is Ingosstrakh, Russia’s second biggest insurance company which is majority-owned by Deripaska’s company Basic Element.
The then EU trade Commissioner Mandelson himself took up the companies’ case – only for it to emerge that he had enjoyed hospitality aboard Deripaska’s 238 ft yacht Queen K !
Brussels sources said even Italian MEP Mario Mauro was preparing to write to Lord Mandelson (!) demanding a full account of his meetings with Derispaska.
Tory MEP Syed Kamall also said: There is a perception of a conflict of interest and I want Lord(!) Mandelson to come forward and publish all the details of his meetings with Derispaska.
Mandelson was challenged to to publish full details of all his meetings and conversations with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska by MPs and MEPs !!!
He is facing scrutiny of his championing of the tiny Adriatic nation of Montenegro ( which broke from a federal union with Serbia. It is the one country in the region that isn’t just bedevilled by corruption, it’s a kleptocracy- said one Balkan business anlyst.) as a world trading partner. Aluminium billionaire Deripaska has invested heavily in the country. And Rothschild also has interest there !!!
Rothschild, Deripaska and other investors want to turn a run-down bay in Montenegro into a 5 billion haven for the super-rich. Lord Mandelson, as EU trade Commissioner, played a significant role in promoting Montenegro’s entry into the World Trade Organisation, supporting its application for membership which will help pave the way to EU membership and further investment !!!
But why has a tiny state like Montenegro assumed such importance to Deripaska and his business partners? It is no secret that the country has a significant and well-established black economy. It has been governed by prime minister Milo Djukanovic since 1991. He is an interesting character. Allegations of links to hugely profitable, mafia-run tobaco smuggling between his country and the EU have seen him repeatedly investigated by Italian prosecutors !
All this hard work and Lord Mandelson, Labour Government’s Business Secretary ( !!! ), is saying he has never received any things ( cash for himself, party donations for his Labour party or free luxury holidays ) from Deripaska ?!!!
It’s looks like it’s SPRINGTIME FOR MANDY !!!
( have any of you watched that DVD film ” Springtime For Hitler ” – hilarious ! both the new version and ( the old version with Mel Brook in it. ))
I feel relieved to have escaped the sinister cloning process .These comments are worthy of the Stepford Wives.MERLIN
“Tom, there is nothing wrong with being gay. I don’t like people using the word poofs, it is hurtful.”
I’m so sorry Angela to hurt your Guardian reading sensibilities,but please forgive me for being white,working class and male.
Angela, did you know that Boris’s election success was due to the traditional Labour vote switching to the Tories.If you like,I’ll start being polite to gays,by calling them ‘sausage jockies’.Angela,we have a culture too – forget us at your own peril!
Tom dear, I never go near the Guardian, ghastly paper. I read the Times, the Telegraph and sometimes the Independent, also the Mail, the Express and the Sun, because i like to keep up with the fashin and trends.
I am solidly Tory, have never voted anything else and never could, because I just loathe the jealousy, envy, and resentment and small mindesness of the Labour Party. Tom, you are not confusing me with my bete noir, Harriet Harman, are you? Can’t stand the woman, nor can I bear Hazel Blears and their patronising PC nonsense,
My defence of gay men is partly because I have two very dear male friends who are gay. They are terrific company, and the kindest, most understanding people you could ever meet. Because of them, I do not like gay people being called names.
But my strongest reason is that I very much believe in personal freedom and nobody has any right to poke their noses into peoples’ sexuality or judge them. If anyone slagged you off Tom, and when you put your arm round your wife, they mocked your straightie life style, I would fly to your defence too.
PEACE AND LOVE. Didn’t mean to lecture you.
To behonest, George Osborne has always struck me as a little bit innocent, which is quite endearing. When he was young, he probably thought oral sex was talking while you are doing it.
Oh goodie,! Alastair Campbell is back! I wondered how long it would be, once Mandelson had lurched back like Nosferatu, before Alastair showed his face.
On the Andrew Marr show, he was talking about his nervous breakdown, and much as I totally sympathise and agree that mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, it did cast a bit of a blight on my Sunday breakfast.
Alastair Campbell has always reminded me of a cracked vase, teetering on the edge of a shelf, just about to fall off, hardly a rock of strength in times of trouble. He declares Gordon isn’t damaged, but he himself is, thanks for that, we know how much weight to give your advice then. No wonder there is so much security around Number 10 when they are all there for a meeting. It’s not so much what might get stolen as how many staff are trying to escape.
Gordon must be seriously worried by the Cameron/Osborne/ Johnson/Hague threat. Instead of imps of Satan, he is now conjuring up his demons.
Can anyone share a good recipe for forcemeat stuffing to accompany goose? I know we don’t like to give all our secrets away but, Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d be very glad of one and will of course mention you when complimented 🙂
Pardon me, I have only moments before running off to catch up on my favourite prog at the mo: MERLIN. Oh if only I had a good man to share my life with. When I iron shirts I positively ache to feel the broad expanse of cotton that would caress broad shoulders *sigh*
Anyway, Angela – hiya *waves* things have been said about Obama being just a little too public with his sudden and dramatic embrace of religion. But I cannot remember details – as merely a woman I think it would explode if I tried to stuff it with politics 😉
Jaq re the love life, I am a firm believer in Fate. Have you ever seen the cartoon HERCULES? that might seem like a crazy question, but the Disney cartoon illustrates so clearly… the witches say to someone, can’t remember who…. “In twenty years precisely. The planets will align every so nicely…..” and you see the planets slowly moving, moving, until suddenly they are aligned and then PING.
You will have your moment and that is why I always tell people, you can quit worrying, because it is fated and will be!
ps. but you mustn’t hide away, you must go out and meet your fate, but that is all you have to do! it is a very comforting philosophy!
pps. it is really worth buying the cartoon if you have kids, because the drawing of the characters was done by Gerald Scarfe. It is a total artistic achievement and miles ahead of any other cartoon.
pps. so in a few months, or weeks, whenever, but precisely.. the planets will align ever so nicely and PING!!! THERE HE WILL BE.
PS. If you buy the Hercules cartoon also, you can teach your kids a lot about Roman history.
Or is it Greek mythology, or did they both have the same Gods but with slightly different names? Anyway, the way Scarfe has drawn the Titans is just brilliant and you see Narcissus and Zeus, and when Hercules dives into the river of Death to save his true love I always have a lump in my throat because it is so beautiful and I don’t care if people laugh at me getting emotional over a cartoon.
Another closet case.
Rothschild is-used-to-having-glamorous-women-on-his-arm ( like womaniser-David Walliams ), but the controversial picture of Nathaniel Rothschild and Guinara Karinova, billionaire (!!) daughter of one the worls’s most brutal and bloodthirsty dictators, President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan.
Like Deripaska, Guinara has had problems with the American authorities. Deripaska is refused a US visa for reasons the FBI has not fully explained. Guinara, 36, Havard graduate, was made the subject of an arrest warrant after she defined a court and took her 2 children by US man of Uzbek origin back to her homeland.
The picture was taken in March 2007, at an Uzbek fashion show in Paris, intended to improve the country’s image and reputation after a massacre 2 years earlier ordered by her brutal, bloodthirsty dictator father Karimov, in which hundreds of thousands perished- murdered !!!
Guinara is a martial-arts black belt, fashion designer, poet and pop singer with a number 1 hit single in her homeland Uzbekistan !
Mr. Craig Murray, former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, said: ” This woman, Guinara Karimov is NOT ONLY just the daughter of one of the most violent tyrants on Earth BUT is ALSO directly implicated in atrocities and the major beneficiary of the LOOTING of the Uzbek state. I am stunned that Nataniel Rothschild would want to pose with her !!! ”
Shame.
25 days ago, when Mandelson was brought back into the Cabinet, it was hailed as a tactical masterstroke by his old FOE – the PM Gordon Brown. Barely a month into his new job and already Mandy is mired in allegations of sleaze, gay sex scandals that have raised serious questions about his suitability for high office and the PM’s judgment.
If Brown is not already regretting his decision , then he should be. Other Labour MPs must be now cursing Brown for his bringing Mandelson back from the political grave.
You win some, and then you lose some.
The whole thing has just totally backfired.
What is that John Lennon song… “Instant Karma is going to get you…Knock you right off your feet…..”
It is good that George Osborne has been honest enough to admit that he made a mistake and it didn’t look good. I now how much it matters to David Cameron and George to earn the trust of the electorate and not let us down in that way. People do make mistakes and it is best to say that, not slither out, with a load of excuses.
Boris wrote: “He seems highly intelligent. He has an air of courtesy and sincerity.” And: “Obama deserves to win because he seems talented, compassionate, and because he offers the hope of rejuvenating the greatest country on earth in the eyes of the rest of us. All those are sufficient reasons for desiring his victory.”
Seems. Has an air. Offers the hope.
I know the feeling. You’re staring through a showroom window at that slim, slick digital TV set up at back. It seems to be good value for money. It has an air of sophistication with its faux-walnut livery and its Ezi-touch handset. Its hi-res clour screen offers the hope of countless hours of pleasure watching movies and sport. You can already see it in the living room. Not like the old black-and-white 50s model next to it, showing hockey mums and lipsticked pit bulls. That’s what you bought last time around. It’s just that, well, you can’t see a manufacturer’s logo anywhere on it, or read the warranty terms at this distance. If you buy it, you’re buying it on faith.
And that’s what the American people seem to be about to do. They’re trading in their tired old analogue TV for a slick new digital colour model. It certainly looks good, I’ll give them that. Obama is a triumph of marketing.
Anyone remember when George W Bush was elected? He was Governor of Texas, scion of the illustrious Bush family, with one one US President in the family, his father no less. He was going to bring back some of his father’s gravitas, and apple-pie American decency in place of the soiled Clinton. Could anyone have guessed back then that this man would burden America with two disastrous wars, and drag its good name through Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib, and become the most unpopular and most reviled president in living memory?
I hope the gamble with Obama comes off. Just like I hope that the I’ll win at 50 to 1 odds at Newmarket tomorrow, as Dancing Girl storms through to win.
But I won’t be a bit surprised if neither gamble pays off. In fact, I’ll be utterly astonished if either do.
Rothschild called a truce with Osborne because Rothschild wants > to draw a line under this and wants to move onto other things < ?
Does he think we all are stupid and not clever like him? I hear that British Intelligence, MI5… have files on him, Mandelson, Paripaska…
What are other things he wants to move onto? Murky mafia-linked business; selling his soul dodgy Russian billionaires and sucking up to violent, brutal, bloodthirsty dictators? All for money and he and his family are already filthy rich. Will this money hungry baby faced man ever stop?
Danny, I know. Well, the spotlight is on them all now. If they had all let it go that George repeated Mandelson’s nasty remarks, this would never have happened. What about Mandelson’s judgment, doing that? Now they are in the soup right up to their necks.
Nathan Rothschild’s father, Jacob, was against him writing the letter to the Times apparently. Geez, I’m glad I’m an ordinary person.
“I hope the gamble with Obama comes off. Just like I hope that the I’ll win at 50 to 1 odds at Newmarket tomorrow, as Dancing Girl storms through to win.” (idlex)
I’ll stick to shorting sterling (until they get in a hissyfit like they did with the banks and ban us form doing it).
Many Americans are so fond of referring to their land as the greatest country on earth, that it has almost become a secondary name. This notwithstanding the lack of decent universal healthcare, high rate of infant mortality, appalling public education, foreign policy abominations and general paranoia and cultural vacuousness. As a Canadian happy to have fled the influence of our Northern neighbour, I find it very odd to hear you repeat this assessment. The US may be greater in mass and GDP, but will struggle to justify the the claim to greatness by meaningful measures.
Steven, if things aren’t illegal, people are going to do them, aren’t they? It seems sensible to short sterling, because it is bound to go up.
(Coming back late to the personal attacks; that’s fine).
I love the knee-jerk reactions. I love how I’m now a ruthless commie. Fantastic.
But seriously: I love America. I love Americans. I am from a military family, and I *know* how much we (the British) and the Americans are alike, how we fight on the same side, and how necessary that is.
The fact remains that in the Second World War, after the RAF stopped the Luftwaffe, Hitler turned East and spent his might on tackling the Russian Bear. By the time the Americans joined in, fought a massive and courageous campaign in the Pacific, and were finally able to land with us (and the Canadians and the New Zealanders and the Australians and the rest of our Allies) on the shores of Normandy, Hitler had effectively been defeated in the East.
What happened after that… well, it was our own fault, really. I believe it was the US President who said we should stop before Berlin—Patton and Churchill at least wanted to go all the way. We screwed up, and having lived in a divided Germany I’ve seen the results of that.
This does not alter the fact that the European theatre was turned around in the Russian winter, whatever the politics of the subsequent years.
November 6th is such a significant, world changing day astrologically (the US election, the Glenrothes by-election) that even the Spectator did an article on it.
The worst thing John McCain did when campaigning was to pick Sarah Palin as his running mate. She is loony tunes, and what does that say about his judgment?
Speaking of elections in general, at the moment, on US t.v. there is a very good ad. whereby stars are asking the nation to vote. Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Will Smith, Leonardo di Caprio, and many more, one by one come on and say VOTE!
SO MANY PEOPLE ARE INDIFFERENT TO POLITICS, THIS IS AN IDEA FOR ALL PARTIES IN THIS COUNTRY TO PURSUE!
If people never read a paper, or think about the issues, why not continually run ads. to heighten awareness? Not just in election times, but if the public’s most popular stars came on t.v. and said THINK ABOUT THE WORLD TODAY. MAKE SURE YOU ARE CLUED UP ON THE ISSUES. READ A PAPER OR WATCH THE NEWS. DO YOU KNOW THE NAME OF OUR PM AND THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION? (some people think Gordon Ramsey is PM of this country, oh well at least he is Scottish), over and over again, it would make people think.
And in an election time, DON’T GIVE YOUR RIGHTS AWAY!VOTE. PLEASE VOTE. GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!
Stars like Leona Lewis, Simon Cowell, Terry Wogan, Judy Dench, Helen Mirren, Daniel Craig, Cherie Lunghi, or even sports stars like Martin Johnson, David Beckham, or Lewis Hamilton, would probably help out to raise political awareness in this country.
with a victory for Barack Obama looking increasingly likely, already the doubters are sowing gloom and doom, prophesying the likely failure of his presidency.
There are so few true brief shining golden moments of hope in life. Will those doubters be kind and just hold back for a few weeks to let us enjoy the moment if Obama does win? It would be so good to imagine a more peaceful world, with everyone uniting to solve its problems together. It would be so great to believe the world had taken a step forward.
what do you mean by Barack Hussein Obama ‘seems intelligent’? If you do not think he is genuinely intelligent, I dread to think your opinion on the loser in the race, John McCain.
Lord have Mercy!!
All these from a maverick?
Am impressed.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/justice/article1884062.ece
Excellent article by Boris in today’s Sun, setting out his plans to help the youth of today. Boris talks about the importance of hope and that is why so many people are longing for Obama to win. If he does, he wil bring hope to so many people who had no hope before.
If a presidential candidate has a poor grasp of English, how can he hope to effectively communicate with those in his immediate vicinity? How can he hope to effectively communicate with those who have learnt proper English in order to communicate with him?
Skin colour aside, look at the candidates faces. One is smiling and inviting. The other is angry and possibly a little confused. Obama has the look of someone who knows what he’s doing. McCain, in all honesty, looks dangerous. Think to yourself: “Would I like to sit down for coffee with this man?” Obama looks capable of doing so, and having a pleasant polite conversation. McCain looks like he’d sit there muttering obscenities about “goddamn freakin’ sand-niggers” under his breath.
Obama looks like he has a fairly decent idea of decent society. McCain looks like a guy who thinks after-school gun clubs would help us eliminiminize the terrorist threat.
I generally judge people by their eyes & expressions (bodily & facially). I’m rarely wrong. Just trust me on this.
oh dear, Hugh: ever heard of Little Red Riding Hood?
That’s not a comment on either candidate although it is great to have US-resident friends feeling there is ‘hope’ and understandable that others do not wish to be sold out. The UK just has to live with the results.
Of course, and that’s a valid point. All the same I think I’d rather back a wolf in sheep’s clothing than a sheepish wolf.
As you well know (and I know because 70 years ago I was taught Latin by a retired Indian Civil servant who founded a prep school in Ireland just to indulge this passion) Obama spelt backwards is ‘amabo’. Why has there been so little comment on this in the media (plural, not singular!!)
Peter
If Obama wins, surely this is going to play to David Cameron’s advantage? Obama has presented himself as the candidate of change, and that is what David Cameron is doing.
Also, if Obama wins, it a bit knocks on the head the idea that a “novice” is what people don’t want, so much for Gordon’s argument better stick with experience.
Hugh I agree with you, I don’t like the sound of McCain’s famed temper, although his war record is amazing and his book was inspiring.
I know a lot of people sneer at this idea, but whatever sort of a fist Obama makes of being President, the very fact that he became President will give hope to black people and people of mixed race who over the centuries have not had a fair deal. That fact in itself will change the world for the better by going some way to levelling out the pain of the past, and that is why I for one will be absolutely delirious if Obama wins.
So dreadfully sad that Obama’s beloved grandmother died just before she could see him win the election…. if he does win!
My paternal grandmother, (whom I totally resemble) was an absolute angel, adored by all, a saint who brightened the lives of everyone who knew her with an angelic temper. My maternal grandmother was such a fiend that her family gave her away to live with another family. TRUE STORY.
ps. When my dad would nauseatingly rhapsodise about the merits of his mother, all I had to do to reduce my sister to helpless laughter was smirk and whisper “Remind you of anyone?”
This is a big step forward to making the world a fairer place. So many people are imbued with happiness and hope today. It is not true that when people vote all they care about is money. Everyone knows that Obama will not have the money to do many of the things he would wish to do, everyone knows how hard the road will be.
But the mere fact that he got there has illuminated politics in a hopeful way. As Boris johnson has said in his Standard article, if there is one thing people need now it is hope.
Great speech by John McCain, he was such a worthy opponent, dignified, brave, he never stopped fighting until the last second and he also is an inspirational speaker. He has urged America to unite and praised the campaign run by Obama.
So many people who never voted before were urged to vote in the US this time. That is such an encouraging thought.
Barack Obama is such a unique individual and it is totally down to him that so many people turned out to vote. He has galvanised the political scene. Landslide win.
There is normally huge cynicism about politics and politicians. It is a massive achievement for Barack Obama to have ignited the enthusiasm of the normally apathetic young in the US and to have organised such an effective campaign resulting in a huge turnout.
Sympathy locally for John McCain from a concerned 9 year old. “Never mind, he has the money from his oven chips to fall back on!”
Obama has got such a dreadfully hard task ahead of him. Anyone who takes that on and sincerely wants to do good must be an absolute hero.
Carla Bruni is supposed to be stamping her tiny feet because Michelle Obama is moving into the White House. Apparently Carla felt confident of easily beating Cindy McCain in the style wars, and also felt she could teach Sarah Palin a sartorial lesson or two – if not, there was always the Caribou Barbie card to be played. But Michelle Obama – beautiful, extremely intelligent, wears her clothes with laid back elegance, and worst of all she will tower over M. Le President. For the pictures, not so good.
Boris, you must know as well as I do that there are Powerfull Subversive forces at work, Obama did not win the Election, it was won by Ron Paul.
Western Democracy is a sham, our Govt are simply front men for the Global elites.
How the enemy used Censorship to Win the US elections.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iW5kOB1pmg
Is there another Barack Obama, who is also the president elect of the USA, that B Obama needs his middle name too in order to be correctly identified?
I could see the need to stipulate which particular president Bush one was referring to, but I don’t think there is any such danger of confusion with Obama.
Unless, of course, the writer was making some point, which, I’m glad tosay, has escaped me.