It's just not possible to continue this blog without considering the election of Barack Obama on Tuesday night. I had 'done the numbers' as they say over there and could see Obama was going to win five or six red states and end up with about 350 electoral college votes. My confidence in Obama's victory was unwavering; other commentators talked of the 'McCain bounce' and 'Bradley effect'. Although I had been certain of his victory, when Obama finally spoke as President elect in Chicago's Grant Park, the prospect of his Presidency suddenly came as a shock.
Most candidates with progressive, liberal credentials are invariably eliminated before they even get a whiff of any Presidential election. Let alone one with black skin. When you think of Bush (either one), Reagan or Carter you don't think of them in any way as intellectual. Americans may not be generally very class conscious but they do hate to feel threatened by intelligentsia. This guy's a professor. He's more like a European ideal of what a US President should be. Or a Hollywood version.
Let's not forget his story. Obama's stint as a volunteer community organiser in the tough end of Chicago in the '80s was much derided by that parochial patsy, Governor Sarah Palin. Except these simple 'people' skills translated to the national stage, meant he organised about 8 million more votes than the dismal Republicans. Obama's campaign was as disciplined and professional as McCain's was disreputable and chaotic. Eventually, the ever erratic McCain was reduced to parading a bald-headed Walter Mitty from the plumber's guild as a symbol of his supposed connection with the working man.
The zeitgeist for the Republicans is very similar to the Conservatives in 1997, so they haven't even reached bottom yet. Sidney Blumenthal, adviser to Clinton, put it succintly, follow this link.
Obama's stated intention to return the country to the 1999 tax rates (before Bush gave $1.2Tn to the top 1% earners) was deemed 'socialist' or at times 'Marxist'. These pitifully transparent accusations belonged only at a Palin redneck rally but one interviewer even put them as serious points to Joe Biden. He treated them with the contempt they deserved.
Obama mixed-race heritage turned out to be a talisman rather than an albatross. The black vote was very motivated and allowed Obama to win in Virginia, Florida and North Carolina where vicious racism persists today. It is nothing short of a monumental political achievement.
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The coverage on the night was very mixed - CNN was the best with amazing vote analysis. The BBC 'roundtable' discussion, with Dimbleby in the chair, was the essence of restrained excitement - it was the equivalent of a kindly uncle turning up to cheer his nephew's debut for the first XV.
MSNBC intermittently switched to commentary on the latest swings in the Tokyo markets: it seemed incredible, at such a pivotal moment, anyone could be distracted by such tiresome trivia. It's like in a betting shop when they interupt the Derby coverage to give the result of some dog race at Walthamstow.
Fox News were predictably muted and begrudging - while desperate to avoid praising Obama, they spent an inordinate amount of time discussing Michelle Obama's dress. ITV's technology wouldn't work and the pompous Alistair Stewart kept referring to McCain and Obama as 'Mr' instead of 'Senator'. Sky were inexplicably based in New York; one can only assume all the hotels in DC were booked up.
MSNBC intermittently switched to commentary on the latest swings in the Tokyo markets: it seemed incredible, at such a pivotal moment, anyone could be distracted by such tiresome trivia. It's like in a betting shop when they interupt the Derby coverage to give the result of some dog race at Walthamstow.
Fox News were predictably muted and begrudging - while desperate to avoid praising Obama, they spent an inordinate amount of time discussing Michelle Obama's dress. ITV's technology wouldn't work and the pompous Alistair Stewart kept referring to McCain and Obama as 'Mr' instead of 'Senator'. Sky were inexplicably based in New York; one can only assume all the hotels in DC were booked up.
One great moment was on CNN when they were trying to establish one defining reason for Obama's win from the serried ranks of experts.
"Not taking public funding gave him overwhelming advertising resources".
"Democrats always benefit in tough economic times."
In the middle sat the rotund, genial figure of William Bennett, former education Secretary under Reagan. He looked stupified by their observations and impatiently shouted over them, "It's the candidate! The candidate! This is one incredible candidate with a phenomenal ability to communicate with today's America. It's all about Obama." At least one Republican gets it.
"Not taking public funding gave him overwhelming advertising resources".
"Democrats always benefit in tough economic times."
In the middle sat the rotund, genial figure of William Bennett, former education Secretary under Reagan. He looked stupified by their observations and impatiently shouted over them, "It's the candidate! The candidate! This is one incredible candidate with a phenomenal ability to communicate with today's America. It's all about Obama." At least one Republican gets it.
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