To the rest of the planet...

[magburner]

So I assume you think we were just a bunch of racist morons until we elected Obama, right? What would you think of us if we elected McCain instead?

I may of thought you were morons, but not inherently racist morons. (joke) What's with all this racist nonsense that keeps surfacing around here all of a sudden? It seems that Americans are nothing if not paranoid! Is this a reverse Berekely effect or something?

I have never been a fan of GWB, or his foreign policy. For the guy to get elected twice said something to me about the American people. I'm not affraid to say, that my perceptions of your country have been muddied by the GWB administration. Electing Barrack Obama, also said something to me about the American people.

I have never hated America as a nation though, some of my heroes are American, as are some of my friends. I have though, hated your countries foreign policy at times.

There is nothing wrong with that, you guys hate my great nation's Socialsit Democracy, do I think that you hate me? No. You may dislike me as a person, but thats your perogative, I don't hold that against you, and I don't think (I hope), you don't judge my country based on anything I might say here. 👍

I can understand your hostile attitude though, its not easy having you country brought into question every five minutes, but everything have changed now. For better or worse (who knows). All I know is that I find America fascinating for the first time in a very long time! 👍

Sorry, my mistake. That was Britain that practiced it in the late 1930s. It didn't work. Lowering yourself to please others is not human nature, and it's illogical.

Those were very different times. I don't agree with appeasement per se, but knowing now the high price we paid in WWII, I feel it was a justifiable position to start from. Remember, our nation was still recovering from the previous World War that had all but destroyed a generation of our men. If I had been in the same position, I would of acted the same, and I don't think that it is cowardly, not wanting war, or not wanting to confront a tyrant. If that is the case, then we have to ask ourselves, where was America when WWII started?

Winston Churchill spoke in Parliament after Neville Chamberlain's death, and said:

"Whatever else history may or may not say about these terrible, tremendous years, we can be sure that Neville Chamberlain acted with perfect sincerity according to his lights and strove to the utmost of his capacity and authority, which were powerful, to save the world from the awful, devastating struggle in which we are now engaged."

 

[Keef]

I'm not trying to poke fun at England for doing what they did. At the time it was what they thought would work best. But we learned that it doesn't work. I feel like there were more than a few Obama voters who voted for him because they though America looked bad in others' eyes and wanted to improve the country's image. They're probably the same people that watch Oprah and Dancing With the Stars. Their goal in life is to impress others. Obviously that's a very broad and hopefully offensive generalization, but the thought that even a small percentage of Americans did that embarrasses me. It's like we're in a country of pansies.

I'm moving to Texas. They shoot stuff there.

 

[SolidSnake15]

I'm not trying to poke fun at England for doing what they did. At the time it was what they thought would work best. But we learned that it doesn't work. I feel like there were more than a few Obama voters who voted for him because they though America looked bad in others' eyes and wanted to improve the country's image. They're probably the same people that watch Oprah and Dancing With the Stars. Their goal in life is to impress others. Obviously that's a very broad and hopefully offensive generalization, but the thought that even a small percentage of Americans did that embarrasses me. It's like we're in a country of pansies.

I'm moving to Texas. They shoot stuff there.

With no racism intended, most the people I know who voted for Obama, did so for the sole reason that he's black. I don't care what race our president is, as long as he has good ideas in my opinion.

 

[McLaren]

I may of thought you were morons, but not inherently racist morons. (joke) What's with all this racist nonsense that keeps surfacing around here all of a sudden? It seems that Americans are nothing if not paranoid! Is this a reverse Berekely effect or something?

If you haven't noticed, racism has become an extremely big topic again since Obama was elected. I just saw coverage of some blacks in the north dancing in the street...with a Russian flag celebrating Obama's win. There are also small reports of blacks now slandering whites. I'm not joking when I say I've began seeing this crap for myself.

I have never been a fan of GWB, or his foreign policy. For the guy to get elected twice said something to me about the American people. I'm not affraid to say, that my perceptions of your country have been muddied by the GWB administration. Electing Barrack Obama, also said something to me about the American people.

But, WHY Barack? What would you have thought of us had we elected McCain? The same as when we had Bush? (Keep in mind McCain is not the same as Bush; and that Obama's plans in the past would have cost us more than Bush's current debt.)

I have never hated America as a nation though, some of my heroes are American, as are some of my friends. I have though, hated your countries foreign policy at times.

Yet, you think highly of us now because we elected a man with little to no foreign relations experience?

I can understand your hostile attitude though, its not easy having you country brought into question every five minutes, but everything have changed now. For better or worse (who knows). All I know is that I find America fascinating for the first time in a very long time! 👍

But you're not answering my question. Why has it suddenly changed because Barack was elected? Again, why would it not change if we elected anyone else instead?

This is why race is brought up. Because any time anyone has been questioned on this, they never seem to have an explaination as to why Barack was the better choice than McCain (despite socialist ideas worse than McCain's), thus leading the questionaire wondering if it's just because he's black.

 

[niky]

The thing is... the vote wasn't entirely pro-Obama as much as it was anti-Bush. John McCain just simply wasn't able to put enough distance between himself and Bush to win the vote... plain and simple. Race may have had something to do with Obama getting the Black vote, but it doesn't explain the Asian or white voters who also went for him (FYI, Asian =/= Black).

 

[Biggles]

Who said I was solely referring to the war? Do you not remember that huge Tsunami years back that took hundreds of thousands of lives, I believe in Asia? The US helped, but there were a few powers with the gall to say we didn't do enough to help them.

Of the 22 members of the OECD (the industrialised nations) who agreed (in 1970) to work towards giving 0.7% of their GNI to developing countries, only Norway, Sweden, Luxembourg, Denmark & the Netherlands have lived up to this commitment. The U.S. ranks at the bottom, giving in 2007 only 0.16% of its GNI in foreign aid.

 

[magburner]

I'm not trying to poke fun at England for doing what they did. At the time it was what they thought would work best.

No one could of foreseen the outcome of appeasement, but as the UK was the pre-eminent global super power at the time with decades, if not centuries of foreign relations experience, it was (IMO), the correct course of action. 👍

I feel like there were more than a few Obama voters who voted for him because they though America looked bad in others' eyes and wanted to improve the country's image.

That's as ridiculous a a statement as the OP suggesting that Obama won the vote because the rest of the world wanted Americans to vote for him!

I don't know about you, but personally, when I go to vote I vote according to the issues that concern me. I do not vote according to how my neighbours vote, and I certainly would never vote for a candidate that would make my country look better to the rest of the world.

If you haven't noticed, racism has become an extremely big topic again since Obama was elected. I just saw coverage of some blacks in the north dancing in the street...with a Russian flag celebrating Obama's win. There are also small reports of blacks now slandering whites. I'm not joking when I say I've began seeing this crap for myself.

This also highlights the level of understanding of politics of the average African Ameircan. They may all of voted for Obama en masse, but it was the whites that put him into power, somebody needs to remind them of that maybe?

But, WHY Barack? What would you have thought of us had we elected McCain? The same as when we had Bush? (Keep in mind McCain is not the same as Bush; and that Obama's plans in the past would have cost us more than Bush's current debt.)

If you had of voted McCain I would of thought here we go again. Being an outsider, I cannot distinguish the subtle differences between candidates, I only see the big differences. Obam is a big difference to what I believed that McCain was.

Yet, you think highly of us now because we elected a man with little to no foreign relations experience?

No, I think highly of your country because you voted a black man into the White House.

This is a historic moment in the growth of your nation, I'm not immune to that fact, and if you had watched the news reports of celebrations around the world, you would see that most other people are not either.

Perceptions can change, there is nothing wrong with that. Look at America's attitude towards Libya.

This is why race is brought up. Because any time anyone has been questioned on this, they never seem to have an explaination as to why Barack was the better choice than McCain (despite socialist ideas worse than McCain's), thus leading the questionaire wondering if it's just because he's black.

For me, a lot of Barrack Obama's appeal cannot be quantifed by firm actions or actual policies (it may have a little to do with him being black). What swung it for me was what he was preaching - hope!

But you're not answering my question. Why has it suddenly changed because Barack was elected? Again, why would it not change if we elected anyone else instead?

I guess I'm just anti-Republican, anyone was better than another Republican. I've always favoured the Democrats, and it just so happens that the guy I liked was a Democrat.

TBH, I don't even know if anything will change, or if it will be a change for the better, but Barrack is an unknown quantity. That alone fills me with optimism (and of course a little trepidation), all we can do is hope!

 

[Gil]

Duke's point in a nutshell is this:
For all of you other nations that have been giving us **** because we are allegedly egocentric and ethnocentric, y'all can shut your damn pie-holes now.
We don't expect an apology, because that would be kind, and nice. And we all know no one is kind and nice to the "bully" even after he has "changed his ways".

Now, maybe Obama being elected is a good thing, maybe it isn't.
But later, when things are all "fubar" (ala Jimmy Carter) we won't say "I told you so" if you don't whine about broken promises. Deal?

 

[Keef]

That's as ridiculous a a statement as the OP suggesting that Obama won the vote because the rest of the world wanted Americans to vote for him!

I don't know about you, but personally, when I go to vote I vote according to the issues that concern me. I do not vote according to how my neighbours vote, and I certainly would never vote for a candidate that would make my country look better to the rest of the world.

All my friends think it's funny that I debate political stuff online with people I don't know. THey don't care that the people on here and even myself are a little more intelluctual than they are. They'd rather buy a new pair of jeans.

Get my point? MostAmericans would rather buy a new pair of jeans. That's one reason the country is headed for socialism, because you can't fight something when you don't even know what it is. Howard Stern even enlightened us all that some Americans--an untold number--didn't even know who was running! There were more than a few that called into the radio admitting they're voting for him because they thought it would "even the score" (that was a girl named Ashley who called into 700) between blacks and whites or admitting that they felt pressured by the rest of the world's views of America. I agree with you that it's ridiculous, but it happened. Even one person doing that is ridiculous, but there were lots of people who did it.

 

[Famine]

No, I think highly of your country because you voted a black man into the White House.

That wouldn't make me think highly of them (Zimbabwe does it every "election"...). I'd think more highly of them if they'd voted the right person into the White House.

This remains to be seen.

For me, a lot of Barrack Obama's appeal cannot be quantifed by firm actions or actual policies (it may have a little to do with him being black). What swung it for me was what he was preaching - hope!

Hope without justification is false hope. What about Barack Obama's policies give you hope?

 

[Biggles]

Duke's point in a nutshell is this:
For all of you other nations that have been giving us **** because we are allegedly egocentric and ethnocentric, y'all can shut your damn pie-holes now.
We don't expect an apology, because that would be kind, and nice. And we all know no one is kind and nice to the "bully" even after he has "changed his ways".

Gil: I wonder if you're aware of the fact that Canada also recently had an election? No? That's probably because nobody outside Canada has much of a vested interest in the outcome - a change of leadership in Canada is barely going to cause a ripple in international affairs.

On the other hand, what happens in the U.S. has profound repercussions on everyone in the rest of the world. Which is why we have opinions & why we express them.

 

[FoolKiller]

Do you not remember that huge Tsunami years back that took hundreds of thousands of lives, I believe in Asia? The US helped, but there were a few powers with the gall to say we didn't do enough to help them.

If I recall we were one of the first ones on the ground.

What's with all this racist nonsense that keeps surfacing around here all of a sudden?

No, I think highly of your country because you voted a black man into the White House.

Yes, I wonder why we keep assuming you think we are/were racists.


Why does his race make you think more highly of us? Because right now it looks like you keep saying that you are so proud we got over our racism, only to then ask why we keep bringing it up.

Black people have not been held back in politics for a long time. It is only that no decent candidates for the presidency have been black until now. Republicans wanted Colin Powell, then they wanted Rice. Both refused to run.

I am sorry but making it sound as if we finally got over skin color when the only black candidates for president have been the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton makes it sound as if you think we would have been too racist to elect Obama.

Please, explain what his skin color has to do with his being president and your opinion of our country.

 

[Prosthetic]

That wouldn't make me think highly of them (Zimbabwe does it every "election"...). I'd think more highly of them if they'd voted the right person into the White House.

This remains to be seen.



Hope without justification is false hope. What about Barack Obama's policies give you hope?

Famine, I know you know about black discrimination not to long ago here in America. Ya we used to knock em' around with fire hoases and all that fun stuff. Now 40ish years later a black man is going to be leading the country.



On another note, for those saying Obama voters are blind, what about all the McCain voters that vote for him thinking that Obama is "Muslim" and "non-Christian." And don't say that they don't exsist because 90% of family here in the US thinks that hes a Muslim terrorist. Those people are really informed!

 

[YSSMAN]

The thing is... the vote wasn't entirely pro-Obama as much as it was anti-Bush.

That depends on where you are and who you're talking to, there are too many variables for deciding why Americans chose Obama over McCain. Although I believe race had a small portion of an effect on what had happened, Obama and the Democrats were able to draw in far more white and otherwise educated (post-college, particularly) voters than ever before. Obama's win was not just in difference to Bush and his ties to McCain, but on the opinion of voters that his economic, social and foreign policy views were superior to that of McCain. Mid-West states, which should have been in play for McCain, went on economics. Portions of the south, which should have been solidly in McCain's favor went to Obama likely on increased turnout by minority and youth voters. Matched with the traditionally Democrat East and West coasts, there were only a handful of states that would have decided this race, and it was not enough to give McCain the win.

RE: Race & Obama's Win

Guys, keep in mind that the rest of the world views the United States in a very different way than we do from the inside. Racism is something that has defined our country for far too long, and although we may walk around and think that things are peachy-keen, they are not. Plain and simple.

What this comes down to is that we've been able to do what many had thought impossible fewer than 30 years ago, and no matter what side of the political fence you sit on, you should be proud that we've elected a minority to the highest political office in our country. We have had so few minorities in powerful places in our government, from the Senate to the White House, this is significant to the rest of the world in terms of viewing the racial progress in our country. Yes, Republicans have arguably done the most of putting people like Colin Powell and Condolezza Rice in very strong positions, but they still are very different from being President.

Lets look at it this way:
If they're going to point at us and say "hey, look at how far they've come!" we can very well turn around and point right back and say "why haven't YOU elected a minority to your highest seat in government?"

 

[Biggles]

Guys, keep in mind that the rest of the world views the United States in a very different way than we do from the inside.

Yes, people looking at the U.S. from the outside are not so blinded by the U.S. mythology - the self-image that Americans have had drummed into them all their lives. (The British, & presumably every other great power had similarly delusional self-images during their period of ascendency). For an alternative view of some of the underlying realities in the growth of American power, you could read the work of an historian like Ronald Wright:

http://www.booklounge.ca/multimedia/wrightronald/index.html

 

[Famine]

Famine, I know you know about black discrimination not to long ago here in America. Ya we used to knock em' around with fire hoases and all that fun stuff. Now 40ish years later a black man is going to be leading the country.

I don't care who is leading the country, so long as they're the right person for the job. Senator Obama's record, policies and ideals don't make me confident that he is. Nor do Senator McCain's.

On another note, for those saying Obama voters are blind, what about all the McCain voters that vote for him thinking that Obama is "Muslim" and "non-Christian."

They're not necessarily McCain voters, but they are idiots.

 

[Danoff]

Lets look at it this way:
If they're going to point at us and say "hey, look at how far they've come!" we can very well turn around and point right back and say "why haven't YOU elected a minority to your highest seat in government?"

Being able to prove we're not racist in this way is not as important as having the right man for the job in office, not by a long shot. In fact, it's SUCH a minor consideration that I don't think it belongs in the same discussion.

 

[Sureboss]

I'd say it's important for history, but irrelevant for politics.

 

[Prosthetic]

They're not necessarily McCain voters, but they are idiots.

Sorry, I forgot to mention that they had McCain Palin 08' bumper stickers, shirts etc...

 

[Famine]

If you can see a bumper sticker and know the guy in the car is thinking "That Muslim!", I'm officially scared of you.

On another note, for those saying Obama voters are blind, what about all the McCain voters that vote for him thinking that Obama is "Muslim" and "non-Christian."

 

[FoolKiller]

On another note, for those saying Obama voters are blind, what about all the McCain voters that vote for him thinking that Obama is "Muslim" and "non-Christian." And don't say that they don't exsist because 90% of family here in the US thinks that hes a Muslim terrorist. Those people are really informed!

They are just about as informed as the people my wife works with that said I should vote for Obama, because he is Muslim, just like Jesus.

 

[Prosthetic]

If you can see a bumper sticker and know the guy in the car is thinking "That Muslim!", I'm officially scared of you.

I'm sorry I wasn't clear about it. It was a Obama supporter on the side of the road with signs and stuff and there were people in cars driving by yelling and honking. And then they interviewed some people (it was some news cast thing) asking why they don't like Obama, and who they were going to vote for. Many said because he is a Muslim and that the United States is at war with Muslims etc...

And reading what I said doesn't really make sense but I think it makes enough sense for you to get what I'm saying. I'm really out of it today. But yeah both sides has dumb voters and some people truly believe in what there candidate is running for.

 

[magburner]

One thing I'm beginning to wonder, is who the heck voted for Barrack Obama? Everywhere I go on the net, there is nothing but condemnation for him, and his policies (even Stormfronts servers collapsed under the weight of hate). How does someone who is seemingly despised by all win a landslide victory to become President of the united states of America?

That wouldn't make me think highly of them (Zimbabwe does it every "election"...).

Interesting choice of country! I would be similarly impressed if Robert Mugabe
seceded his role in favour of a white person, given the current climate in that country.

Hope without justification is false hope. What about Barack Obama's policies give you hope?

Barrack Obama brings with him new thinking. Is it not too much to hope that things may be different? One thing that I do like, is the prospect that Barrack Obama may be willing to negotiate with terrorists, rather than attack first and ask questions later.

I know that this is a controversial subject, but I personally think that it is the right course of action. In fact my great nation has proved that you CAN negotiate with terrorists - Look at Northern Ireland! After more than 30 years of insurgency, with thousands of people killed on both sides, numerous atrocities committed by both my government, its supporters, and the IRA, there is now peace in the province. Of course you already know this Famine.

I'd say it's important for history, but irrelevant for politics.

That is what I have been getting at all along. 👍

Guys, keep in mind that the rest of the world views the United States in a very different way than we do from the inside. Racism is something that has defined our country for far too long, and although we may walk around and think that things are peachy-keen, they are not. Plain and simple.

What this comes down to is that we've been able to do what many had thought impossible fewer than 30 years ago, and no matter what side of the political fence you sit on, you should be proud that we've elected a minority to the highest political office in our country. We have had so few minorities in powerful places in our government, from the Senate to the White House, this is significant to the rest of the world in terms of viewing the racial progress in our country. Yes, Republicans have arguably done the most of putting people like Colin Powell and Condolezza Rice in very strong positions, but they still are very different from being President.

Couldn't have said it better myself (and its exactly the point I was trying to get across). 👍

Please, explain what his skin color has to do with his being president and your opinion of our country.

^^ See above.

If they're going to point at us and say "hey, look at how far they've come!" we can very well turn around and point right back and say "why haven't YOU elected a minority to your highest seat in government?"

Since Barrack Obama's stunning win, there has been plenty of soul searching over here as to why we (in the UK), have never elected a minority Prime Minister, or that we have had only three prominent minority cabinet ministers.

Here, Jeremy Paxman interviews Dizzie Rascal (of all people!):

Dizzie Rascal On Obama's win

FYI, I think Dizzie is talking out of his backside with respect to why Barrack Obama won.

Jeremy Paxman asks whether the UK could learn a lesson from the success of a black candidate running for public office:

What can the UK learn from Barack Obama?

 

[ledhed]

Dear World:

We did what you wanted.

Now, will you PLEASE stop taking every possible opportunity to remind us what callous, boorish, arrogant morons we all are?

Sincerely,


The United States of America

right on HOMIE !!!

 

[Danoff]

Barrack Obama brings with him new thinking. Is it not too much to hope that things may be different?

Different doesn't mean better. And it isn't really different. Barack wants to do (at least domestically) the same thing Bush wanted to.

One thing that I do like, is the prospect that Barrack Obama may be willing to negotiate with terrorists, rather than attack first and ask questions later.

There's a simple logical reason that you don't negotiate with terrorists. Here it is - if you negotiate with them you give them something for nothing. It doesn't cost terrorists anything to blow up a building or hold some people hostage. If they get anything in return for that, they've found a way to milk you dry.

You cannot give someone something for doing nothing - you'll end up giving them everything.

...and another way to look at it. When you pay (I use that term figuratively) someone to do something, you're encouraging them to do it.

 

[ledhed]

Negotiate ----with --terrorist?

Pls don't bomb us .

I will give you some virgins ?

WTF ???

are you insane ?

 

[niky]

Being able to prove we're not racist in this way is not as important as having the right man for the job in office, not by a long shot. In fact, it's SUCH a minor consideration that I don't think it belongs in the same discussion.

+1000

----

It's not a matter of whether the candidate is minority or not... as long as they're qualified... and it's in getting those qualifications that the biggest hurdle for minority/female/whatever candidates arises... as opportunities for advancement and the acquiring of qualifications are often controlled by male members of the major ethnic/religious group in any country.

Actually... the fact that we had one woman running for a major party presidential ticket and another selected as VP for the other, and that Obama isn't the first black candidate seeking nomination tells you that the US is pretty much close to equal-opportunity already... I mean, more so than most multi-cultural countries.

 

[YSSMAN]

Being able to prove we're not racist in this way is not as important as having the right man for the job in office, not by a long shot. In fact, it's SUCH a minor consideration that I don't think it belongs in the same discussion.

I completely agree with you, but as we know, there are some who are able to rationalize that distinction, and there are some who cannot. Race (and sex for that matter) were both the last things on my mind when I was voting, and although I'd like to think it was the case for the other 122 million + voters, I know enough to realize that it wasn't the case. Unfortunately.

One thing I'm beginning to wonder, is who the heck voted for Barrack Obama? Everywhere I go on the net, there is nothing but condemnation for him, and his policies (even Stormfronts servers collapsed under the weight of hate). How does someone who is seemingly despised by all win a landslide victory to become President of the united states of America?

A few things:

1) People who came out to vote for Obama were of a wide variety, but the strongest factions were obviously the youth (over 2/3s of them chose Obama), minorities, and obviously the solid chunk of life-long Democrats that maintain the same record, usually. Democrats tend to be far more diverse than Republicans, but for the first time in a very long time, Democrats managed to bring in more white voters than expected.

2) The term "landslide" is actually incorrect. Although Obama clearly took an overwhelming majority in the Electoral College numbers, in reality, the popular vote was some 65 Million in favor of Obama versus that of some 57 Million for McCain. While it is a healthy margin of victory, it is still a small number for it to be anywhere close to a "landslide." Something closer to what you may be thinking of would be Reagan's 54 Million versus Mondale's 37 in 1984, or Roosevelt's 27 million to Landon's 16 million in 1936.

Barrack Obama brings with him new thinking. Is it not too much to hope that things may be different? One thing that I do like, is the prospect that Barrack Obama may be willing to negotiate with terrorists, rather than attack first and ask questions later.

Be careful with your distinction between "terrorists" and states who disagree with the United States. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Obama's willingness to engage in constructive diplomatic relations with "rogue" states like Iran, Venezuela, North Korea and Russia (can we call them "rogue" yet?), but no one in an Obama White House is going to be knocking on Al Queda's door to say "hey, can we talk for a second?" Terrorism is terrorism, the United States will not have it, no matter what way we go about doing things. The difference is that the US is willing to work with factional groups to combat terrorists, case in point the Sadr gang in Iraq, who helped to turn the tide against these insurgent factions late last year and on into this one.

This is a very important distinction to make.

 

[ledhed]

The guy is America first off --he is mixed race .


Try that on for size.

 

[McLaren]

This also highlights the level of understanding of politics of the average African Ameircan. They may all of voted for Obama en masse, but it was the whites that put him into power, somebody needs to remind them of that maybe?

Do you have any evidence it was white people who elected him in?

If you had of voted McCain I would of thought here we go again. Being an outsider, I cannot distinguish the subtle differences between candidates, I only see the big differences. Obam is a big difference to what I believed that McCain was.

See, you are uninformed then. McCain is not the same as Bush. In fact, at one of the last debates McCain slapped Obama in the face revealing Obama's plans for the war debt would have been more. But I've stated this already, and the Democrats around me just ignore it.

No, I think highly of your country because you voted a black man into the White House.

And you realize that you are now on verge on nearly posting a racist comment. You think highly of us because of the color of our president. That is borderline racism.

This is a historic moment in the growth of your nation, I'm not immune to that fact, and if you had watched the news reports of celebrations around the world, you would see that most other people are not either.

Except you think it's only historic because he's black, and nothing else.

TBH, I don't give a doo-doo that the world is glad we have a black president right now. At this moment, the US needs a President who can bring up our economy, not give black people the chance to start hootin' & hollerin' because there's a black man in the White House.

For me, a lot of Barrack Obama's appeal cannot be quantifed by firm actions or actual policies (it may have a little to do with him being black). What swung it for me was what he was preaching - hope!

Hope doesn't mean anything. Obama can tell us to HOPE and have faith that he will change the economy.

Here's the fact, Mr. Obama. Can you actually do it? I don't want to hear "I will help the economy. Have faith hope for change!"

Yeah yeah, but what are you going to actually do & how? Obama has never answered truthfully.

I guess I'm just anti-Republican, anyone was better than another Republican. I've always favoured the Democrats, and it just so happens that the guy I liked was a Democrat.

Well, stating that doesn't do you much good in a debate then since no one will take a serious debate with you if you're going to write off all Republicans.

TBH, I don't even know if anything will change, or if it will be a change for the better, but Barrack is an unknown quantity. That alone fills me with optimism (and of course a little trepidation), all we can do is hope!

So a man with no experience feels you with hope?

Wtf? I guess it's because you're not in the US, so you really aren't affected?

Unlike you & many outside the US though, we don't need hope from a man with no experience. Electing a man with no experience & hoping he'll do fine is like giving an 8 year old an Uzi when he has no gun experience & hoping he won't kill himself.

A man with experience is a LOT better than a man just preaches change in my books. I, at the least, will know the former has some idea of what he's doing instead of waiting to see if the latter will, or won't, shoot himself in the head like the little boy.