Nice to see Barack H. Obama inaugurated today. Unlike 2 million other people, I wasn't there... but it was covered ad infinitum on the TV. And so it should be. This is a big day.
The first decent human being to enter the White House since Jimmy Carter. (OK, so we'll give a passing nod to Bill Clinton in certain respects.) But this blew away any previous American political event I'd seen for sheer excitement generated.
People seemed to like Barack's opening speech - but now the real work begins - and what a hell of a lot of it there is.
During the absurdly long 'transition period' between Obama's win and Bush's departure, the economy has gone from bad to catastrophic, cheap Nazis have taken over Israeli foreign policy and murdered over a thousand Palestinians whilst leaving the Hamas extremists pretty much in place, and the Afghanistan situation continues to deteriorate.
The main worry for Obamaniacs (my affectionate term for the wave of supporters) in 2009 is that expectations for the guy are so high that if he does make mistakes (and who the hell doesn't?) there is a danger that the whole thing will turn very sour. I feel bad raising that now as it detracts from a unique moment in US politics but, thanks to the Bush adminstration's disastrous economic failures, this is the worst situation for an incoming president to be in since 1933. And the Obama administration's success or failure will affect us all. Good luck mate... you may need it. Time to show us what you're made of.
Still, it stopped me thinking about the oncoming collapse of the UK banking sector, which is something - for a couple of hours at least. More on that later tonight.
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Is there something about your economic situation in 1980 which prevents acknowledgement of Reagan as arguably the only president in the 20th century ( I might take FDR) worthy of Mount Rushmore?
Otherwise, tend to agree, O'Barmy's popularity ratings amongst whites (still a majority) and Hispanics will sink as soon as he is in office a year and the euphoria dies/ Nothing against the guy personally, he appears to be, to quote Sun Tzu, the 'most difficult enemy' for right wingers as 'like water, he presents no form to openly attack' - however, that lack of substance is likely to be his undoing.
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