I have been watching Obama since his first day in Congress, his passionate speech on the evil of greed in America was awe inspiring which is why people in the States want him he inspires 'hope'.

Watching him creame Hilary in the primaries in Iowa with such a huge margin has not only provided me with great pleasure, it has reminded me so much of Gough Whitlams "Its Time campaign" that swept the Liberals out of power much to my disgust at the time.

Howard did not get it and he paid the price for his arrogance, people want change and meaning in their lives and most importantly hope. When 20 million Americans are starving and cannot get health insurance for themselves and their families, its easy to see why Obama is their hope for the future because he believe's he can change it and he makes you believe it too.

With the big lead in Iowa, New Hamshire will be a shoe in and the road to the White House will be on track for Obama, providing he can convince Bill Richardson to run with him as his future vice President.

I don't see the Republican's comming back after this because like Bobby Kennedy he will be unstoppable unless the unthinkable happens once again.

If only Australian politics could be this interesting.

The problem with American presidential politics, we don't know who is financing the respective candidates.

When elected who will they beholding to, and though Obama comes across clearly and sounding sincere, I have not heard him comment on hard social issues, as Hilary Clinton did in Iowa, " Are you ready for Universal health care?".

Rhetoric is a politicians tool, but having lived in the States, and seeing the poverty level a large number of Americans live in, that comment gave me some hope for them.

So my aud$10. is on Hilary!

Kipp - Hillary is spelt with 2 "l"s but on this occasion I agree with you that the Clinton machine and lack of substance will destroy Obama's White House challenge in the end. Btw Hillary won the NH primary. Super Tuesday will virtually see Hill & Bill Clinton as the next President(s) of the US - again! Can't beat nostalgia! Back to the future for America.

Using an old ploy to get elected Obama claimed he would end the war in Iraq, but refuses to set any deadline for the withdrawal of American troops, not even by 2013, when he would be inaugurated a second time if elected this year and reelected in 2012. He also supports the nuclear option. He has called for intensifying US military action in Afghanistan and crossing the border into Pakistan, and has echoed the Bush administration’s campaign of economic sanctions, diplomatic saber-rattling and military threats against Iran.
Obama and Clinton, both millionaires are representatives of the class of millionaires and multi-millionaires who dominate US political and social life. The Washington Post described his key fundraisers in these terms: “veterans of the Democratic financial establishment: a Hyatt hotel heiress, a New York hedge fund manager, a Hollywood movie mogul and a Chicago billionaire.” His billionaire supporters include investor Warren Buffett, currency speculator George Soros, hedge fund mogul Paul Tudor Jones and the Henry Crown family. Obama raised more money on Wall Street than Hillary Clinton who billionaire and media mogul Murdoch is promoting. Obama in the White House would not represent any fundamental change in the direction of US foreign or domestic policy, but he would, it is believed, put a new face on US imperialism, sorely needed after the debacle of the Bush presidency.
Ever since the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration and the main repressive agencies of the federal government—the Pentagon, the CIA, the NSA, the FBI—have been developing plans for the suspension of constitutional rule and the establishment of an executive branch dictatorship.

My husband and I lived in the United States for almost a decade - we saw it all... I will be very surprised if Hillary Clinton loses to Obama. I may be proven wrong - but somehow I doubt it!

that's the trouble with voting for politicians. in the end, they are politicians. democracy is our only hope, but it needs citizens, not sheep. i think the human race may not be democracy quality. let's hope the emergence of homo superior is not long delayed.

Johncee 1945 is on the ball. Money will win, as usual - but, if the availability of that is equal for both Obana and Hilary, then Murdoch will be king (or Queen) maker, as he likes to portray himself.
For myself, I hope Hilary gets there. That would be a tremendous change: countries like Sri Lanka, India, Norway, Germany have been able to facilitate women to the top job; so far, democracy as portrayed by the "Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave" has not been up to it. And it is about time that the half of their society represented by women had a showing.

Personally, I don't think any of the candidates from either party has much to offer. If Hilary gets the nomination we can be expected to be inundated with all sorts of old porn movies where the girl's face has been replaced by Hilary's. The real question here would be whether the cost of editing these films would be a tax-deductible political expense. Although the pool of candidates is very poor, I can't see Obama making it. To really make the contest interesting, you would have to amend the US Constitution and get a few naturalisation bills through congress. The best possible candidate, who on his past performance could pull the US out of the mess it is in, would be Vladimir Putin, who is just ending a term as president of Russia. If he is not available, another possible could be Pervez Musharraf, who could be looking for a new position soon.

It is tremendously easy in Australia to have a jaundiced view of the US and its political processes. What we have though with the Obahma/Clinton race is the very high likliehood that either one will be the next President of the USA. The symbolisim of having a black or woman as President is tremendously important-what is positive for the whole world though is they are both Democrats with similar views on American international policy, climate change, health and education. The Bush Republican administration has been shown for the disaster that it is and middle America will show its true face of sense, decency and courage and throw out these neo-cons that have lead America to a place where it is despised rather than admired.

*and throw out these neo-cons that have lead America to a place where it is despised rather than admired.*

They say that an electorate lands up with the politicians it
deserves and that people need pain to learn. Sadly it seems
that Americans have required alot of pain to learn the hard way.
Unfortunately the rest of the world had to learn too.

I've always supported Clinton in the past, but I really do
think its time for some fresh ideas in the US and some new
blood in politics. Obama certainly has that, I like his
style.He is prepared to think outside the square.
He can always hire Bill as his advisor, they would make
a great team.

So all I can say is "Go Obama go!"

People keep referring to Obama as becoming the first black president. When slavery was abolished, the negroes adopted Anglo-Celtic surnames rather than French so as to expediate their integration. So, a black president would be expected to have an Anglo name. If Obama is elected he will be the first president without an Anglo-Celtic surname.