Hmmmm... when the US election is fought out by Americans on an Australian Forum... we know OLO has "arrived" :)

Good on you blokes for giving your input.

At least you 2 have shown one thing.. that ALL politicians have baggage and some of it seems to have been dragged through some mud while the trolly from the plane dragged it along.

The other amazing thing about Politics is that for some strange reason, each side sees itself as the epitomy of righteousness and the other as 'Satan' himself.

The most relevant word for both sides is 'hypocrisy' :)

When you see the lengths to which people will go to define themselves as 'mr Clean' while knowing full well they are absolutely rotten to the core, illustrates that Politics is really just about power and not fairness. Looook for those who benefit!

-If Obama, will it be the Hispanic lobby? The Black Lobby?
-If McCain will it be big business? who knows.

You don't need to be an Isaiah or a Jeremiah to predict where the USA will be in 20 yrs time... and it's not a nice place.

Clinton’s doing eh? 8 years in the whitehouse and what, 10 in congress wasn’t enough? We have politicians blaming long-gone prime ministers here, too.

Do all US senators bear the stain of Robert Byrd Joe? ex KKK and all that. Birds of a feather my foot.

Biden’s gaff-prone, that’s clear. On the other hand he doesn’t see the world coming to a cataclysmic end during his lifetime. Ever watch David Letterman? There’s a segment called ‘great moments in presidential speeches’ or something like that. I won’t go into detail. Perhaps Letterman’s too left wing and you watch Hannity instead.

I see the republicans are blaming the MSM for just about everything these days. Who unquestioningly iterated the administration’s lies regards Iraq?

It may surprise you to know the western world is following this election very closely. A survey in Australia showed around 80% support for Obama & 13% for McCain. As pointed out in the article anti-americanism is on the rise and only a Democrat victory will assuage it.

Polycarp, you stated,
"-If Obama, will it be the Hispanic lobby? The Black Lobby?
-If McCain will it be big business? who knows."

It is easy to forget who Obama really is. His mother is white and he was raised by his mother and her white parents. Obama was born in Hawaii where there are very few black people. DNA knows no racial identity but his chromosomal DNA is 50% white and 50% black. His total DNA is predominantly white because all of his mitochrondial DNA is white. I suppose your biology background included discussion that the transfer of mitochrondia takes place only from mother to offspring. Is black DNA dominant over white DNA? Of course not. Culturally, Obama should know far more about whites than black. He also should know the effects of being a minority in the midst of overwhelming prejudice directed toward minorities. That he has overcome that tells us all that he is a special person. Becoming the editor of the Harvard Law Review is an honor that can not be ignored. In 200 plus years, the U.S. has never before had a leading candidate for President who was Hispanic, Black, Jewish or Asian. He has become an icon whether or not he wins the election. He had to overcome all odds and direct an almost flawless campaign to reach is current position. Compare Obama and his team with the fumbling of McCain and his surrogates.

Beautifully and succinctly expressed Joe, however you will discover that Poly's understanding of basic biology is based purely on his interpretation of Genesis.

I wish I was American right now, just so I could vote for Obama and 1 in 4 Australians agree with me.

Cheers

Hello from an Aussie,

Over the past few weeks I have been reading 2 very interesting books by Stephen Kinzer - one 'All The Shah's Men' and two 'Overthrow'.

As one contributor wrote, the Media (TV,Newspapers, Talk-back radio) has played a significant role in keeping the public in the dark about the qn 'why America is so derided even hated by peoples around the globe?

According to Kinzer, anti-American sentiment has been festering since the regime of Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii was overthrown purely to accomodate US business interests.

Since then (nearly 110 years) a succession of US Governments have worked overtly or covertly to facilitate 'regime change' opertaions for other than the altruistic reasons they have led the world and their own citizens to believe.

Listening to McCain speak at a rally yesterday, I got the impression that he will maintain the prevailing policy regarding Iraq as a face saving exercise of American Military might. As a Viet veteran that is one issue that appears foremost in his psyche.

Obama however, may not have many options open to him - although that may change in the event he occupies the WH, which I hope he does.

I am not sure such a thing as anti-americanism exists as a construct -
I concede that there is a sense that people world wide dislike bullies - are bemused by some forms of excess - find hypocrosy unsettling - if they are seen in variable degrees exhibited by the USA or China for that matter - what does it really mean? - no one seems to have fabricated the notion of wide spread Anti-Chinese sensibilitiy as some sort of sociological phenomenon

- China exhibits many of the same characterisitcs that people tag the states with - hubris, militarism, extremes in cultural mores ( different one ) but extremes just the same.

I get the feeling that the notion of Anti Americanism stems - just like a degree of paranoia in the psychotic - from an over developed sense of self importance amongst Americans and Americanophiles "every one is out to get because of who I am etc etc"