What a sour, sad, grumpy little article this is Mr Passant, to be sure.

>>He has captured many in presenting an almost Harry Potter-like vision for all Americans. The difference is that Voldemort might win.<<

No-one expects a single individual to change the world overnight. Even Jesus Christ didn't manage that. You only have to look at the continuing political instability of his birthplace, after 2,000 years. Hardly a great yardstick, I would have thought.

My expectation is that Obama will turn out to be a competent manager. He will encourage his staff to be bold and thoughtful in their policy development. He will listen to the alternatives put to him, and insist that they be clear in their objectives and constructive in their impact on people. He will motivate all levels - his own staff, his own people, and his peers in other countries - to work towards peaceful, productive and achievable goals.

The rest is pretty much out of his hands.

My hope is also that he has the intestinal fortitude and stamina to outwit and outlast the glass-half-empty Passy's of his world - of which there will be many - and remain positive about the role that he and the rest of America can play in the world, economically and politically.

But no doubt he will be constantly slagged off for his inability to fix a rattling toilet door in Rabbit Hash KY, or to get Iran and Israel to love each other by next Tuesday week.

Anyone can play the doom-'n-gloom game, Passy. But it is a game that will ultimately turn you into a mumbling misanthrope.

Oh, wait...

The most reasonable explanation is "we don't know". The rest is guesswork or faith, depending on perspective. However, "in the absence of any strong apriori presuppositions against the possibility of the supernatural" you'd believe just about anything, Trav. Which you do.

That said, BH Obama ain't supernatural either yet some people seem to believe he's going to reverse the earth's spin and bring on a 52-week sunmmer while performing a pirouette around the oval office. Some people, like the author, have gone in the other direction and suggest he's the same as his insufferable predecessor. Seems to me he's having a free kick even before the whistle blows.

Why "jesus"?

Speaking of the "reality" of that comic book character called "jesus" where is the HARD documentary evidence or the polaroid photographs?

Without such hard concretised evidence ALL the claims re the "real jesus" are codswallop---childish nonsense appealing to the same childishly primitive emotional level as the tooth fairy and santa claus or the parental good-luck deity who is going to pamper me and give me lots of goodies here on earth and in "heaven" when I die---but only if I am good.

Meanwhile these three references and the associated website provide a comprehensive Spiritually informed critique of the origins and ESSENTIALLY POWER SEEKING POLITICAL purposes of the institutional church fathers that created them.

1. http://www.dabase.org/bloodsac.htm

2. http://www.dabase.org/exochrist.htm

3. http://www.dabase.org/proofch6.htm#idol

It IS time to put away this childish religiosity.

Guys, the article was NOT about comparing Obama to Jesus.

This was simply used in the heading for dramatic effect. This article isn't about religion or philosophy, it's a political piece.

But I guess some can't see past their set keywords. 'Jesus' apparently, is one of them. I'd wager if the author had used mohammed, we'd have yet another Islamic slangfest, even though it wasn't mentioned again in the text. Good grief.

What bothers me about pieces like this, is that because Obama is adopting a pragmatically centrist approach, instead of pandering to either side of the political spectrum, those on the far-left will criticise him because he's not adopting unrealistic, even foolhardy, fringe policies.

A "more competent Bush"?

Oh, puh-lease. The fact is that politicians in most Western countries have a fairly narrow political spectrum in which they operate.
The second fact is, Western countries tend to be the most prosperous in the world, so the formula, in a general sense works. It's when ideological idiocy prevails that things get thrown out of whack - such as neoliberalist extremism.
Under Clinton for example, the US worked quite well. No doubt those on the far left will criticise him as yet another imperialist leader of an oppressive regime cloaked with democracy.

Hogwash.

Obama will tack more to the centre than Bush. Precisely what is needed. His tax plan also targets upper-income earners, thus repealing a fair amount of the inequalities that came about as a result of the neo-liberal ideology. Thus, he's doing a fair job of instituting practical leftist economic policies, without going to an extreme socialist route.
He's also withdrawing troops from Iraq, while maintaining pressure in Afghanistan, the source of the majority of the world's drug problems as well as a genuine haven for Islamic militants. I good idea, although not the policies of the extreme left pacifists.

All in all, a pragmatic way forward, reasonably devoid of idiotic ideology from either end of the spectrum.

Thank goodness for that.

TurnRightThenLeft wrote, "He's also ... maintaining pressure in Afghanistan, ... a genuine haven for Islamic militants."

Are you aware that the 9/1 Truth Movement has completely demoslished this rationale for the invasion of Afghanistan. Again, see "9/11 Truth" forum at http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=2166&page=76 http://911oz.com http://911blogger.com http://ae911truth.org http://911truth.org etc.

daggett, I'm aware of the many conspiratorial 9-11 theories.

I don't subscribe to them any more than the JFK assassination theories, the notion the moon landings were faked or that the Freemasons are a diabolically powerful sect.

These all require a huge, far reaching conspiracy. I've already said I don't believe the theories that the media are the lapdogs of the powerful which would be a necessary component in believing such fanciful ideas. Such far reaching conspiracies aren't sustainable.

So no, I'm afraid I'm dismissing that as poppycock.