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The Audacity of High Expectation
Published on November 5, 2008 By Bahu Virupaksha In Current Events

As we had been saying all along, the junior Senator from Illinois Barack Obama has become the 44th President of the USA. The imporatance of this event cannot be gainsaid: the perception of the world will change dramatically in favor of the USA not because an African-American has been elected but because Barack Obama has quite convincingly sold the messaGE OF hope. Now with the reality of power breathing down, Obama will realise the fact that the hopes that he has engendered all over the world will be difficult to fulfill.  He starts will a trmendous groung swell of popular support not only in the USA but all over the world. Unlike President Bush who won with less popular vote than Al Gore, Barack Obama has secured 54 % of the popular vote and so he may well get neaRLY 370 ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES.

I heard the victory speech at Grant Park, Chicago. Obama seemed to have realised that running for office presented the least of his difficulties. But having raised the hopes of millions of people all over the world he will find it difficult to translate campaign rhetoric into lasting political programs. The economy is in such a bad shape that I do not see what Obama can do that Bush has not tried and failed. The War in Afghanistan is likely to sputter on intermitently but a political resolution is nowhere in sight. Further with the Democrats controlling both Houses, Barack Obama will have to reach out to the House Democrats particularly Nancy Pelosi. Whether he garners bipartisan support for his policies remains to be seen. However the presence of an Afican American first family in the White House will give a huge boost to the moral standing of the USA and that is to be welcomed.

I have consistently supported Barack Obama and wish him success in the difficult task of governing the country. He made a splendid beginning in his speech and I hope he continues in that spirit.


Comments
on Nov 05, 2008

Ah yes, suddenly now I and the world are healed. 

It snowed here last night (healing from global warming).

I got paid yesterday (money came from the sky and healed my wallet).

I suspect just like FDR's new deal that Obama and the Dems are gonna prolong this slight recession.  Don't believe me?  UCLA just came out with a supporting analysis. 

Today people let's watch the US stocks go down.  2 minutes till the bell.

 

 

on Nov 05, 2008

Half way through Day 1 DJIA down 265 points.  Ah just FEEEEEEL the healing!

on Nov 05, 2008

Down 486 points for the day.

 

on Nov 05, 2008

All of the above occured under the watchfull eye of the sitting President.

on Nov 05, 2008

Adventure-Dude has that good old fashioned ability to be narrow-minded, it appears.  Yes, because the President, as a person, has everything to do with how the stock market fluctuates.  Wake up, dork.  Bush is still President if we're going to think about it in that moronic way.  How about instead we realize, like the article said, that the economy is in a state of peril and we probably have years of damage to come and hard work to do.

on Nov 06, 2008

All of the above occured under the watchfull eye of the sitting President.

Oh so you are admitting that global warming is NOT Bush's fault?

on Nov 06, 2008

Adventure-Dude has that good old fashioned ability to be narrow-minded, it appears. Yes, because the President, as a person, has everything to do with how the stock market fluctuates. Wake up, dork. Bush is still President if we're going to think about it in that moronic way.

Kurtin your fellow democrats have been blaming everything on Bush.  Heck your candidate RAN on that anthem. Now that the shoe is on the other foot you don't want to go to the ball?

on Nov 06, 2008

I have not blamed him [Bush] for things so out of his immediate control.  I would expect you to try and do the same with Obama.  Just because others do it, doesn't mean it is a good idea.  I'm sure you can agree on some level with that ideal.  I do not feel that Bush single-handedly caused any problems that America is facing right now.  I just see it more along the lines of his policies haven't helped and how he hasn't made much effort to switch gears or at least make some modifications to try and steer the country a more suitable direction for improvement.  As I have said in other replies I've made in similar threads...we'll just have to see, now, if Obama can be a President that can make the leap from party politician to effective, bi-partisan, executive leader.  It's quite the hope, but our nation desperately needs it.

on Nov 06, 2008

I have not blamed him [Bush] for things so out of his immediate control. I would expect you to try and do the same with Obama. Just because others do it, doesn't mean it is a good idea. I'm sure you can agree on some level with that ideal. I do not feel that Bush single-handedly caused any problems that America is facing right now. I just see it more along the lines of his policies haven't helped and how he hasn't made much effort to switch gears or at least make some modifications to try and steer the country a more suitable direction for improvement. As I have said in other replies I've made in similar threads...we'll just have to see, now, if Obama can be a President that can make the leap from party politician to effective, bi-partisan, executive leader. It's quite the hope, but our nation desperately needs it.

Kurtain, I totally understand.  I'm just hijacking this thread. If you look at other political threads this isn't really my mentality.  Rather a hijacked thread to irrationally vent.

Actually I still don't like Obama, but on the issues that I am most concerned about him I HOPE for the sake of the country I am wrong.  I agree, we'll have to wait and see.  Looking now I shouldda waited until LW came out with her article and joined her in the blame Obama rant.

However you have to admit my prediction of the stocks was pretty impressive?  Dropped again 443 points. 

Being a supporter of Israel, I fear what he may do.  I don't like how the Muslim countries are heralding this so called 'Christian' man. 

 

As I said before I hope I'm seriously in error!

 

 

on Nov 06, 2008

Well, we can't simply blame a President Elect for the issues plaguing the stock market.  Granted, his election may have quite a few in the business/investments sectors shaking in their boots, but is it really his fault?  I would argue it is those fearful of moving forward.  Failure to invest will only slow down and hurt our nation.  I know it is shaky at this time, but if we could just try to turn things around as a collective instead of looking out for our own necks, we can get back on track and then, later, we can start being our old, selfish-mannered selves that we truly are as Americans.

on Nov 07, 2008

I would argue it is those fearful of moving forward.

Fearful of moving forward?  no.  Fearful of moving forward in a wrong direction? Yes.

 

on Nov 11, 2008

Now the euphoria is beginning to settle, it is time to state the obvious. USA has taken a giant step toward fulfilling its ideals as a nation and I congratulate the American People for this great act. Haviong said that  I must say that Obama's sttle of governance will not be out of step with American practices and he will pursue US hegemony, much to the chagrin of the world, but his honeymoon will last longer.

I do recognise that the kind of electoral coalition that Obama has put together will be difficult to emulate.