"By firmly and thoughtfully opposing the activities of al-Qaida and its supporters, a President Obama could take the first but important step to restoring America’s image around the world."

The Iraq adventure was always about chasing the wrong horse (and for spur-ious reasons). Let's hope the Obama Presidency will see a serious attack on terrorism at last.

As for restoring America's image around the world, that will require many steps in a long march.

Can't bods like Spike work it now, even after all this time?
The only real "terrorists" are people like Cheney and Bush.
It's only ever been an excuse for waging war against people the neo cons don't like or who are resisting being ripped off by them!

To prosecute a "War against Terorism", you would have to invade District Columbia.

The US elections have presented us with 12 months of the most boring
TV and radio news & current affairs of all time.

It goes on and on and on and on adinfinitum.
I mute the TV when it comes on but you have to keep an eye on it for
the next news item. Can't change channels because it will also be
wall to wall Obama show.

Four years ago I asked my son (he is in the business) why they hammer it
so hard and the reason is simple; it is very cheap TV, it costs them
next to nothing to put to air.

I could not care less who wins or loses. I think the media people
would love it for Australia to be the 51st state, that is why they
are so interested. I don't believe the general public gives a damn.
The way they are gushing about it would make you think we are voting.

Heaven help us they can't even organise a simple ballot over there.
Even the early voters have to cue for four hours.
How could they handle compulsory voting ?
No wonder their last election was corrupted they allow people to
vote before voting day !
ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH !!

You just don't get it.

The US will do what suits the US. Obama if elected will learn the lesson of infants.

If you try to shake hands with a snake you'll get bitten.

That's what he intends and that's what will happen. But sadly it won't be he that's bitten.

I foresee an attack on the US, just as Biden says... and I see Obama instead of reacting with bombs and destruction, like Bush, he will offer a hand of peace and acceptance of the protaganists reasons for attack. ie The US deserved it.

What happens then will stun everyone and will lead to nuclear bombing by the US of several regions of this world.

Appeasement is his game and the results of that attitude are well recorded in history.

Let's hope the Russians don't decide to also 'test' Obama as well at the same time.

Rumours are coming in of the existence of undecided voters in today’s election. How could any sentient being not decide by now? Imagine how a conversation in that household might go...




“Well honey, what do you think? Should we buy the Prius or the Hummer? It’s so hard to decide these things. ”

“Gee I’m not sure. I was still trying to decide about that place we went to, the furniture store, y’know, if we should get the Louis XVI-style four-poster or that inflatable thingy instead. They both look nice.”

“Yeah I know. Tell you what, let’s have a coffee and talk about it. What do you want, a half double-espresso soy skim latte frapacino or the instant stuff?”

“Hmm, dunno. What are you having?”





Seriously, if you’re an American voter and you still haven’t made up your mind you’d best stay at home. You’ll just get it wrong anyway.

I agree with the professor that many people outside the USA have opinions thereof that are stereotyped oversimplifications of reality. (Of course some Americans do as well--Reagan singlehandedly brought down the Soviet empire, laid the foundation for the Clinton golden years with tax cuts, and so on.) How could a single American, the president, possibly represent all 300 million fellow countrymen? The political spectrum there ranges from the Far Left of Ralph Nader with his Marxist railings against "corporate greed" to the Far Right of Senator Inhofe, who supports a Greater Israel as being in accordance with Divine Scripture. In 2000, Bush did not even win a plurality of the popular vote from those who bothered to go to the polls.

Another common misconception is the degree of power that a president wields. Actually, he is considerably more constrained than a prime minister in countries that have a parliamentary system of government. It is true that, as commander in chief, Obama can set the rules on military engagements. However, while Democrats will control both houses of the new Congress, Republicans will have sufficient numbers to reject any treaty in the Senate, or to block a vote on most bills by staging a filibuster. Unfortunately that means that they may still not be capable of providing leadership on carbon-reduction initiatives post Kyoto.