Obama - Real Change or Status Quo?

Barack Obama is generating hope in the hearts of many - in America, in Europe and all around the world - that, if elected president, he will bring about a real change in American policy that will lead to a greater chance for peace and justice in our troubled world.

But American policy in some areas is so entrenched that there is some doubt whether any real or significant change is possible. By his own words, he is standing firm with the current stance of solidarity with Israel, and belligerance towards Iran.

Will Obama be brave enough to alter the premises of American policy, does he even question their fundamental correctness? Will he be a real choice for change or will he simply be the "lesser of two evils"?



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Obamania in Germany - Obama Wows the Germans

Barack Obama made a stirring speech in Berlin at the Teirgarten Park. The crowds were rapturous, and clearly got what they were waiting for. It's estimated that the crowds numbered about 200,000.

Obama appeared pretty majestic and presidential, drawing criticism from some quarters that he was being presumptuous - making a presidential-like address when he's still only a presidential candidate.

Be that as it may, he wowed the Berlin crowd that was in attendance. His speech, while lacking in details, was passionate and his delivery was pretty well flawless. What a change to see and hear someone like him, in contrast to the bumbling and mumbling style of Bush (when he's at his best).

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Jesse Jackson on Obama - Jesse Jackson Uses N Word - Blacklash

The Reverend Jesse Jackson, who once ran for nomination as a presidential candidate himself, has been creating a furore with things he has or may have said about Barack Obama. Most recently he has accused Obama of "talking down to black people... telling n-s how to behave". Yes, it's the dreaded n-word. He also said,"I want to cut his n-t's off." Yeap, that the other dreaded n-word.

His comments were caught on tape by Fox News, in an off-air conversation prior to an interview on Fox & Friends Weekend. Bill O'Reilly is having a field day with this, and as he rarely does, he presents the tidbits in an almost academic fashion without any over the top outrageous remarks. I guess Jackson's own words speak loudly enough for themselves, though they were whispered to a fellow guest on the show. O'Reilly, however, could not restrain himself from using an undertone of sarcasm. Who could?

Jackson recently threw in his endorsement for Obama, yet he has made comments that don't jive with his endorsement. He has apologised for the comments, and says his support for Obama is "wide, deep and unequivocal", and that he cherished this "redemptive and historical moment".

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The Prospective First Ladies - Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain

Now that Barack Obama and John McCain have secured their nominations, some attention is being drawn to the prospective First Ladies, Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain.

Though the policies and personalities of Obama and McCain are obviously of first importance, their wives are also part of the equation in the ultimate race, even if it's a small part. But it may not necessarily be a small part of the equation.

Hillary Clinton lost for a number of reasons, but it may well be that one of the reasons was that she was Mrs. Clinton. I think some people just could not stomach the idea that Bill Clinton would again reside in the White House.

Despite whatever faults or defects in Bush, Laura Bush has been a superb First Lady.

In a recent internet Associated Press-Yahoo News poll released last Wednesay, 30 percent of the people polled saw Michelle Obama favourably against 35 percent who saw her unfavourably. Cindy McCain got 27 percent who liked her, against 17 percent who did not.

One interpretation of this is that Michelle Obama is two times more disliked than Cindy McCain.

Michelle Obama is liked by 8 out of 10 black people, while 1 in 8 blacks like Cindy McCain. Whites are unfavourable towards Michelle Obama by 18 percentage points, while they see Cindy McCain favourably by 17 percentage points.

Older people are less disposed towards Michelle Obama. But she does well with single people and college graduates. Cindy McCain is liked by older people, married people and the more affluent, but is less well regarded by singles.

These were some of the findings. The backgrounds of the two ladies are clearly poles apart. Their personalities seem also very different. So far Michelle Obama appears to have received a lot more media attention, and she seems to be more outspoken. Cindy McCain appears to be a more private person, or at least she wants to keep it that way.

The public perceptions of these two women will to some degree impact on the presidential candidates.









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Bill Clinton Announces Support for Obama

Bill Clinton has announced that he will support Obama in the presidential race. This is not surprising as the time for a unified front for the Democrats cannot be delayed.

There will be a joint rally coming Friday, held by Obama and Hillary Clinton. Husband Bill will be absent as he will be on a trip to Europe.

It will be interesting to see what slot Hillary Clinton may fit into. But the bitter fight she put up for the nomination may have alienated a large number of Obama supporters. And it may be counter-productive for her to be Obama's running mate. Many other positions are of course viable.

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Hillary Clinton Won the Battle But Losing the War

As many have predicted, the Puerto Rican support for Hillary Clinton was huge, and she had a major victory. She has indeed won that battle, but Barack Obama is winning the war, and they both know it.

Despite her declarations that she will not give up, even after the primaries are over, the clear signs are that it would be a futile exercise, wasting money and resources. Even her husband Bill said ominously in South Dakota that this might be the last day of his campaign involvement. I think Hillary should take the strong hint there.

A graceful acknowledgment of defeat and exit from the race is still achievable. The more she delays, the more pathetic she will look.

Obama is understated, but he is clearly confident of final victory for the Democratic nomination.

Tonight (Tuesday) night will be the end of the primaries. Hillary Clinton has had a doggedly full run. When it's time to go, it's time to go.

Final Days for Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton is marching on relentlessly, despite clear indications that she's not going anywhere. She and Bill Clinton have for some time been looking like a two man comedy act, except nobody is laughing. She's even inspired a clergyman to make jokes about her. The Rev. Michael Pfleger, as a guest speaker in Obama's church, made cruel fun of Hillary. At one point he did a little act, pretending to be Hillary crying over "a black man stealing my show".

Her desperate move to demand that every Michigan and Florida delegate to have a full vote was literally chopped by the Democratic Rules and Bylaws Committee, by allowing only a half vote for each. Those primaries were won by Hillary, but the results were invalidated because they were held earlier than allowed. The Committee's decision is really a fatal blow for Hillary.

For the time being, Hillary Clinton is spending the weekend in sunny Puerto Rico. She is trying to appear upbeat. Maybe she is. She is actually quite popular there - even Ricky Martin is a supporter - and is expected to win the primary. However, this will have little effect in the larger scheme of things.

Did We Misjudge Hillary Clinton?

Lots of people have commented disparagingly that Hillary Clinton did not simply "misspeak" about her Bosnia trip, where she said she came under sniper fire.

But with the discovery of this secret footage, we may owe her an apology.
See for yourself.

Hillary WASN'T LYING! Bosnia gunfire footage discovered...

Hillary Clinton Misspeaks about Bosnia Trip | Lies and Fantasies

There has been quite a buzz about the speech made by Hillary Clinton last week. She was talking about her trip as first lady to Bosnia. She remembered landing under sniper fire. "There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base," she said. Was Hillary under sniper fire?

She gave a vivid account that stirs the imagination with a touch of heroism. The problem is this was not what happened. She and her party arrived peacefully at the airport and there was a greeting ceremony conducted in a leisurely pace.

What she said was false - it was a lie. Did she lie intentionally, or did she, as she later said, simply misspeak? Misspeaking (what a funny word) means speaking incorrectly or inaccurately, but is neutral as to whether dishonesty is involved.

But if it was not a lie, it cannot be that she was giving an account of events, while remembering the true facts were different. She was not making two or three misspoken words or phrases. She was recounting an event.

So if it was not a lie, then her description was a fantasy. She thought it really happened when it did not. It's also not mixing up simple events, but re-creating in her own mind a dramatic and life-threatening incident which in fact never took place.

Perhaps she did it in all innocence, and it would be amusing if as a grandmother she was telling the story to her grandkids, but it's pretty scary to have a president (or should one say another president) at the White House who can be so easily possessed by false memories, fantasies and delusion.



Clinton's Experience in Bosnia

Imaginary Electoral Votes: Desperate Measures By Clinton Campaign

The Clinton campaign has found a new angle: imaginary electoral college votes. It is sending surrogates out to push idea: superdelegates should vote for the candidate who would have come out ahead if the primaries were awarding electoral college votes instead of delegates. The problem is such fictitious electoral college results will have little/no connection to the eletoral college results in November. (Story from The Clinton Campaign's New Math )

Comments: The Clinton campaign is feeling desperate and resorting to tricky and desperate ways to improve their chances. This does not make the Democrats look good. In the meantime, the Republicans appear to be above all such shenanigans.

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Casey Knowles, the Girl in the Clinton Campaign Ad, in Video Showing Her True Colours

Casey Knowles, the girl seen in the Hillary Clinton campaign ad as a sleeping 8 year-old child, gives her own message in this video, with not many sympathetic words for Hillary Clinton and her campaign.

I guess Hillary Clinton really shouldn't use images of persons, even from years ago, until she finds out where they stand politically.

Clinton Ad Featuring Casey Knowles Backfires

Casey Knowles appears in an ad run by the campaign for Hillary Clinton. Casey is now almost 18. The picture used in the ad is a sleeping 8 year-old Casey.

The ad suggests that little children can sleep safely with Hillary in charge, and implies somehow that Obama would not offer the same security, perhaps because of his lack of experience. It was shown in Texas before last week's primary, which Clinton won.

The problem with the ad is that Casey Knowles is a strong supporter of and campaigner for Obama.

Casey told ABC that the ad is "fear-mongering", and a "cheap-hit".

So there we have it, a child sleeping safely in bed who supports Obama. Not the message that the Clinton campaign wanted to send.

Obama in Traditional Somali Outfit

The release of a picture showing Obama wearing a traditional Somali costume in the northern Somali region of Kenya, with the motive of diminishing or tarnishing his image, is only damaging Hillary Clinton and the Democrats in general.

Obama putting on the traditional costume is no more than a sign of respect for the people he was visiting. His father was from Kenya. The costume consisting of a robe and turban were presented to him by the elders in the north-east region of Kenya.

As a tactic to smear Obama in some childish way, this was rightly described as "shameful, and offensive fear mongering".

The photo was sent to the website Drudge Report, who said it came from Clinton staffers. The Clinton camp has not issued any denial. Instead, Clinton's campaign manager tried to whitewash the dirty tactics by asking why should Obama's campaign find the photo divisive, evading the issue why Clinton staffers sent the photo to Drudge Report, not known for being supportive of the Democrats. Did they send it to promote Obama?

This photo should not be divisive, but the ill-intent behind the act, misconceived as it was, may well be a decisive issue that will drag Hillary Clinton down. It will also damage the Democrats generally. Republicans are probably relishing this farcical charade, and wondering what further gaffes the Democrats will serve up next.

Americans in general will only think that the Democrats have lost whatever moral high ground they have managed to achieve since the Clinton-Lewinsky fiasco.

Perhaps Ralph Nader is right after all, that Americans should have another choice.

Ralph Nader Announces Bid for Presidency - A Spanner in the Works?

Ralph Nader has announced he will run for president. Is he providing a real choice or is has he just thrown himself in as a spanner in the works?

Nader has for long been a vociferous voice for the little guy. A political activist who has taken on the big corporations, especially in the 60's through to the 80's. He became well-known with his study called Unsafe at Any Speed, an attack on the automobile industry and targeting General Motors' Corvair. His efforts led to a significant change in automobile safety.

In 1971 he founded Public Citizen, and dealt with a number of health, safety and environmental issues. Throughout the 70's and 80's, he was also an anti-nuclear-power activist.

But his foray into politics has not been welcomed as constructive. He garners some support. His bid in the 2000 presidential elections pulled some votes. But many see his intrusion simply pulled votes away from Al Gore, letting George Bush take the lead. He himself admits this was what happened.

In 2004 he also made a late entry in the presidential elections as an independent candidate.

He has now again officially announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential elections. The swinging pendulum is just perceivably going towards the Democrats, it seems. There is a real chance of a Democratic victory this time round, though nothing is certain, and no one can even say that the Democrats are definitely favoured overall. But the prospect of another Republican term, however, is definitely not seen with relish by many Americans.

Ralph Nader will clearly get some votes, but the chance of him winning the elections is purely theoretical. Indeed he has, as he has often maintained, the constitutional right to stand for elections, and the American public should not be deprived of their constitutional rights of choice.

But by putting himself up as a candidate, is he really giving Americans more choice, or he is not in effect aiding and abetting the party that he himself may not wish to see continuing in power? The choice he is providing may be nothing more than illusory, but the spanner in the works will create a real effect.

Will Obama Survive The U.S. Elections?

An interesting view has been presented by Bernard Hopkins, who is known as "The Executioner" in the boxing ring. Hopkins a world champion boxer.

He says that even if Obama wins the nomination, "they" will not allow him to be president.

And even if he were to become president, his life will be in danger, and his presidency will be short-lived, maybe one or two months.

Americans will find such a change with Obama being president too much "heat".

Hopkins is a "Republicrat", as he styles himself. He supports Hillary Clinton as being the more experienced candidate. "She has already been a president for eight years", he says.

There is some truth in Hopkins' words. Obama being president may well be too radical a change for some Americans, and it may well be, although one hopes it won't happen, that some extreme elements may take drastic measures to curtail his term of office.

source
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Super Tuesday | U.S. Elections | Primaries and Caucuses in 24 States

The whole world is looking at the events of Super Tuesday. 24 states, which cover half the American population, will be involved in primaries and caucuses.

The results will likely end the campaign for nominations for the Republicans. John McCain seems to be enjoying a comfortable lead over his rival Mitt Romney.

As for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, they have been running a close race. The polls favour Clinton with a slight edge over Obama. But the results will unlikely spell the demise of either just yet. Still this is a significant event, and their future directions will be seriously affected.

The U.S. elections are important for all the world, because the U.S. dominates the world, however you feel about it. Unfortunately, the candidates on both sides seem not too distinctive. It's debatable if there is a real freedom of choice. Or whether it's just a popularity contest.

The U.S. Elections | Florida Primary Fall-out

Following the results of the Florida primaries, two candidates one each from the Republicans and the Democrats have given up their race for the presidency.

Rudy Giuliani of the Republicans, former Mayor of New York has finally decided that he stands no chance to be nominated and has announced that he has given up. It's likely that he will give his support to John McCain.

John Edwards has also quit, following his equally disappointing result in the Florida Primary. That basically leaves the field open for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Obama was recently endorsed by Sen. Edward Kennedy, which is powerful support.

The race is narrowing. A yearning for a new direction and a fresh purpose are still compelling underlying factors that could push Obama past the other candidates at the finishing line.

Hillary Clinton Rebounds in New Hampshire Primary

This round goes to Hillary, the “comeback kid”.

She narrowly defeated Obama, achieving 39% of the votes, while Obama got 36%. It' s bitter-sweet victory, as the votes show there is very substantial support for Obama. Feeling her loss in Iowa, her supporters came all out to give her a push.

Meanwhile there is no denying that the ground-swell for Obama is no fleeting phenomenon. It's real, and it will carry him forward.

Roundly defeated were John Edwards (15%) and Bill Richardson (5%).

Obama Thrashes Hillary Clinton in Iowa

Well, all the hype about Obama seems to have some substance after all. He has won in the Iowa caucus, gaining almost 38% of the vote. Poor Hillary got less than 30%.

"We are choosing hope over fear, we are choosing unity over division," said the victorious Obama.

These are early days, but there is no doubt that this result has given Obama a great boost and a head-start on the campaign trail. Is history in the process of being made?

I await with excitement the contest in New Hampshire next Tuesday.

Oprah or Obama?

Just a thought. If Oprah ran for president, would you vote for her?

This came to my mind after the recent endorsement of Obama by Oprah. Obama is a new(ish) fresh face, looks and talks different from the humdrum cast of the usual suspects. And no doubt he's a real smart cookie.

But what about Oprah? She is well-known. Obviously of some influence already – otherwise what's the point of endorsing Obama? She is articulate, a woman of great compassion, as shown by her contributions to education in Africa. She is generous with her audience. She is well loved. I think she's also pretty politically savvy, despite any protestations to the contrary. Or at least savvy enough.

No one person knows everything in the changing political world. Tensions rise and fall. Alliances are made and are broken. Expertise in any field is itself subject to the winds of politics. You can't do something just because you know it's better.




So why not Oprah? She will get all the necessary advice from all the experts around her. She will temper it with compassion, so that the rest of the world will not suffer too greatly from her decisions, and may indeed benefit from them. We know she will be in it not for money, power or influence, all of which she has already got.

She will add a new dimension to world politics. And peace for all may at last be imaginable.

Or maybe it should be Oprah and Obama?