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Goodbye Dubya, hello Obama...
BillieTheBot
Posts: 8,721 Bot
Fear no longer everyone, the Bush presidency finished nearly three hours ago, at the time of writing this. The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama has been sworn in. Click here for loads more from the Beeb... I watched his inauguration speech live this afternoon (read the text or watch it yourself here) on the TV.
Those familiar with my posts will know that I've been pretty critical of Barack Obama up until now. I've made several comparisons with him and Tony Blair. Our disgraced ex-PM came to office in 1997 incredibly popular, with massive ambitions. He failed dismally and left office having been shown up as a failure, pathological liar and war criminal. Obama has come to office now with an 80% approval rating - the highest ever for an incoming President - and I see all too many similarities between the two. That's why I supported John McCain in the campaign. (on a side note, where the bloody hell was Sarah Palin today? John McCain was there to welcome the new president, yet there was no sign of the hockey mom. Just as well she wasn't there, I suppose - the woman made me cringe with embarrassment during the campaign.)
Regardless, the USA chose Obama. As it happens, I believe he has the potential, if he acts decisively and properly, to be one of the best presidents the USA has ever seen. It's certainly not going to be easy - not for nothing did satirical news website The Onion publish an article called "Black Man Wins World's Worst Job" following his victory. If he succeds, he will go down as one of the great presidents. If he fails, the world economy will be completely fucked.
However, he's done a good start. His speech today was one of the best political speeches I have ever heard. I was expecting more of the same flowery rubbish that peppered his campaign speeches, but that wasn't what we got. Within seconds, he surprised me by saying "I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors." I thought it was extremely appropriate given the dark days we're currently in, and the historical context of this day. I thought that thanking President Bush for his "service to the nation", despite many people disagreeing with him, was extremely noble of him and I was very encouraged by what I heard. I'm now looking forward to seeing just what he meant when he constantly talked about "change" coming to America.
What did you think of his speech? And how do you reckon he'll be as a President?
Those familiar with my posts will know that I've been pretty critical of Barack Obama up until now. I've made several comparisons with him and Tony Blair. Our disgraced ex-PM came to office in 1997 incredibly popular, with massive ambitions. He failed dismally and left office having been shown up as a failure, pathological liar and war criminal. Obama has come to office now with an 80% approval rating - the highest ever for an incoming President - and I see all too many similarities between the two. That's why I supported John McCain in the campaign. (on a side note, where the bloody hell was Sarah Palin today? John McCain was there to welcome the new president, yet there was no sign of the hockey mom. Just as well she wasn't there, I suppose - the woman made me cringe with embarrassment during the campaign.)
Regardless, the USA chose Obama. As it happens, I believe he has the potential, if he acts decisively and properly, to be one of the best presidents the USA has ever seen. It's certainly not going to be easy - not for nothing did satirical news website The Onion publish an article called "Black Man Wins World's Worst Job" following his victory. If he succeds, he will go down as one of the great presidents. If he fails, the world economy will be completely fucked.
However, he's done a good start. His speech today was one of the best political speeches I have ever heard. I was expecting more of the same flowery rubbish that peppered his campaign speeches, but that wasn't what we got. Within seconds, he surprised me by saying "I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors." I thought it was extremely appropriate given the dark days we're currently in, and the historical context of this day. I thought that thanking President Bush for his "service to the nation", despite many people disagreeing with him, was extremely noble of him and I was very encouraged by what I heard. I'm now looking forward to seeing just what he meant when he constantly talked about "change" coming to America.
What did you think of his speech? And how do you reckon he'll be as a President?
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
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Comments
I suspect things won't be as great as people hope or expect when one looks back a few years from now. Still, he's likely to be 100 times better than the last administration, and much better than a McCain presidency would have managed IMO. McCain is a decent man, but the Republican Party has more bad weeds and deeply disturbing individuals in it than the local secure hospital for the criminally insane.
America badly needs to re-engage with the world and to change direction on various policies. This can only be a step in the right direction, though I suspect he won't go as far as many of us would hope.
In any case it is really great to see a nation so illusioned and engaged with its political process. We certainly could do with some of that here.
Cos like, he got the inaugoration speech thing wrong, .
Just an aside, the free market has inbuilt mechanisms to stop it being completely fucked over afaik. The only problems is when a few powerful people are allowed to get into a very powerful position when they can screw everyone over. If things get so bad, everything will reset to 0 (currency becomes worthless for example), and it starts up again from the beginning.
Barack Obama has requested the suspension of all military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, in his first major act as the new US president.
:')
He is a very clever man, and of course he cant live up to the absolutely massive expectations, but if he gets half way there he will be a fantastic president.
It was very heartening to hear referenced to climate change in the speach and a not very veiled comments against Bush.
He's moved me to tears on a number of occasions. I think its just the relief that the USA appears to have voted for someone who does indicate that he is not there to prop up big business etc, but really does care about the little people. I hate being anti-American and hopefully, Obama will lead everyone away from the anger we have felt towards his country.
I thought the speech was good and a lot of positive noises were made. It's wait-and-see time now.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=a3j9ltp1qM8&feature=related
Can't get onboard with you there, Jim. The Coretta King speech was funny and clever in parts; his benedition speech was just religious white-noise.
The Rosa Parks speech was much better and more political (we know where the weapons of mass destruction are; poverty is a weapon of mass destruction, hatred is a weapon of mass destruction, no support for our cities and our communities is a weapon of mass social destruction), but I liked the benediction as a piece of public speaking - not as something I politically agree with. Sometimes white noise sounds as sweet as any other
Video is here: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8Il9r-VSu9g
For people to make up their own mind
He comes across as very charismatic, very sharp and he clearly has a gift for public speaking, such a welcome contrast to the previous administration.
However, given the gravity of the current challenges facing America and the rest of the world I can't help but think that some people, in particular the black community in the US, are expecting too much from him. He hasn't exactly been left with the easiest of tasks.
That said, he's picked an excellent vice-President and his cabinet is shaping up to be a fine mix of experience and level-headedness. Presidents are surely only as good as the people who advise them.
Just for you man, here's the speech I was thinking of
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0yBwjrUhmdI
As for the event, I would describe it as a commercialised Nuremberg Rally. I found the cult of personality bizarre in the extreme but then idolatry is not my thing.
Good luck to all those that are expecting a saviour but I suspect they will be hugely disappointed if they expect that from a politician/lawyer.