Barack Obama: The recovery starts today!

It has to be said that Barack Obama is one hell of an orator.

I can't think of an orator in his class, and boy are there some examples you can look at, like Winston Churchill or indeed Adolf Hitler.

In many ways Barack Obama has an easy skill with words. He can say nothing at all and yet inspire. Whilst I still like to see the substance, that is only half the battle. Changing the mood is the other half, and that can only be done with words and leadership. He has the words in spades.

What is more it looks like there will be no easy messages. For example he is clear to say that "government can only do so much".

Things will change tomorrow. George W Bush will be gone. Barack Obama will be President of the United States of America.

In that one moment the mood of America will change. It will become more positive. It will look to the future. Challenges will appear easier. The United States of America will have a spring in its step, one that has not been there for a while.

In that one moment, there is a chance, albeit only a chance, that America will start the long road out of gloom and in that will lift the rest of the world.

Its over to you Barack, good luck, and God bless. Do the best you can. My best wishes and the best wishes of all right minded thinking people are with you.

This really is a world changing event. And I am still a John McCain supporter.

Good luck America.

Congratulations to Senator Barack Obama, President elect

It would be churlish to start with anything else.

He has ran a very good campaign, and at least he is not Hilary Clinton.

That said I am still concerned that he may be an American Tony Blair, though a Liberal Democrat friend of mine has pointed out that he does not have Tony Blair's punch me in the face insincere smile that both he and I have seen since day one but few others noticed.

I am also concerned that Barack Obama may be a bit of a protectionist which would be a disaster if that really is the case especially in these economic times. Protectionism deepened and lenghthened the great depression and what we do not need is a great depression.

Many people think that all of a sudden American foreign policy will change.. it won't. What it will do is come from a more palatable tongue. That is a good thing. For too long American politicians have used a domestic megaphone in foreign policy which causes problems. As Theodore Roosevelt once said "Walk softly with a big stick" or to put it another way, have the means to do what you want, but talk nicely, it might work.

Is America about to elect its own version of Tony Blair?

I must say I am amused that so many British Conservatives seem to like Barack Obama. To me he is exactly like Tony Blair. I could just see a victory rally for Obama featuring the song "It can only get better", except that as we have learnt here it didn't.


That said Carl Rove seems to be predicting a landslide for Obama according to Channel 4 news. This is not good news.

McCain or Obama; Who is going to win?

Well, personally I don't care, as I had this down as a McCain/Obama race from the beginning of the primaries and placed my bets accordingly (bar a chicken bet on Hilary Clinton just in case).

I did not get on as early on the Obama betting bandwagon as Mike Smithson of Politicalbetting.com who tipped him as a runner at 50/1, which gave Mike a fantastic trading position, so he also will probably win either way.

However I still think McCain is in it, for a number of reasons; firstly he has been dead and buried before, secondly there appears to be an almost Sheffield style victory party for Obama on Monday (USA time), thirdly the polls seem potentially to have a systematic errors and lastly the breaking news in Pennsylvania that Obama wants to bankrupt the coal industry. If that gets traction in the last hours could it swing it?

Well, we may know soon, I hope so, or it could go to endless litigation!

There is one certainty though and that is that this American election will see the highest turnout for many many years. I predicted that as well. It is good for democracy.

For more on American elections see here.

Obama the Messiah

Well, perhaps that is over egging it a bit but according to this post Barack Obama is pulling in massive crowds lined up on every available vantage point to hear the man speak.

He is a truly inspirational speaker, and more importantly, whilst of African decent is not a traditional "victim" black politician. He will have the ability to lead.

I still want Senator John McCain to win, and think he may well do so, but one thing is sure, Barack Obama will one day be President of the United states of America.

When Obama wins the Democratic nomination, he will be involved in a presidential race like no other for decades which will reinvigorate American politics and will raise turnout. All very good for Democracy.

Democratic Primaries go on, and on, and on..

And on, and on, and on and on.....

It seems that Hillary Clinton just does not get it. She simply can't win the nomination.

So why has she vowed to carry on?

She will win the primaries next week, and even the week after, but so what. They will not be enough.

I have heard of one Democrat strategist on channel 4 outlining some sort of way she could win, reliant on super delegates coming to the conclusion that Barack Obama isn't winning the demographic that Hillary Clinton is, and hers is more important. In short, it seems they are saying that white working class voters have shown by voting for Hillary that they will not vote for a n.... n... gentleman of African extraction.

Lets take that load of tosh head on. Firstly it is quietly raising the race card, which is ridiculous, secondly it seems to me that they are saying that those who vote in Democratic nominations for Hillary Clinton are less likely to vote for Barack Obama at the general election.

Where is the evidence for this? Not only that, but if Hillary Clinton conceded and backed him, she would surely bring over all but the bigots?

I have to say Barack Obama is such a powerful speaker that if he gave a speech at a Klu Klux Klan meeting, I would expect him to have a 50/50 chance of getting a standing ovation. He is that good at it.

The reason she will not and has not therefore becomes questionable. Is she a racist? Or is she after something else, like guaranteeing the Vice President spot?

The idea that she is after that spot is odd to say the least. She will be 61 in October, and if Barack Obama wins the presidency and then gets a second term that means she will be 69 before she gets another crack at being the presidential nominee. Can you see the USA jumping back a generation? I can't. There will be another nominee making waves.

However a joint Omaba Clinton ticket could be the Republicans dream ticket because without having to utter a word they will get the support of both racists and misogynists whilst still having Hillary Clinton around to energise the Republican base like no other politician can which is fantastic for my betting position as I win biggest if Barack Obama wins the Democratic nomination as president and John McCain wins as president.

The BBC has this.

Will Indiana and North Carolina settle the Democratic nomination?

The short answer is no.

Barack Obama has won North Carolina but it seems Indiana is still too close to call, according to this from the BBC.

I don't see Hilary Clinton conceding regardless.

However if Obama wins Indiana then the pressure on Hilary will grow. She has ignored it so far though.

Hillary Clinton keeps in the race

Senator Hillary Clinton has won by enough in Pennsylvania to keep in the race for the Democratic party nomination.

The bottom line is that this is good for Senator John McCain who I personally hopes wins in the end.

The Democrat nominees are ripping their party apart. I have to say that Hillary Clinton is the most unattractive candidate I have seen in a long while. There is something about her that is so relentlessly unpleasant.

The BBC has this.

Geraldine Ferraro stands down!

Well, I just heard it on ABC news.

So much for the cover the Clinton campaign has given. She should have been fired ages ago.

Barack Obama is only where he is because he is a black man!

According to Geraldine Ferraro, a senior member of Hilary Clinton's campaign team.

Geraldine stood as the VP candidate with Walter Mondale in 1984.

Upon getting some flack for these ridiculous remarks, she said that people were being racist because she was white.

Hilary Clinton has "regretted" the comments, but not fired her, and has sent people out to defend her. See this thread on politicalbetting.com and look at the MSN video for how well this is going down.

The bizarre thing is that it may be true that candidates who are not white males may well get where they are when they would not if they are white males. (Geraldine maintains he would not have got there if he was a black woman). However Barack Obama is one of the greatest orators I have heard speak, on a par with people like Michael Heseltine, maybe even above. In short he could turn up at Klu Kux Klan meeting and stand a good chance of getting a standing ovation.

There is no one in American politics, and possibly world wide politics today who is as good at inspiring people.

Barack Obama is where he is today despite being black. If he was white this contest would have been done and dusted months ago. He is simply the best public speaker of his age.

JFK was no Barack Obama. He is simply that good.