Please tell me I wasn't the only one who thought it funny when Aretha Franklin paused during a line in the song 'my Country Tis of Thee' halfway through the word 'country' ?
I have to admit I never expected Aretha Frankling to call Barack Obama "my Count................ry" (and it rhymed with runt).
Showing posts with label Barack Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barack Obama. Show all posts
11/03/2008
Why every decent person has to hope the polls in America are right
I know the title of this posting will get the backs up of everyone hoping that McCain and his fruit loop of a VP candidate are elected, but stick with me. I'm not going to argue the merits of Obama over McCain or the Democrats over the Republicans. Instead I want to look at what the polls tell us about America, and what the result will confirm.
All the latest polls show Obama with an average lead of around 6%. Taking in to account the margin of error, this means that Obama should be elected. That in itself is staggering, given his ethnicity and the negative, sometimes racist overtones of the efforts to stop him. But it tells us much about how America has changed.
An America which a few decades ago set dogs on black voters at the polls, a United States that just 8 years ago blocked roads in black areas of Florida in order to make voting harder for them to vote, should elect a black president. What an historic moment that would be. It would underline that the USA has changed, not its politics, but its demographics.
The growth of the latino vote has been talked of for some years, but this would end the dominance of white north European Americans, and show that the USA truly is a land where any immigrant can aspire to be what they want to be.
So why should we all hope the polls are right ? Because if they are wrong, if "The Bradley Effect" repeats itself where voters tell the pollsters that they will vote for a black man, but cannot actually bring themselves to do it, it will show that America has not yet matured and has not let go of its prejudices from the past.
I am not saying that Republicans who believe in John McCain's messages and beliefs have to vote for Obama to prove this. What I am saying is that the polls indicate McCain is behind and if people can tell the pollsters this, they are saying that the US has changed but they must follow through with it at the polls if we are to really know that it is true.
All the latest polls show Obama with an average lead of around 6%. Taking in to account the margin of error, this means that Obama should be elected. That in itself is staggering, given his ethnicity and the negative, sometimes racist overtones of the efforts to stop him. But it tells us much about how America has changed.
An America which a few decades ago set dogs on black voters at the polls, a United States that just 8 years ago blocked roads in black areas of Florida in order to make voting harder for them to vote, should elect a black president. What an historic moment that would be. It would underline that the USA has changed, not its politics, but its demographics.
The growth of the latino vote has been talked of for some years, but this would end the dominance of white north European Americans, and show that the USA truly is a land where any immigrant can aspire to be what they want to be.
So why should we all hope the polls are right ? Because if they are wrong, if "The Bradley Effect" repeats itself where voters tell the pollsters that they will vote for a black man, but cannot actually bring themselves to do it, it will show that America has not yet matured and has not let go of its prejudices from the past.
I am not saying that Republicans who believe in John McCain's messages and beliefs have to vote for Obama to prove this. What I am saying is that the polls indicate McCain is behind and if people can tell the pollsters this, they are saying that the US has changed but they must follow through with it at the polls if we are to really know that it is true.
10/30/2008
What if ... Obama and McCain's traits and past were reversed
There is a great article onthe Chicago Tribune website which highlight a series of what ifs regarding Obama and McCain.
It seems quite clear from the McCain facts that he is an absolute shit of a man.
The text below is taken from the article. Read the whole article HERE.
What If...
What if Obama had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?
What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?
What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?
What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?
What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?
What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?
What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard Law School?
What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five?
(The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)
What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?
What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?
What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing ....planes? (Zorn Note -- FactCheck.org clarifies the McCain piloting stories/rumors here and the bottom line is, "McCain did lose two Navy aircraft while piloting them. One crash was found to be be McCain's fault, the other due to an engine failure of undetermined cause.")
What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?
What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?
What if Obama had adopted a white child?
It seems quite clear from the McCain facts that he is an absolute shit of a man.
The text below is taken from the article. Read the whole article HERE.
What If...
What if Obama had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?
What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?
What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?
What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?
What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?
What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?
What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard Law School?
What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five?
(The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)
What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?
What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?
What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing ....planes? (Zorn Note -- FactCheck.org clarifies the McCain piloting stories/rumors here and the bottom line is, "McCain did lose two Navy aircraft while piloting them. One crash was found to be be McCain's fault, the other due to an engine failure of undetermined cause.")
What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?
What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?
What if Obama had adopted a white child?
10/27/2008
Brilliant new pro Obama "Get Out The Vote" video
THIS latest campaign idea in support of the Obama campaign might just get a handful of extra voters out of bed next week. Fingers crossed that this is so.
I note that it is possible to customise it for your own needs. As you can see this one was done by Duncan Borrowman, and a big hat tip to him.
I note that it is possible to customise it for your own needs. As you can see this one was done by Duncan Borrowman, and a big hat tip to him.
10/19/2008
9/27/2008
Ignore what the British press say, US voters say Obama won the first presidential debate
Despite the BBC and other UK news sources cliaming that the first presidential debate was a draw, the people who really matter, US voters, are clear that Barack Obama won.
See the CBS poll if you don't believe me.
See the CBS poll if you don't believe me.
6/23/2008
Are political advisers not destined to be politicians themselves because they cannot keep their mouths shut ?
Politicians, so we are told, are supposed to be rather obsessed with the sound of their own voices. However, it seems that the difference between a politicians and an adviser is the ability of politicians to internalise what they may be thinking whilst an adviser speaks out loud.
Take for examples a couple of examples of advisers to conservatives on either side of the Atlantic in the last couple of days.
Yesterday one of Boris Johnson's aides was forced to quit after he said "let them go if they don't like it here" when asked about how black people might react to decisions taken in London. Mayor Johnson let his aide leave his post swiftly, but it says much that a person who says such things could have been given a job in the first place. It is also worrying that it was said to an undercover reporter in that it gives the impression that some advisers might be saying one thing to the press, but secretly believe something very different.
Today we read if an adviser who spoke the truth too loudly in the US. An adviser to Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain said that a September 11-type attack before the November election would benefit McCain. A rather sinister thing to say, but given that the Republicans want to label Barack Obama as week on national security, the adviser was daft to say out loud something the Democrats must fear on a political level as well as a national security level.
It seems to me that advisers to politicians are sometimes too keen to make names for themselves and lack the ability to keep quiet. Perhaps it highlights the real art to making it to the top is to listen more and talk less.
Take for examples a couple of examples of advisers to conservatives on either side of the Atlantic in the last couple of days.
Yesterday one of Boris Johnson's aides was forced to quit after he said "let them go if they don't like it here" when asked about how black people might react to decisions taken in London. Mayor Johnson let his aide leave his post swiftly, but it says much that a person who says such things could have been given a job in the first place. It is also worrying that it was said to an undercover reporter in that it gives the impression that some advisers might be saying one thing to the press, but secretly believe something very different.
Today we read if an adviser who spoke the truth too loudly in the US. An adviser to Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain said that a September 11-type attack before the November election would benefit McCain. A rather sinister thing to say, but given that the Republicans want to label Barack Obama as week on national security, the adviser was daft to say out loud something the Democrats must fear on a political level as well as a national security level.
It seems to me that advisers to politicians are sometimes too keen to make names for themselves and lack the ability to keep quiet. Perhaps it highlights the real art to making it to the top is to listen more and talk less.
6/03/2008
Obama's almost there
The press are finally calling the Democratic nomination for Barack Obama, and those of us who want to see the Republicans shown the door can breathe a sigh of relief that the Democrats can stop fighting each other and get on with showing the Republican Party up as a bunch of neo-con warmongers who have damaged the interests of freedom and tolerance as well as the reputation of the United States and her allies.
5/24/2008
The unsavoury and unsuitable Hillary Clinton
The Democratic nomination race has seen two very contrasting campaigns from its front runners. Obama's campaign appears more about aspiration whilst Clinton's campaign has become more and more about desperation.
Take for example Hillary's campaign team criticising Barack Obama's wife. Once might have expected that Hillary, herself the subject of lots of attacks whilst her husband was in office in the White House, would have realised that this type of campaigning is hurtful and pretty irrelevant, would have stepped away from such campaign methods. But no, her desperation was clear.
But by raising the spectre that someone could assassinate Barack Obama as her reason for continuing to campaign on when all appears lost, she really has show how utterly unsuitable she is for public office. It's a shame. i rather liked Bill Clinton and thought another Clinton could be quite good. Now, like many others, I am keeping my fingers crossed for Obama.
Take for example Hillary's campaign team criticising Barack Obama's wife. Once might have expected that Hillary, herself the subject of lots of attacks whilst her husband was in office in the White House, would have realised that this type of campaigning is hurtful and pretty irrelevant, would have stepped away from such campaign methods. But no, her desperation was clear.
But by raising the spectre that someone could assassinate Barack Obama as her reason for continuing to campaign on when all appears lost, she really has show how utterly unsuitable she is for public office. It's a shame. i rather liked Bill Clinton and thought another Clinton could be quite good. Now, like many others, I am keeping my fingers crossed for Obama.
4/22/2008
Hillary Clinton's desperate comments show that Obama is the statesman after all
Hillary Clinton has in recent weeks tried to play up her role as former first lady and as a statesman on the world stage to show the difference between her experience and Barack Obama's naivety and lack of experience as a statesman.
Yet today, seemingly in an outburst aimed to coincide with a Democratic Primary election in Pennsylvania, Hillary Clinton came out with a rather shocking outburst of the most infantile kind.
In response to a question about what she would do if Iran attacked Israel, she said
"If I'm the President, we will attack Iran... we would be able to totally obliterate them. ".
Compare this to Barack Obama's much more measured and statesman like approach to the same question when he said only that Iran should know he would respond "forcefully" to an attack on any US ally.
Whilst today's outburst from Clinton might win over a few gung ho people who were undecided, it actually proves contrary to Clinton's strategy of recent weeks and perhaps says more about what her private polls are telling her about how close it is in Pennsylvania.
Yet today, seemingly in an outburst aimed to coincide with a Democratic Primary election in Pennsylvania, Hillary Clinton came out with a rather shocking outburst of the most infantile kind.
In response to a question about what she would do if Iran attacked Israel, she said
"If I'm the President, we will attack Iran... we would be able to totally obliterate them. ".
Compare this to Barack Obama's much more measured and statesman like approach to the same question when he said only that Iran should know he would respond "forcefully" to an attack on any US ally.
Whilst today's outburst from Clinton might win over a few gung ho people who were undecided, it actually proves contrary to Clinton's strategy of recent weeks and perhaps says more about what her private polls are telling her about how close it is in Pennsylvania.
4/05/2008
Obama destroys Clinton's lead in Pennsylvania
A few days ago Hillary Clinton had a 12 point lead in Pennsylvania, a key state with 158 delegates. Then another poll showed her lead slipping to 9%, but still a comfortable margin. However the two latest polls show Obama to be in a statistical tie (43.5% each as an average).
The whole Clinton campaign has relied in the last few weeks on getting enough delegates to be close enough to Obama to justify counting the votes from the two state primaries she won which were disqualified. But if Hillary Clinton cannot win Pennsylvania, Obama's lead may actually grow and her chances may well evaporate at this point.
It's all speculation, but I reckon Obama has won it and Hillary needs to go with dignity.
The whole Clinton campaign has relied in the last few weeks on getting enough delegates to be close enough to Obama to justify counting the votes from the two state primaries she won which were disqualified. But if Hillary Clinton cannot win Pennsylvania, Obama's lead may actually grow and her chances may well evaporate at this point.
It's all speculation, but I reckon Obama has won it and Hillary needs to go with dignity.
3/06/2008
Why Obama won on the 4th March
There is an excellent article in the Telegraph explaining why Obama, not Clinton, was the real winner on 4th March.
Perhaps the clearest reason why it was an Obama victory was that in Texas, he actually won five more delegates than Clinton did, despite it being called a victory for Clinton. That is now two states that Clinton won narrowly on the popular vote (including Nevada), but which Obama actually won if you count the delegates.
Perhaps the clearest reason why it was an Obama victory was that in Texas, he actually won five more delegates than Clinton did, despite it being called a victory for Clinton. That is now two states that Clinton won narrowly on the popular vote (including Nevada), but which Obama actually won if you count the delegates.
3/02/2008
Barack Obama level with Clinton in new Ohio tracking poll
Almost unbelievably, given her massive leads in the state just a few weeks ago, the latest poll from Ohio now shows Hillary Clinton's lead has evaporated and Barack Obama is dead level with her.
The results of the poll are shown below.
Reuters/C SPAN/Houston Chronicle/Zogby tracking poll Date: 2/27-29Ohio Added: 3/1/08 Est. MoE = 3.7%
Hillary Clinton
45%
Barack Obama
45%
Mike Gravel
1%
Unsure
6%
Other
3%
Hillary Clinton
45%
Barack Obama
45%
Mike Gravel
1%
Unsure
6%
Other
3%
This is surely the end of the road for Clinton, isn't it ?
3/01/2008
Obama ahead in three of the four latest polls in Texas
The latest polls from Texas are perhaps the clearest sign yet of the end of the road for Hillary Clinton's bid to win the Democratic nomination.
Three polls, published yesterday have Barack Obama ahead , with only one poll showing Hillary Clinton still in the lead. This confirms earlier polls done a few days ago that showed Obama eating in to Hillary Clinton's once formidable lead in this key state.
In Ohio the news remains better for Clinton, but her 10% poll lead in this state too have evaporated. The average of the four latest polls only have her 4.25% ahead of Obama, which is well within range of the statistical margin of error.
If I bet on US politics, I'd now be betting heavily on Obama, but then again I bet on the Lib Dems to win the Hartlepool by-election, so what do I know ?
Three polls, published yesterday have Barack Obama ahead , with only one poll showing Hillary Clinton still in the lead. This confirms earlier polls done a few days ago that showed Obama eating in to Hillary Clinton's once formidable lead in this key state.
In Ohio the news remains better for Clinton, but her 10% poll lead in this state too have evaporated. The average of the four latest polls only have her 4.25% ahead of Obama, which is well within range of the statistical margin of error.
If I bet on US politics, I'd now be betting heavily on Obama, but then again I bet on the Lib Dems to win the Hartlepool by-election, so what do I know ?
2/11/2008
Is the result in Maine the end of the road for Hillary ?
Whilst Barack Obama was having a good Saturday, winning a strong of Primaries across America, the Clinton camp hung on to the hope that they would have momentum again by wimming in Maine, where all the polls had Hillary Clinton in the lead. So the result in Main must have come as a terrible shock to the Clinton camp and the writing is surely on the wall now for her campaign.
In Maine, Clinton polled 40% to Obama's 59%. Coupled with losing a campaign manager and having to lend her own campaign $5 million, this could be the end of her campaign.
2/10/2008
Hillary Clinton to do a Rudy Giuliani ?
Hilary Clinton's campaign to win the Democratic nomination appears to be in freefall after a change of strategy led to a senior aide resigning in disgust.
So stretched are Hillary Clinton's campaign finances that she is taking the risky step of putting in no real campaign effort in the smaller states, and will instead bet everything on winning big in big delegate rich states of Ohio and Texas.
This is the same strategy that Rudy Giuliani tried in the Republican race when he chose to sit out the early primaries with the intention of winning big in Florida. Instead, all that happened was that he lost big in Florida and made himself look like a prize idiot.
Obviously the Clinton Campaign would not choose to do this if funds and support were going their way, but after Saturday night's clean sweep of four states for Barack Obama, all with embarrassingly large margins of victory, the tide appears to have turned decisivly in Obama's favour.
As a keen watcher of American politics who feels that America's name has become a dirty word in George W Bush, I have to say I am impressed by Obama and hope this is the decisive moment in his campaign to win the Democratic nomination.
So stretched are Hillary Clinton's campaign finances that she is taking the risky step of putting in no real campaign effort in the smaller states, and will instead bet everything on winning big in big delegate rich states of Ohio and Texas.
This is the same strategy that Rudy Giuliani tried in the Republican race when he chose to sit out the early primaries with the intention of winning big in Florida. Instead, all that happened was that he lost big in Florida and made himself look like a prize idiot.
Obviously the Clinton Campaign would not choose to do this if funds and support were going their way, but after Saturday night's clean sweep of four states for Barack Obama, all with embarrassingly large margins of victory, the tide appears to have turned decisivly in Obama's favour.
As a keen watcher of American politics who feels that America's name has become a dirty word in George W Bush, I have to say I am impressed by Obama and hope this is the decisive moment in his campaign to win the Democratic nomination.
2/05/2008
Is everyone outside of America wanting an Obama win ?
It struck me today, speaking to a work collegaue who has no particular interest in politics, least of all American politics, that even she was wanting a Barack Obama win in the big "Super Tuesday" primaries today. If he has this effect on UK citizens, why is he not having the same effect on Americans ?
I'm not saying for one moment that he is not picking up support, and he does seem to have the momentum at the moment, but it is astonishing that it is still so close between him and Hillary Clinton when the whole world and his aunt seem to want an Obama win.
The question for me then are we missing something blindingly good about Hillary Clinton or are we failing to notice some terrible flaw in Obama which should make us question his suitability ?
Personally, give the American's proven track record in the previous two presidential elections, I am more likely to think that we have got it right, and those who oppose Obama have got it wrong. To me, Hillary is a turn back the clock candidate, a 20th century candidate for the 21st century, whilst Obama is the future. What's more, all the evidence seems to show that Obama would stand a greater chance of winning should he be selected than Clinton would. Hillary Clinton polarises people, and yes she has large swathes of supporters, but middle ground independents are not won over by her in the way that Obama can.
You've just got to hope that Democrats see that Obama is their best chance of keeping the Republicans out because if Hillary Clinton represents the end of the last century, I'd hate to think fo where john McCain would take America.
So what do we think, do you want an Obama win or is it just my misconception that we are all wanting him to win ?
I'm not saying for one moment that he is not picking up support, and he does seem to have the momentum at the moment, but it is astonishing that it is still so close between him and Hillary Clinton when the whole world and his aunt seem to want an Obama win.
The question for me then are we missing something blindingly good about Hillary Clinton or are we failing to notice some terrible flaw in Obama which should make us question his suitability ?
Personally, give the American's proven track record in the previous two presidential elections, I am more likely to think that we have got it right, and those who oppose Obama have got it wrong. To me, Hillary is a turn back the clock candidate, a 20th century candidate for the 21st century, whilst Obama is the future. What's more, all the evidence seems to show that Obama would stand a greater chance of winning should he be selected than Clinton would. Hillary Clinton polarises people, and yes she has large swathes of supporters, but middle ground independents are not won over by her in the way that Obama can.
You've just got to hope that Democrats see that Obama is their best chance of keeping the Republicans out because if Hillary Clinton represents the end of the last century, I'd hate to think fo where john McCain would take America.
So what do we think, do you want an Obama win or is it just my misconception that we are all wanting him to win ?
1/20/2008
Who really won in Nevada ?
When is a win a win ? That is the question.
Hillary Clinton won 51% of the vote in Nevada, with Obama getting 45%. Yes due to the way Nevada chooses its delegates using a system based on constituencies, of Nevada's 25 delegates, Obama gets 13 delegates and Clinton 12 delegates.
So it appears that despite Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote, Obama actually won Nevada.
Hillary Clinton won 51% of the vote in Nevada, with Obama getting 45%. Yes due to the way Nevada chooses its delegates using a system based on constituencies, of Nevada's 25 delegates, Obama gets 13 delegates and Clinton 12 delegates.
So it appears that despite Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote, Obama actually won Nevada.
1/09/2008
The combination of factors that gave Hillary Clinton Victory in New Hampshire
New Hampshire, the state that launched Bill Clinton's comeback 16 years ago when he came a dramatic second in the primaries in 1992, again proved to be good territory for the Clinton's last night after Hillary Clinton's dramatic two point win over Barack Obama. The result seems to have confounded the pollsters, but is there any one factor that decided it ?
The press are putting it all down to Hillary Clinton's honest near tearful episode, which they say went down well with undecided voters and with women in particular, but there are other factors in play.
What abut the opinion polls ? Yesterday polls were showing Obama consistently in the lead, with some polls giving him a 10% to 13 %. This, to some extent, in the primary system worked against Obama. I read on the BBC website a comment from an American in New Hampshire (yesterday - which I cannot find today) which said that he was an Independent but he strongly supported Barack Obama, but if Obama looked safe, he would vote in the Republican primary because he would use his vote for McCain as he looked less likely to win his primary election. With the result in New Hampshire being so close, how many Obama supporters did likewise, sure that their man would win ?
And what about the role of the media. Did their "Obama is unstoppable" 24 hour news coverage cause a backlash as well as an overconfidence amongst his voters ? Did his inevitable victory, as the press saw it, lead some people to vote for Hillary just so she was not humiliated ?
Then there is the issue of Republican voters. Who do they fear most in the White House ? Hillary, of course. But who do they fear on the election trail ? Barack Obama. Republicans hate the idea of Hillary in the White House (after all, they don't want her introducing free health care), but the Republicans know that she is likely to put off independents and a push more voters toward the Republican candidate. This could make all the difference in the key swing states. So did some Republicans wanting to create problems for Hillary vote for her ?
Whatever the reason for Clinton's success, it makes the whole campaign much more fun for the outsider, like me, and tells us more that ever that you should never write off the Clinton's.
The press are putting it all down to Hillary Clinton's honest near tearful episode, which they say went down well with undecided voters and with women in particular, but there are other factors in play.
What abut the opinion polls ? Yesterday polls were showing Obama consistently in the lead, with some polls giving him a 10% to 13 %. This, to some extent, in the primary system worked against Obama. I read on the BBC website a comment from an American in New Hampshire (yesterday - which I cannot find today) which said that he was an Independent but he strongly supported Barack Obama, but if Obama looked safe, he would vote in the Republican primary because he would use his vote for McCain as he looked less likely to win his primary election. With the result in New Hampshire being so close, how many Obama supporters did likewise, sure that their man would win ?
And what about the role of the media. Did their "Obama is unstoppable" 24 hour news coverage cause a backlash as well as an overconfidence amongst his voters ? Did his inevitable victory, as the press saw it, lead some people to vote for Hillary just so she was not humiliated ?
Then there is the issue of Republican voters. Who do they fear most in the White House ? Hillary, of course. But who do they fear on the election trail ? Barack Obama. Republicans hate the idea of Hillary in the White House (after all, they don't want her introducing free health care), but the Republicans know that she is likely to put off independents and a push more voters toward the Republican candidate. This could make all the difference in the key swing states. So did some Republicans wanting to create problems for Hillary vote for her ?
Whatever the reason for Clinton's success, it makes the whole campaign much more fun for the outsider, like me, and tells us more that ever that you should never write off the Clinton's.
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