Happy Obama-day

[CaptainPanic]

I thank all Americans for doing the right thing: voting for Barack Obama.

 

Let's hope he lives up to the promise, although I think that the positive feeling that the world got today is already invaluable.

[Saryctos]

although I think that the positive feeling that the world got today is already invaluable.

 

Quite telling of the world at the same time really...

[insane_alien]

My respect for the US has jumped up a couple of notches at least. if he turns out to be as good as he appears(well, i imagine there will be some problems along the way so some leeway will be given here) then it will jump up a few more notches.

 

he can't be as bad as bush at any rate can he?

[padren]

My respect for the US has jumped up a couple of notches at least. if he turns out to be as good as he appears(well, i imagine there will be some problems along the way so some leeway will be given here) then it will jump up a few more notches.

 

he can't be as bad as bush at any rate can he?

 

I can't help but to think of a JFK quote regarding what Obama's first term will be like:

 

When we got into office, the thing that surprised me most was to find that things were just as bad as we'd been saying they were.

 

He definitely has a lot of work ahead, but personally I am glad he's the one who got the job. Given how much he promises, he could be a real let down, but he could also do some great things - it'll be fun to find out.

 

Plus, I get to see Rush rail with a foaming mouth against a sitting President again - I've been waiting 8 years for that!

[Riogho]

I thank all Americans for doing the right thing: voting for Barack Obama.

 

You should only thank about 52% of americans. Specifically those living in Ohio, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

[ydoaPs]

You should only thank about 52% of americans. Specifically those living in Ohio, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

 

McCain didn't even wait for the votes to get in before he gave up, though.

[bascule]

McCain didn't even wait for the votes to get in before he gave up, though.

 

The networks called the race for Obama shortly after he won both Pennsylvania and Virginia

[Pangloss]

Actually it was called later than that, right after he won Florida at around 11pm Eastern. He'd won VA and PA a couple hours earlier.

[ecoli]

McCain didn't even wait for the votes to get in before he gave up, though.

he did more than give up tho HE conceded to Obama. That doesn't seem right, somehow. What if the election had magically turned? Would it have been too late... he already gave away the presidency to Obama.

[Pangloss]

I'm confused, why do you guys think McCain conceded too early? It was mathematically impossible for him to win when he came out and gave that speech.

[iNow]

That makes two of us, Pangloss. Obama had the 270 electoral votes before anything McCain did, so what's the issue?

[ydoaPs]

He was PROJECTED to have more votes at the time of the concession.

[Pangloss]

Well by that logic he should STILL not have made a concession speech, nor can we call Obama "president-elect", because nothing is actually determined until the delegates meet for the Electoral College and cast their actual electoral votes. I believe that happens in December.

 

I guess it wasn't mathematically impossible for him to win, but it is accurate to say that there was more than sufficient certainty there to declare Obama the winner.

 

Note that the race was not called until the polls were closed on the west coast.

[ecoli]

exactly pangloss. My point is not that about statistical possibilities. It's about who is supposed to elect the president. Maybe its a semantic argument, but by virtue of the word "conceding" doesn't that mean McCain is handing the presidency to Obama? Last time I checked, an opponent can't give the election away, even if its obvious he's not going to win. It's not like a sports match where the opposing team can forfeit and the other team wins by default. In an election, the people choose the president (or at least their electoral college votes) not the opposing team.

[iNow]

McCain didn't concede to Obama. He conceded the mathematical possibility of his winning more than 270 electoral votes. If you want to be semantic...

[ecoli]

McCain didn't concede to Obama. He conceded the mathematical possibility of his winning more than 270 electoral votes. If you want to be semantic...

well, why didn't he just say that??

[Pangloss]

It sounds like you may also be proceeding on the false assumption that the concession speech carries legal significance. It is not part of the process in any way that I'm aware of.

[ecoli]

It sounds like you may also be proceeding on the false assumption that the concession speech carries legal significance. It is not part of the process in any way that I'm aware of.

not really... it just doesn't seem right to me. Making the election more about the candidates than the voters.

[JohnB]

Personally I think the rest of the world is in for a shock.

 

Barack Obama as POTUS will do the same thing that every President before him has. He will act in accordance with the percieved best interests of the United States.

 

Nobody should expect him to do otherwise. He will be the POTUS, his responsibility is to the nation and people of America. I would not expect him to sacrifice one american job just to keep in Australias (or anyone elses) good books.

 

He will perform the "best interest" balancing act to the best of his abilities, just as others before him have. Americans should expect no less than that.

 

The rest of the world should also realise that if the best interests of the US are served by throwing someone to the wolves, he will do that too.

 

If he were faced with a decision that would cost 100,000 US jobs, or 50,000 Australian jobs, I would expect him to decide in favour of the Americans, just as I would expect my Prime Minister to decide in favour of the Australians.

 

I have no idea why, but there seems to be this feeling that Obama will do many things to get the rest of the world to like the US, changing policies, changing the economy, all to satisfy us. Won't happen.

 

Sometimes being seen as the "Good Guy" on the world stage is in the best interests of the US, sometimes it is not. It's called politics.

[iNow]

Personally I think the rest of the world is in for a shock.

 

Barack Obama as POTUS will do the same thing that every President before him has. He will act in accordance with the percieved best interests of the United States.

 

Nobody should expect him to do otherwise. He will be the POTUS, his responsibility is to the nation and people of America.

But, at this point in human history, what is best for the US has significant levels of overlap and parallels with what is best for the planet as a whole. We do not live in a vacuum, despite the fact that some of our actions in the past seemed to suggest otherwise.

[npts2020]

JohnB: At least Mr. Obama has spent significant portions of his life in very differing cultures and situations, I think this is what gives many people hope that he will be able to see things from more than one point of view, and maybe take the effect his actions have on others into the decision-making process.

[CaptainPanic]

Personally I think the rest of the world is in for a shock.

 

Barack Obama as POTUS will do the same thing that every President before him has. He will act in accordance with the percieved best interests of the United States.

 

I agree, but only because you sneaked in the word "perceived". Bush did not do what's best for the USA, although he probably thought he did. It would be a welcome change if the next president does. At least, it is what we all expect. And as was said before, many of the things that are good for the US, are good for the rest of us.

 

We're all very happy here in Europe perhaps because of a speech he gave in Berlin. In that speech he said he was aware that many Europeans feel that America is becoming part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. That one remark said a lot. Bush always thought he could bully Europe into submission or just tell us what to do. (That is how I perceive it, anyway).

[Pangloss]

I think "the world" will have criticisms of Obama on some issues, but will also have many compliments on other issues. I think it's a matter of overall opinion. People do see these things as building up over time and multiple issues.

 

I think a good example of this can be seen in the issue of the Kyoto agreement, which preceded 9/11. Had that been the world's only complaint about George W. Bush, he might well have departed his presidency with a high public opinion both at home and abroad, assuming he made other decisions that they agreed with. In fact I would even go as far as to say that had we only invaded Afghanistan, and not Iraq, he would have a much higher public opinion abroad (and at home).