For better or worse
President Elect Obama has the left and other assorted anti US groups in such a euphoric state that it gives rise to a feeling of alarm, as in, if something looks to good. it most probably is.
Bloggers and readers of the conservative faith may remember Arthur Chrenkov who ran a blog in Australia sometime back that specialized in pointing out the good news from Iraq. His pleas for rational thought on Iraq have long been vindicated and today, whilst reading Pajamas Media I came across Arthur again. I haven’t seen him since we had a beer together at the Bekkie Creek some years ago so I’m pleased to hear he is still kicking around.
You might like to read his thoughts on Obama and don’t forget to read the comments to get a sample of the depth of feeling.
A sample;
Is anyone suprised to read the calls for unity, how we all need to get behind Obama, how we shouldn’t get ODS, how we should stop labeling Obama, don’t call him unpatriotic? Unless I’ve lost my memory aren’t these the some of the same people who have been calling conservatives stupid, evil, blah, blah, blah? Now all of a sudden we’re supposed to join hands around the campfire and sing songs? There is no reason to support Obama’s judgment any more today than there was yesterday. If he governs as the flaming liberal his past indicates he is – it will be a disaster for the country. If he governs from the center as the conservative talking heads who jumped ship hope he will – the angst & unhappiness of the uber-left will bring me great amusement. I intend to give President Obama and his administration the same respect and consideration many on the Left gave Pres Bush.Fair enough too, although I intend to try and keep irrational emotion out of my comments and stick to known facts. I doubt I’ll ever blame Obama for any future hurricane that hits New Orleans but I will be keeping a watch on just how far left the administration veers. It’s a long time since I’ve been moved by fanatical religious rallies as witnessed last night on TV so a healthy skepticism will be the order of the day.
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When world-changing events happen, most people can remember where they were at the time.
My father woke me one morning in November 1963 to tell me that Jack Kennedy had been assassinated. I was sixteen, and as the oldest was relegated to sleeping on a verandah, as the school residence wasn’t large enough for a family of six.
Dad emerged from inside the house with an expression of great distress on his face. He had been transfixed by the notion that a Catholic had been elected President in 1960, and now was devastated by his assassination.
Martin Luther King was shot on my younger brother’s birthday, and by some strange twist of destiny, Bobby Kennedy died on my 21st Birthday the same year.
I was devastated by this, as I’d held out hope that the younger Kennedy would win the Presidency, and withdraw from Vietnam before I was enlisted in the Army. I had been conscripted, and was teaching out my first year (as was the agreement) prior to call up. I believed, rightly or wrongly, that if the Yanks left Vietnam, we would follow. It was particularly ironic from my perspective that this indeed happened, but not before I had spent a year in Vietnam in 1970.
This consciousness that momentous events on the other side of the Pacific have a direct and profound effect on our lives in this country has never left me.
On 11th September 2001 (my youngest daughter’s birthday) I watched the twin towers come down, with a profound sense of dread about the impact this would have on politics in this country. Few would argue the events of that day failed to shape the outcome of the next two federal elections.
Yesterday I was driving back from to Toowoomba after work in Wandoan, and Taroom. It’s a long trip, and I tuned into the hourly news broadcasts that brought Obama closer to the Whitehouse as I got steadily closer to home.
The unfolding countryside paralleled my unfolding realization that nothing would ever be the same again. By Wallumbilla the networks were beginning to make cautious predictions, and by Yuleba, there seemed little doubt. I turned the radio off at Miles before pausing to have a coffee, with McCain’s graceful concession in my ears.
At home last night, Obama’s acceptance speech was riveting. I’ve emailed copies to my kids urging them to watch it, because the event will have a strong effect on their futures. Maybe they will – maybe not, but I hope someday they will develop an understanding of the broad sweep of history leading to this moment.
Hopefully, they won’t have to wait to become old and cranky like their father before they understand.
What is momentous, beside his pigmentation, is that the US have elected a a man of little substance who shines with the spoken word; who has the thinnest of resumes, has actually achieved less than anyone in the respective senates and life generally and has the most questionable of associates over his life to date of any man selected to that office.
Admittedly McCain was old and Palin crucified by the media but that pair would have been less dangerous than Obama.
Not unlike the local guy, actually.
Hear them cheering in the Middle East?
McCain was left to rot by the Republican machine. The USA would have been in much better shape if he had run and been elected in 2004.
Palin was too far to the right to be relevant, and the resume for president doesn’t necessarily include the membership of a dynasty. The most refreshing aspect of this candidate is precisely that – he doesn’t belong to the political establishment – is not a member of a born-to-rule dynasty (not a Kennedy – not a Bush – not a Clinton).
As for “dangerous” – it depends what you’re afraid of.
If reconciliation, the capacity to unite Americans of all creeds classes and races is frightening – then he’s dangerous. If pragmatism and political moxie developed in the mean streets of the South side of Chicago is frightening – then he’s dangerous. If the capacity to unlock the aspirations of the bulk of Americans by appealing to their hopes rather than their fears is frightening, then he’s dangerous.
For mine, I’d prefer this kind of risk to that presented by an oil man from Texas who was always victim to his father’s actions in the first Gulf war, and advised by the strangest group of ideologues since Jiang Qing, Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan and Wang Hongwen.
Symbolism….that’s why he’s in.
A black man kin the white house. It’s just a shame he dumped Clinton.
So much money raised for Obama for him to get elected – I just wonder what all these vested interests will want in return?
My guess is that they are all lining up now for their pound of flesh.
I think the future of Australia is now uncertain… no more monarchy, no more republic…. well not unless we become a state of America – we are nearly there already. I spoke with a number of people today who could name those involved in American elections, but they could not name all the premiers in Australia.
It all started with those silly baseball caps, now the cops even have them as part of their (ugly) uniforms. We are inundated with the American culture through their music, their television and their movies (we used to call them pictures or flicks).
We may as well sign up as the, what is it now, the 52nd state?
“…he doesn’t belong to the political establishment …”
Your ignorance is breathtaking 17 – he and his ilk are the Chicago political establishment.
See his chief of staff… Same old, same old.
So, 17, you know the words to Kumbaya.
No, but you can find them here, together with a little history. Glad that you’re interested and that I can help. Anything else you need…….?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumbaya
“Anything else you need…….?”
Yeah, sing it for us, you know you want to…
Oh and the chosen one’s new chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, served on the board of directors of the federal mortgage firm Freddie Mac at a time when scandal was brewing at the troubled agency and the board failed to spot “red flags”.
The entire board, including Emanuel, stands accused by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight of having “failed in its duty… Others cry “fraud”.
Great start by the Obamachine – new COS, old corruption and incompetence.
What was that you mentioned about telling your kids about history, well here’s one for them; Mr “change and hope” fell at the first hurdle AND Helen Clarke has been thrown out on her ungracious arse.