The 2008 US Election thread

[Zapatista]

What else concerns you?

Rendition flights?

Good post BTW.

Fair play Declan.

[J70]

Unless I misheard something, Obama admitted in his victory speech that the aims he has set himself out for might not be able to take just a single term in office so maybe he's setting himself up a safety cushion to cover all but the worst case scenarios, I.E. he can go back and point this out down the line.

Well the recession has sort of thrown a small spanner in the works, don't you think? McCain admitted that he probably wouldn't get the budget balanced in one term as he has hoped and pledged. You play with the cards you're dealt.

[The Real Laoislad]

Oh Jesus 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EADUQWKoVek&feature=related

[fred the red]

Think i might name my 1st born lad after him.

[armaghniac]

Fair play to Obama. It does make the world warmer towards the US which is a genuine democracy and which has certainly moved on in that they can elect a Black person as President. Compare that with the northern part of this country and the same old ethnic prejudice from the DUP and  where it is inconceivable that a Catholic could become first minister and such a person is legally prohibited from becoming head of State in that jurisdiction.

[Yes I Would]

ITV followed up Obamas speach on the news bulletin with George W's congratulatory address.

f**king hell. He had to read it off a script.  What a clown.!!
What worries me is that for all his and his party's f**k ups, almost 48% of the US electorate still opted to vote Republican.

[Zapatista]

Glass houses and all that.

[muppet]

Delighted for the States.

2 years ago I was thinking any candidate GOP or Dem would be a monumental improvement on the hubris of the last 8 years. I would have happily taken McCain at that stage.

Then I was hoping Clinton would be a strong enough candidate to defeat the GOP machine. But like lots of others I have been swept up in the sheer hypnosis of Obama's charisma.

Looking at the TV its as if a huge burden has been lifted off (most of) the American people. That is no reflection on McCain who was dignified beyond the call of duty.

Some here are already predicting only 1 term but I see two easily. He has both houses and a basket case nation internationally and locally. But the US bounces back quicker than anyone else. Things will surely be better in 4 years.

[ziggysego]

Oh Jesus 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EADUQWKoVek&feature=related

Ah.... f**king hell.

[ziggysego]

No Irish Please

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urMlVn1ZwDg

[Fiodoir Ard Mhacha]

The Beeb need to drop this 'Obama's black' line pretty soon.  Did they go on ad infinitim about Kennedy being a Fenian?

[muppet]

The Beeb need to drop this 'Obama's black' line pretty soon.  Did they go on ad infinitim about Kennedy being a Fenian?

Or Bush being a muppet?

[J70]

How much of Obama's victory was down to his almost universal support from black voters? In 4 years, will Obama be able to mobilise the black vote to the extent he has this time? It seemed to become about more than just an election to the black community in the states and now that this bridge has been crossed there will never be another 'first black president' to grab hearts and minds- in this respect could it have been easier for Obama to win this time round than it will be for future black candidates?

Every campaign is about motivating the electorate. Bush won in '04 in large part to his campaign's success in mobilizing the christian right, which exceeded Kerry's also impressive mobilization of his support. You're probably right in that a lot of people who voted yesterday might stay home next time, but its up to the candidate to appeal to whatever his base is. McCain would have got a lot less of the christian right out this time around if he hadn't chosen Palin.

[J70]

From The Onion...

Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job

November 5, 2008 | Issue 44•45

WASHINGTON—African-American man Barack Obama, 47, was given the least-desirable job in the entire country Tuesday when he was elected president of the United States of America. In his new high-stress, low-reward position, Obama will be charged with such tasks as completely overhauling the nation's broken-down economy, repairing the crumbling infrastructure, and generally having to please more than 300 million Americans and cater to their every whim on a daily basis. As part of his duties, the black man will have to spend four to eight years cleaning up the messes other people left behind. The job comes with such intense scrutiny and so certain a guarantee of failure that only one other person even bothered applying for it. Said scholar and activist Mark L. Denton, "It just goes to show you that, in this country, a black man still can't catch a break."

[cicfada]

Check this song out! There's on one as Irish as Obama!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xkw8ip43Vk