Barack Obama: Things To Do In Denver …
Posted on Thursday, August 28, 2008Barack Obama has won the Democratic nomination in Denver, Colorado, making history in the process.
I wish him well. We all do.
For God’s sake, even John McCain has put political rivalry aside for one day and issued a TV ad wishing him well.
But yet, there’s a sense of unease surrounding the whole thing. If Obama wins, will the crazies really stand for a black man in the White House? I don’t know. I have a sense of unease about it.
We in Old Europe (to use Rumsfeld’s contemptuous phrase) have the benefit of 3000 miles perspective and I have to say that the United States does not inspire confidence at the moment. I look at Obama, and then I look at the country he wants to lead, a country where 80% of the citizens have never stepped outside its borders and seem unaware that they share a planet with the rest of us. A country where a significant percentage of citizens mistakenly believe that Obama is a Muslim, and consider that to be some sort of crime. A land so insular that it cares nothing for the rest of us or our concerns or our worries that its leaders will destroy the planet and us with it. A land obsessed with the ownership of weaponry. A land where violence is glorified. A land so brainwashed that it sees terrorists everywhere and believes every problem can be solved at the point of a gun.
That’s what worries me.
By some horrible fluke of chronology, or else by some misconceived attempt at synchronicity, Barack Obama’s selection as Democratic candidate comes on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s Dream speech, and I don’t believe the rednecks have gone away in the intervening half century. America is more paranoid and insular now than it has been since WW2, but worse: it has also become both arrogant and frightened.
I greatly fear that Barack Obama, if elected, will not complete a full term.
President Biden looks like a distinct possibility.
Stumble it!
August 28th, 2008
“I greatly fear that Barack Obama, if elected, will not complete a full term”. I take it your talking about an assassins bullet
August 28th, 2008
Ted —
Who knows? I just feel that Barack Obama will not be safe, given the sort of attitudes that exist in the US.
August 29th, 2008
You may be right. Personally though, I’m just not sure he’ll win. So many people are politically correct in public, but in the privacy of the ballot box many yanks may “play it safe” and vote McCain simply on the basis of Obamas colour. I have heard some pundits say that it is the most difficult election ever to make accurate predictions because we just don’t know to what degree race will be a factor come voting time.
August 29th, 2008
Sure. I’m also not saying he’ll win. In fact, I wouldn’t put money on Obama surviving as far as election day.
August 29th, 2008
No need to worry. I’ve seen the movie and read the book, Obama goes on to be a good god fearing president and saves the world. In the sequel he has bionic parts fitted and hunts for John Connor to save him from the machines in 2027.
No wait… wrong movie… he catches a bullet on his first visit to Arkansas, and ends up starring in every ghouls blog across the globe.
Hilary Clinton is then elected President (finally) at the age of 103, but resigns over a sex scandal involving an alsation and a milk bottle.
August 29th, 2008
You seem fairly sure bock
You’re not planning to shoot him yourself are ya
August 29th, 2008
Bollix — That’s pretty much the way I see it.
Ted — I’m far from sure. My worry is the nature of America today, combined with the core of racism that never went away.
August 29th, 2008
Agreed
August 29th, 2008
I’d ride him though
August 29th, 2008
You dirty bastard. You should get out more.
August 29th, 2008
we’ll see in november, sugar, my greatest fear is that we won’t even get that far - monkeyboy could have the october surprise already in motion…i’m cynical enough to believe he’d declare martial law and suspend the 2008 election! he’s already proven he has no regard for our constitution! xoxo
August 29th, 2008
I believe a couple of knuckle heads were arrested in Denver with an assortment of weaponry including telescopic sights.
Although I’m not sure they were out for Obama, I’d be fairly certain that that’s it won’t be from some or other red neck lunatic that an assassins bullet will arrive.
Also, if such an attempt is to be made, it will be successful and no doubt it will be Sirhan Sirhan and Lee Harvey all over again and some or other red neck lunatic will be charged (or shot Ruby style).
Don’t forget what Dwight D. Eisenhower said about the vested interests and the ‘military-industrial complex’ in his departing speech.
August 29th, 2008
i see where you’re coming from, Bock, but I think this idea is going to be used by the McCain campaign as a reason not to vote Obama. Just like Hilary hinted at it during the nomination race in a “Vote for me cause nobody wants to shoot me” move.
And I don’t think it will happen. Security is better than the days of open-top motorcades in Dallas. I’m sure there are plenty of crazies who want to off GW, but can’t get near him.
August 29th, 2008
No need to worry, I just read this so no doubt Barack will be ruled ineligible and Hilary will surge to the rescue.
August 29th, 2008
Sorry cant do hyperlinks! Article said Barack’s birth certificate showed up in Mombassa hospital.
August 29th, 2008
Paralaxco: Snopes has plenty to say about Obama’s birth cert–all of it predictably mundane, as it confirms Obama’s assertions. And if we can trust Snopes on issues as controversial as Walt Disney’s frozen head, I think we can believe them on this one too.
August 29th, 2008
I always wondered how GW could still be around. The fuckers would probably just use it to their advantage though I suppose.
August 29th, 2008
I watched the coverage with a childhood expectation last nite.I am still Irish, so I dont have a vote but like the rest of the country am very tired of what has become of america.
I have to say I got tired of the references to Kennedy King etc etc, they also felt the need to tell us oprah cried her eyelashes off! who gives a shit.I believe that when people go to vote in privacy the old race card will play the star role.
August 29th, 2008
Sorry BOCK but I believe ur concerns, while probably shared by many non-yanks, is not really an issue. U see, I believe McCain will be in the White House with his lovely white, safe, female, Running Mate! and America will continue on its warped and merry way as if there never was a G.W.Bush in there before him. Doesn’t take much to change a light bulb but it takes more than the smoke of one cigar to to clowd the colour of one man’s skin - even in Texas!
August 29th, 2008
Bock - I share your fear! I watched Obama live last night and spent the whole time wondering if a rifle shot would end it all. And I think Obama is more than aware of the threat. Just as he was leaving the stage last night he visibly flinched when a firework went off close by. I hope it doesn’t happen because we will always wonder what might have been…..
August 29th, 2008
Just back from the U.S.. I have family there. I dont recognise the place you describe. There is some truth in your comments and i pray to God Obama wins. Bush and those around him are thugs. Most americans are good decent people. Dont forget that.
August 29th, 2008
Yeah…but what if he actually does get elected? If it does happen it’ll be because a hell of a lot of white people let go of the past.
That’s got to be worth something.
Let’s wait until there is a corpse before we have a funeral.
August 29th, 2008
Ok….watching the McCain/Palin show here and I’m close to losing my lunch.
October 12th, 2008
How many blacks have been in the Irish government? Look at yourselves before you call us Americans a bunch of bigoted rednecks.
October 12th, 2008
Sam — Check again. This post is about the American presidential election. American. Not Irish.
Repeat after me: American election.
Have you got that now or would you like me to spell it more slowly for you?
October 13th, 2008
“A land so insular that it cares nothing for the rest of us or our concerns or our worries that its leaders will destroy the planet and us with it. A land obsessed with the ownership of weaponry. A land where violence is glorified. A land so brainwashed that it sees terrorists everywhere and believes every problem can be solved at the point of a gun.”
Your post may be about the American election but there seems to be a lot of hatred toward Americans in it as well. You should stop posting and go do what most Irish are good at which is blowing up innocent people. Most Irish are just a bunch of wannabe Al-Queida.
October 13th, 2008
Do you think so Sam?
Would you care to list the countries we’ve invaded?
People like you are very quick to shout “hatred” when anyone dares to disagree. Next thing, you’ll be calling me a terrorist.
Look out, Bubba. It’s one of them Irish A-rab Jesus-hatin’ Obama-lovin’ muslim terrorist fellas.
Are you really Sarah Palin? Or more likely, are you really twelve?
October 13th, 2008
I really don’t feel that way about Irish people. My point was just to show that you can’t describe the people of a country with blanket statements.
I don’t like being lumped into one group and you obviously don’t either.
October 13th, 2008
Sam — You’re not being lumped into any group.
Here are the points you take exception to :
“A land so insular that it cares nothing for the rest of us or our concerns or our worries that its leaders will destroy the planet and us with it.”
It’s a fact that the USA embarked on the disastrous invasion of a country that had nothing to do with the 9-11 attack.
It’s a fact that the USA is the only developed country not to have signed the Kyoto protocol.
On the insularity thing, I believe that only one in five Americans own a passport, and that would have included your Republican vice-Presidential candidate until recently.
“A land obsessed with the ownership of weaponry.”
It’s a fact that gun ownership is guaranteed in your constitution and that the NRA is an extremely powerful political lobby group.
“A land so brainwashed that it sees terrorists everywhere …”
If you don’t believe this, I recommend a careful study of the Patriot Act. I’d also draw your attention to the recent deployment of the 3rd Infantry within your borders, to be used for crowd control at the president’s discretion.
“… and believes every problem can be solved at the point of a gun.”
I refer you back to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, a country that did not attack you. I also refer you, in passing to McCain’s “bomb-bomb Iran” joke which didn’t sound too funny this side of the Atlantic.
Now would you mind pointing out where the anti-American hatred is in those various paragraphs?
October 15th, 2008
Yeah maybe the United States should become more pacifist like the neutral nation of Ireland in WWII.
October 15th, 2008
I’ll try to remind you again, Sam: this post is about the US presidential elections.
We can talk about Ireland another time, when it’s relevant.
Meanwhile, you have failed to address the points I raised and maybe you could go back and do that now, if you wouldn’t mind.
October 15th, 2008
Sorry that was a low blow. I’ll stay on topic from now on ;)
October 15th, 2008
That’s all right, Sam. It keeps me on my toes.
October 15th, 2008
As a matter of interest, here’s an extract from Wikipedia:
The Neutrality Acts were a series of laws that were passed by the United States Congress in the 1930s, in response to the growing turmoil in Europe and Asia that eventually led to World War II. They were spurred by the growth in isolationism and non-interventionism in the US following its costly involvement in World War I, and sought to ensure that the US would not become entangled again in foreign conflicts.
The legacy of the Neutrality Acts in the 1930s was widely regarded as having been generally negative: they made no distinction between aggressor and victim, treating both equally as “belligerents”; and they limited the US government’s ability to aid Britain against Nazi Germany, until the formal declaration of war in December 1941 rendered them irrelevant.
November 5th, 2008
95% 0f black americans voted Obama. The rest should have went to Spec Savers. (Maybe that was in Florida). Anyway, I thought voting was annonymous so who the fuck was counting.