The woman and the black man have both made an impression but neither one has made history…at least not yet.
For that to happen Obama has to win the Presidency. My money is on him. McCain is so 1975 and the disgruntled Hilary Democrats have nowhere else to go but to Obama– and the dare not stay home if they want to retake the prize - the White House.
There are a swack of 60’s feminists in my circle of friends that are mighty pissed at the Democratic Primary results. They are not American but the shared sisterhood in the States will not vote ever Republican nor for McCain...regardless of how angry and frustrated they feel. To not vote would belie their foundational belief in the democratic system and devalue their heartfelt desire for a female US President.
A female US President is inevitable because the odds favour it…the first female President is just not going to be Hillary. I say inevitable because of the number of women in the American voting pool is over 50%. All they have to do is get their act together, consolidate their political power and show up. They did for Hillary but it was not done well. the Clinton campaign was too presumptive and noblese oblige in tone. They old line campaign style was not able to deliver in the face of the phenomenon that was to be Obama.
The American voting pool for a black President is only about 10% and shrinking. So the Democratic nominee being black is ACTUALLY against all odds and that is the truly astounding thing. It is not quite a hundred years since women got the right to vote in America. For the first female candidate with as shot at the White House in 2008 is as impressive as it is saddening in its delay and disappointing result.
It has been about two centuries since the American stopped the slave trade. That factoid alone underscores the enormous impact of the Obama nomination and the significance it means for America and its place in the world. If Obama becomes President – and I hope he does, then America can once again aspire to become a beacon of hope and a place of promise, and an example of principled significance in the world. For the past 8 years of Bush-Cheney it has been anything but anything close to those aspirations.
Campaigns matter. The real campaign - McCain-Obama has been tepid and tentative so far...but that is about to change immediately. The next phase of selecting the "leader" of the free world is about to begin with a vengeance. Stay tuned. It is going to be significant. to you no matter where you live on the planet.
Obama is a against NAFTA and has other socialist type attitudes towards the economy - kind of scary for Canada.
ReplyDeleteIt is scary for Canada. Obama says he wants to open the immigration and environment issues. Fair enough.
ReplyDeleteI want to revisit the NAFTA energy proportionate issues. See the great piece by Sheila Pratt in todays Edmonton Journal for more context.
Numer one, McCain will win with a large majority.
ReplyDeleteNumber two, the very reason the energy issues were included in NAFTA was to preclude any future NEP-style policies because any such policies would have to give the same preference to the USA and Mexico. Such policies are clearly in the interest of Western Canada. Let the market dictate energy prices. Period.
Morning Anon @ 8:16 - I agree energy prices ought to be set by the market - period - and the NAFTA motivation was around securing continental energy supply for the USA. I am very supportive of that.
ReplyDeleteAs for your first point on McCain - not a hope that he will win in November. In fact the Republicans wil be humiliated in the Presidential, Senate and House races.