Obama Wins Is This The TIme For Change

TriciaDelicia

So from January '09 we will have President Obama. Will this change people's view of America and Americans.

Mark200

Well it has changed mine, so yeah. It gives hope that America could now help solve problems with the international community instead of causing them

Wagon

Hope so, he seems to give a ****.

TriciaDelicia

I just hope he keeps his word and doesn't become a sellout like most politicians seem to do when they get the power.

KnifeWRENCH

No more Bushisms

tolosenc

Wouldn't worry, square, Biden seems to mouth off a bit...

m@cc@

obl wrote: »

Wouldn't worry, square, Biden seems to mouth off a bit...

"Look, John's last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number-one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S, jobs."

"A man I'm proud to call my friend. A man who will be the next President of the United States — Barack America!"

"If your kitchen table is like mine, you sit there at night before you put the kids to bed and you talk about what you need. You talk about how much you are worried about being able to pay the bills. Ladies and gentlemen, that is not a worry John McCain has to worry about. It's a pretty hard experience. He'll have to figure out which of the seven kitchen tables to sit at."

"I should start with an apology to Rudy Giuliani. I said every sentence Rudy utters has a noun, a verb, and 9/11 in it. I was wrong. He called me to tell me after Pat Robertson's endorsement, there's an Amen in every sentence he says too."

"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."

"I got tested for AIDS. I know Barack got tested for AIDS. There's no shame in being tested for AIDS. It's an important thing."

"You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.... I'm not joking."

Zangetsu

^ some of those are prety fookin funny, its good there is still a level of humour in the white house :P

Steyr

Fair play to America, has changed my view on them and made history too. Well done.:)

wes

Will believe in there change, when I see it. Till then, the jurys out.

Turd Ferguson

A black President??? :eek:

What are the chances that his reign turns into a big Blazing Saddles spoof.

SoupyNorman

Funny thing is that Obama seems to be this enigmatic and hyper intelligent human being when the reality is he is a normal person with a normal functioning brain and the ability to think for himself.



His acceptance speech was impressive.

Zangetsu

It was a vote between a women (in the sence that McCain could drop any min) and a black man.

Last thing the world needed was a women with a finger on the big red button.

Lesser of 2 evils and all that...

SoupyNorman

Zangetsu wrote: »

a women with a finger on the big red button.

WAA WAA 'Sexual innuendo alert' WAA WAA

Turd Ferguson

Zangetsu wrote: »

Last thing the world needed was a women with a finger on the big red button.

Yeah and now she's been sent back to Alaska where she will nodoubt be fingering her own big red button until she tries again in 4 years time.

SoupyNorman

Turd Ferguson wrote: »

Yeah and now she's been sent back to Alaska where she will nodoubt be fingering her own big red button until she tries again in 4 years time.

In before the Turd :cool:

MagicMarker

I feel sorry for McCain in a way, even he would have been a big improvement on Bush, he's been trying so long to be president and it will never happen for him now as he'll be way too old come the next election.

Delighted for Obama though, there's hope for us all. If he runs his country like he did his campaign then America has absolutely nothing to worry about.

tolosenc

Would anyone else say, and I am in no way denying him his heritage, that although this is a breakthrough, he's not really the first "Black" black president?

I mean, he's not descended of cotton picking slaves, he doesn't share that history with the vast majority of African Americans. Am I just spouting ****e to avoid paying attention in a Maths lecture...

SoupyNorman

MagicMarker wrote: »

I feel sorry for McCain in a way.

I dont.


He'd of been no better then Bush, well maybe a slight improvement but not one big enough to make any real difference. Using the ex-army speil was clutching at straws imo, "you have to elect me cos I fought for you". I know he spent time in a POW camp but it does give you automatic qualification.

An ex-soldier will have one thing on his mind, Making a movie about Vieatnam but second to that the whole presidency would reek of Combat propaganda and further countless rescources into a failing war.

buynow

obl wrote: »

Would anyone else say, and I am in no way denying him his heritage, that although this is a breakthrough, he's not really the first "Black" black president?

I mean, he's not descended of cotton picking slaves, he doesn't share that history with the vast majority of African Americans. Am I just spouting ****e to avoid paying attention in a Maths lecture...

Two things
An angry Jesse Jackson type was never going to be elected. And Obama never indulged in angry racial politics, staying well away.

However in America it is pretty much etiquette not to question what someone identifies themselves as (within reason, obviously if Arnie decided he was black, it would not work), so if they have heritage from somewhere and claim that it is generally taken as given.

Dudess

McCain strikes me as a moderate conservative, not a neo-con, but unfortunately he would have had to pander to the neo-cons.

Zillah

bravestarr082 wrote: »

His acceptance speech was impressive.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought so.

dennisthemennis

obl wrote: »

Would anyone else say, and I am in no way denying him his heritage, that although this is a breakthrough, he's not really the first "Black" black president?

I mean, he's not descended of cotton picking slaves, he doesn't share that history with the vast majority of African Americans. Am I just spouting ****e to avoid paying attention in a Maths lecture...

great point. said to me many times when i was in usa.

however he is african american and 'more' african than any black american. in terms of culture tho(cotton picking), i think your spot on.

if 20 years ago someone said what would the first black president look like, the image would not have been of obama.

tolosenc

But a thing that was said to me today was that this is not civil rights come to fruition, but rather a path paved.

*fears people will get wrong idea*
*hides*

tolosenc

dennisthemennis wrote: »

he is ... 'more' african than any black american

I see and agree with your logic, but there's a fair few million who would take objection to that.

buynow

I like The Onion's take:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nation_finally_****ty_enough_to

Ah filter is killing the url - it is on the front page www.theonion.com

dennisthemennis

well im not saying there wrong, like i fully understand people having pride in their roots, but i was just saying that even though he might not be the african american we expected(not me anyway) fact is he is african....dont think much african americans would have western african country passports.

seamus

obl wrote: »

Would anyone else say, and I am in no way denying him his heritage, that although this is a breakthrough, he's not really the first "Black" black president?

I mean, he's not descended of cotton picking slaves, he doesn't share that history with the vast majority of African Americans. Am I just spouting ****e to avoid paying attention in a Maths lecture...

It's not so much about the colour or background he has, it's about the one that he hasn't. He's the first non-white man of European descent in the White House. He's only the second non-WASP to ever become president. The first was JKF - which goes to illustrate the strangehold that the descendents of the original European settlers have had on American politics.

That Obama is only one generation away from a Kenyan national is what makes it even more of a landmark result.

dennisthemennis

i think the first line there makes very good sense.

dsmythy

I guess half-white half-black is now black then yeah? I'll be impressed when they elect a man of two black parents.

As for change. He might change some things and a change will come in the short term with regards to the outsiders view of America. But i wonder how long that will last. He is serving America after all and America still as the superpower of the world have to use their superpowers for good or evil. Maybe Obama will be the good guy in this comic strip but we have to wait and see.

Dudess

seamus wrote: »

It's not so much about the colour or background he has, it's about the one that he hasn't. He's the first non-white man of European descent in the White House. He's only the second non-WASP to ever become president. The first was JKF - which goes to illustrate the strangehold that the descendents of the original European settlers have had on American politics.

Some obvious parallels between him and Kennedy all right. And many who'd hope for that one big similarity...

missmatty

Dudess wrote: »

And many who'd hope for that one big similarity...

:eek: oh noes i hope not...

Degsy

Firstly,geneticaly he's as much white as he is black.
secondly why does everybody think its so great to have a "black" president in charge of a predominantly "white" country?
if it was a white president in a black country,the liberals,hippies and assorted **** would declare it a disgrace and an excercise in colonial facism.

MOH

Dudess wrote: »

Some obvious parallels between him and Kennedy all right. And many who'd hope for that one big similarity...

Fox news forums. Amusing, but a bit scary:
Why did McCain lose?
Why did Obama win?

Basically, the answer to both seems to be:
He's black; he bought his way in with money provided my America's enemies; he's a socalist/communist; people not following the bible (quite a few mentions of Revelations/the end times); he stole the election through fraud (uh, Florida anyone?); the biased media; blah blah blah

buynow

Degsy wrote: »

Firstly,geneticaly he's as much white as he is black.
secondly why does everybody think its so great to have a "black" president in charge of a predominantly "white" country?
if it was a white president in a black country,the liberals,hippies and assorted **** would declare it a disgrace and an excercise in colonial facism.

There is not a white America or a black America, but a United States of America.... sorry, couldn't resist.

tallaght01

There's a very important issue here that keeps getting missed.

A few years ago Will Smith said he wanted one day to be the first black president.

Hopefully, today's events will put a stop to any ideas he had of running.

If that's all Obama's presidency has achieved, then that's enough for me :P

Dudess

Degsy wrote: »

Firstly,geneticaly he's as much white as he is black.
secondly why does everybody think its so great to have a "black" president in charge of a predominantly "white" country?
if it was a white president in a black country,the liberals,hippies and assorted **** would declare it a disgrace and an excercise in colonial facism.

Cuz blacks were mistreated in America for centuries? Blacks were forced there rather than migrating by choice?

Yes, when there was a white president in South Africa for example, it was considered a disgrace... because whites weren't forced there, they barged in and took over the place themselves.

Sonderval

On a serious note, it does show one of the benefits of the US system - the primaries. Anyone can run for the big office.

Over here you need to work your way up through the hierarchy in order to get a chance to govern. Which means your ideals and morality will have been utterly sapped by the time your in a position to affect change.

Case in point, the current crop in power

Degsy

Dudess wrote: »

Cuz blacks were mistreated in America for centuries? Blacks were forced there rather than migrating by choice?

Yes, when there was a white president in South Africa for example, it was considered a disgrace... because whites weren't forced there, they barged in and took over the place themselves.

The slave trade was started by blacks,if they're going to use that as an example of mistreatment they're looking in the wrong place.
Ah yes,South Africa..under a white president it was prosperous and modern.
Now its one of the most dangerous places on earth.
Good analogy.
PS
As i said,he's as much white as he is black yet people consider the black part of him to be the good part.I cant think of a country on earth that has ever been prosperous under a black president.

seamus

Degsy wrote: »

As i said,he's as much white as he is black yet people consider the black part of him to be the good part.I cant think of a country on earth that has ever been prosperous under a black president.

Can you think of one that ever had a chance? South Africa's been dangerous for a long time.

eden_my_ass

missmatty wrote: »

:eek: oh noes i hope not...

One job that I would not like for the next 4 years is personal security attache to the new President. Its a perfectly fair assumption to say that the attention JFK got for even being sympathetic to african-americans will be magnified infinitely by Obamas actual heritage. Things don't change that much in 35 years, if I was Obama I'd have a mirror fitted on both shoulders!

The level of lashback is astounding, especially visible now on networking sites, comments about race, his middle name (Hussein) etc....theres no undercurrents anymore with the internet, every opinion sees the light of day!

tallaght01

Degsy wrote: »

Ah yes,South Africa..under a white president it was prosperous and modern.
Now its one of the most dangerous places on earth.
Good analogy.
PS
As i said,he's as much white as he is black yet people consider the black part of him to be the good part.I cant think of a country on earth that has ever been prosperous under a black president.

South Africa is dangerous now. Fair enough. I remember having an armed guard bringing me from work to my residential compound when I was on the job over there.

But that was because of poverty. The poverty in the black community is the result of apartheid.

Most of the blacks were no big fans of apartheid.

mike65

Did someone above me say anyone can have a chance? Hmmm.

Anyway the only thing I will predict and be right about is that Obama will dissapoint. All politics ends in failure to almost quote Enoch Powell. The followers of the president elect are going to be let down in the way Green voters have been here. Lots of promise and promises, little real change.

Mike

Dudess

Degsy wrote: »

Ah yes,South Africa..under a white president it was prosperous and modern.
Now its one of the most dangerous places on earth.

Yeah, thanks to apartheid. Repression breeds repression.

Degsy, I know you're not a fan of bleeding heart-ism (you may be surprised to learn that I'm not either) but ignoring a horrific system like apartheid, dismissing the forced migration and brutalisation of thousands of Africans as something Africans started themselves, calling Mandela a racist (put yourself in his shoes - wouldn't you be the same?), sneering at the coverage of Stephen Lawrence and Rodney King (these are posts of yours I remember)... well why be so hardline? Surely it's possible to examine extreme PC-ness without trivialising stuff which it's fair enough to be that bit more sensitive about...?

dsmythy

Perhaps black South Africans could put the past behind them and elect a white leader of a party. Not for a long time yet.

What the election did show is that black people when presented with a black candidate for President of the United States won't vote for the white guy.

Dudess

Degsy wrote: »

As i said,he's as much white as he is black yet people consider the black part of him to be the good part.

He may be mixed race but what does he look like to you? White or black? He's gonna be seen as a black man, despite his Caucasian heritage.

mike65

I think it was 94% blacks for Obama.

Mike

seamus

dsmythy wrote: »

What the election did show is that black people when presented with a black candidate for President of the United States won't vote for the white guy.

Are you privvy to some inside information that the rest of us haven't? Did you poll millions of black Americans to find out who they voted for?

The fact that non-white people overwhelmingly vote Democrat, and always have, even back in the good old days when the candidates were white, means that your theory is just complete bull.

Is it technically inaccurate to call a black man an African-American if they originated from Jamaica.

Dudess

Wouldn't Jamaicans have originated from Africa too though?

Dudess

Dudess wrote: »

Wouldn't Jamaicans have originated from Africa too though?

Dunno.

I remember some documentary ages ago saying that we all originated from Africa. So I'm African-Irish?