Year zero on the arc of history

Obama’s victory speech has the sonorous beauty, eloquence and simplicity of the Gettysburg address.  The tawdry raddled reputation of politics is reclaimed for an honorable rebirth shaped by the noble ideals of Abraham Lincoln.

What American would not be inspired with new pride by these words?

“ We proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.”

It was eight years ago that American policy was poisoned by the belligerent militaristic posturing of the ‘Project for a New American Century,’ That was the bible of Bush’s Neo-cons that propelled America into the Iraq War and a foreign policy of greed and grab.

Obama is the start of Year Zero in a world of new politics. He is not trapped by the past or fear of innovation. He knows that our sternest challenge is ‘our planet in peril.’ He recognises that only intelligent negotiation will reduce the bloodshed of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His courage in opposing the Iraq war shortly after 9/11 will equip him  boldly to seek practical peaceful outcomes.

Britain and other countries of goodwill will be caught up in the Obama slip stream. Today there are more reasons for optimism of the future of our planet than at anytime since the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

Campaign winners and losers

The shambling, slightly comic blunderfull personsa of campaigning John McCain is now obliterated by the generosity of his acceptance of defeat. Not the first time, he silenced the bellowing red-necked yahoos who shouted abuse at Obama. McCain lost with grace in defeat that matched Obama’s restraint in victory. Faith is restored in the nobility of their country’s politics.

The wooden spoon for the predication that the result would be delayed for fourteen days goes to the Western Mail. (see Oct 29th here Weird Mail) Their 'Leading Welsh Pundit' said  the result would be so close that overseas votes would have to be  counted for a fortnight to verify the result.  It was the ubiquitous Steve Morgan who claims to be expert in these things. He also forecast that the polls would predict dead heats in Florida and Ohio. Beware of self-proclaimed pundits, Western Mail. This blog is best - see " McCain is finished'- here October 11th.

The winners of the Obama victory will include our plundered planet, race relations, international harmony, polar bears and the starving and diseased people of the developing world.  The losers will be lobbyists, the National Rifle Assocation, the merchants of weapons of death, and the low-grade mean politics of tabloid venom and hysteria.

The television coverage of last night’s results was infuriatingly mis-conceived. Why have the BBC, Sky, ITV and CNN forgotten about ‘swing’? I flitted from channel to channel to discover how the share of the votes compared with 2004. The reported on fragmented results without context was misleading. CNN apologised  for their crazy reporting of votes won in areas where only 1% or 2% of the votes had been counted. This wildly boosted the expectations of the McCain camp. They had a very revealing detailed map that compared the 2004 and 2008 results, but they rarely used it. David Dimbleby  was out of his depth on the Beeb.

Comments

[Alan Thrower]

"The tawdry raddled reputation of politics is reclaimed ...". I'll finish that for you.

... from the rancid, festering political landfill that is the Labour party.

"Britain and others (sic) countries of goodwill will be caught up in the Obama slip stream."

Yeah, OK, like Labour will ever listen to anyone but themselves.

[Baneswell boy]

A message from the good people of Stow Hill to the good people of the United States of America...

...THANK YOU!!!!

[Huw O'Sullivan]

A truly remarkable and, for me only, completely unexpected result in the US election.
A person of colour, as president of the united states less than 50 years after segregation.
It's definitely right up there with the hope and joy that came with Kennedy being elected. Or was that just for Irish Catholics?
I still think Paul has far too much hope in the president elect and I am still sure that he will live down to our expectations of what the US will do in the world.
However, it is a relief that finally the US has a president who you can see on television or hear speak for more than 30 seconds without bleeding from your eyes and ears as you attempt to mentally shift gears down to a level most humans simply cannot operate at.
Roll on January.

[Paul Flynn]

Thanks Huw. I have had some stick on my confident forecasts here and on the radio that the result would be an Obama landslide.

I truly believe that I am correct on the character of Obama. He is not only the most eloquent politician I have ever heard ( I did hear Aneurin Bevan) but he has a giant intellect and writes with the sensitivity of a poet. How many other politicians like that have we had before?....

[patrick]

The Republicans could not fiddle this one!

Let's look forward to some positive changes in US foreign policy.

[Paul Flynn]

Poisonous exaggerated crap, Alan Thrower.
Today is a great day for the USA and the world.

Cheer up!

[Paul Flynn]

Thanks Baneswell Boy.

Baneswell has had its honourable role in Chartist history which was commemorated last night in Newport St Woolos cemetery.

[Paul Flynn]

I am sure that the Republicans were braced to steal the election, Patrick if they could. Why the armies of lawyers in Florida? The majorities were far too big.

McCain is one of the few decent people in their party.

[patrick]

I've heared that McCain will be crossing the pond looking for Joe the plumber.

[Huw O'Sullivan]

Definitely not Bob the Builder though.
He's crossing the pond to sue Obama for stealing his catch phrase and turning it from the entertainment of pre-schoolers into the a political campaign.
But Bob can fix it
can't he

[timbone]

If anyone can get positive, realistic dialogue going in the Middle East, it is Obama. He himself leading a Country which until relatively recently was still oppressing his own people, the Black Americans.

[Will S]

You're quite right to say that the TV coverage was shocking. I actually got tired of the BBC coverage and went to sleep after McCain's speech. However if you were watching the BBC coverage during the local elections earlier this year (I doubt you were) you'll know that there has been a gradual deterioration in the coverage of elections by the Beeb (two words: Jeremy Vine).

What really infuriated me though was the audacity of the BBC reporters to repeatedly challenge the politicians on the ground as to the facts of US politics. I actually quite enjoyed the two occaisions where BBC reporters were slapped down by Reublicans. There was a sense of justice about it.

[Graham Marlowe]

I am always a little wary of aceptance speeches, paul. Who could forget......

"A new day has dawned, has it not?......My government will be purer than pure......."

Fine words need to be backed up with action.

A new day might have dawned, but as the day wore on there was Ecclestone....then Mandelson....then Ron Davies and his moment of madness.....the fawning to George Bush....the property deals aided by an Australian con-man.... etc etc etc.

I hope Mr Obama dloesn't turn out to havwe the feet of plasticine that Tony Blair had: like him, he comes to office with high hopes and promises.

[Paul Flynn]

Yes Graham. I remember it well. I got my dis-illusionment in early on this when Tony Blair chose the Oratory school for his child.

Of course there will be disappointments, but I know of no issue on which Barack Obama does not have a better policy that Bush. On the environment and the 'war on terror' policy changes will be instant. As an intellectual he will not bullied and cowed by his officials.

Matthew Taylor has a brief piece in the Guardian. He has been bruised by his experinece with Tony Blair.

[Paul Flynn]

Agree Timborne. Obama has a great advantage in that he has enormous political capital and goodwill and he is not in hock to anyone - having attracted $millions in small donations.

[Paul Flynn]

Will S, thanks. I am glad I am not alone is seeing the deterioration in TV election coverage. Dimbleby was confused throughout. It's sad to see old skills apparently lost in spite of improved technology.

[Graham Marlowe]

I agree entirely Paul: Mr Obama has to be better than the terrifying thought of Mrs Palin one day becoming Presidfent (I have read though that she may well be a strong contender in 4 years time - luckilly usually the person who wins a first term goes on to win a second - lets hope this is true in this case). Hopefully the world can relax a little now, and there will, i am sure, be no more of the simplistic stuff like "you are either with us or against us".

I also agree that Mr McCain was gracious in defeat and he sounded disgusted when, in congratulating Mr Obama, some of his supporters booed. he does seem a thoroughly decent man, which makes his choice for VP all the more puzzling.

[Adam]

Obama has had plenty of major donors to his campaign:

There is a list of the top contributors here:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638

And also a comparitive analysis with the other candidates here:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.php?ind=F03

Commercial banks
Barack Obama (D) $2,938,556
John McCain (R) graph $2,185,869

Pharmaceuticals/Health Products
Barack Obama (D) $1,662,280
John McCain (R) $579,013

Although from some industries he received much less:

Lobbyists
John McCain (R) $1,102,583
Barack Obama (D) $366,999

Oil & Gas
John McCain (R) $2,119,516
Barack Obama (D) $671,286

'With $400 million raised so far from 2 million donors, Obama's average contribution is about $200.

That low average figure isn't quite as groundbreaking as it may seem. In 2004, the Bush campaign raised $260 million from 1.3 million donors -- and also had an average donation of $200.'
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/08/21/obama_strong_major_donors.html

[Tony]

Likewise I have great hopes for Obama - lets see if he can deliver. My personal view is that he seems closer to the Thoas Jefferson mode when he talks about not being measured by military strength .. heres hoping ..

On a much more prosaic note but we've just bailed the banks to the tune of a few squillion quid. So along comes the Bank of England and reduces rates to 1950's level and these ungrateful numpties refuse to pass on the rate reduction and after years of saying Base Rate is the real interest rate its now Libor thats the true measure for mortgage funds.

OK, either they do their bit to reduce the effect of any recession or the Bank just refuese to lend overnight to them - that would soon bring them to their senses and realise they really do want to be part of the recovery.

Who the hell do they think they are ? !!!!!

[Paul Flynn]

I share your anger with the Banks.They are shaping up to be the pariahs of society. What dare they do with the new interest rates? As we have a bit more muscle now over them, we should be flexing it if they do not cooperate.

[Paul Flynn]

Thanks Adam for these links.

They are some new laws in the USA on lobbying because of the recent corruption cases. Obama is well placed to cut out the pork. Perhaps he will appoint John McCain to do it.

[Jesse Boot]

Obama well backed by the notorious "big pharma" - well that's OK then...

[Paul Flynn]

No it's not OK Jesse Boot. But Obama is less dependent on outside funders than any other recent President because he raised half his money in small donations. His debt is to millions of ordinary people.

[DG]

Just out of curiosity Paul (prompted by the Tony Blair comment) - where did you send your children to school?

[Paul Flynn]

They went to the local state schools, DG.