Weather: Hi 4°C / Lo 2°C
Shock! An American becomes President!
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Print
Email
It's understandable why Americans are excited by the prospect of Barack Obama as president. He's their president, after all. Like the World Series in baseball, it's their game and it's their world.
What's always puzzled me, though, is the media frenzy over the American presidency in Britain. And not just the media. You hear people talking about Obama's impending term of office as if he was somehow a saviour of some sort. He's to save the soul of America, repair the damage done to America and the world by Dubya, restore the Kennedy Camelot factor to the White House, epitomise racial equality in the States, and, er, make everybody feel better.
The most excitement is found among the Left. (But isn't that always the way, no matter what the issue is.) They've always been dreaming of a president who would, let's see, be nice to the Soviet Union, take the side of the Arabs and Palestinians, get rid of right wing tyrants and turn a blind eye to the leftie tyrants, and most of all lift the embargo on Cuba ? be nice to Fidel.
Amid all the furore of the US presidential race, there's one thing that always consoles me. It's the penchant of the Americans, whatever their political colour, for voting an American into office.
Not some British trade union doppelganger. Not some woolly liberal fence-sitter. But a full-blooded commander in chief of the US Armed Forces on land, sea and air. They've done that again this time, and he happens to be black.
Very soon the British liberals are going to wake up one morning and discover with shock that Obama was a Yank all along. And a GI to boot. Of course, Obama has to pay his particular dues so among his first actions was to wonder how to close the detention camp in Guantanemo. Gratifyingly, he is now doing this by already inquiring of friendly nations around the globe how many of these entirely innocent and harmless individuals they wish to liberate into their own countryside. Nations have been quick to respond in a gesture of goodwill towards the incoming president: "Yes, please, but could we have those who pose no threat to anybody if you don't mind."
It's all politics, of course. And image. And for a while Obama will enjoy the honeymoon incoming leaders do.
The truth is, the reason why so much ‘hope' is pinned on Obama in Britain is because America and its culture actually dominates Britain to a greater degree than any other European country.
Unable to elect a loony left government of their own, the loony lefties here keep hoping the US, in some brainstorm, will do it for them.
It's also a kind of inverted racism on their part. Somehow Obama's blackness, they think, must mean he is more like them in their whitey dreams of equality. (Colin Powell, of course, is also black but had he been elected president, one shudders to think how the left would have responded. He is a right wing republican, and that's far too complicated ? )
As it is, one wishes President Obama well. I still don't know quite who he is or what he stands for but he is new, he looks good and it'll be interesting to watch him age 20 years in the next four the way all presidents do.
He also has that windy quality we love in all American presidents. Their speechwriters always seem to find new and surprising ways of juggling the same words round and round. "Hope. Dream. Nation. God. Equality. Opportunity. Democracy." Really no one can be forgiven for falling for that stuff, especially in Britain after 12 years of New Labour.
For me, I'm just glad there is still an America. Still prepared to put its soldiers and its money in where nobody else wants to go. It's already a great nation and it makes all its presidents great.
Even Dubya. Even, this early on, President Obama.
Hail to the chief.
Post a comment
Limit: 500 characters
View all comments that have been posted about this article
Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP address logged and may be used to prevent further submissions. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by BelfastTelegraph.co.uk's Terms of Use.
Posts submitted in UPPERCASE letters will be rejected.
Comments
25 Comments
Someone needs to inform Gail Walker that the Soviet Union ceased to exist some time ago. Try not to cry. The four minute warning no longer applies Gail, you'll have to take up smoking to fill the gap.
Posted by Gary | 01.05.09, 10:35 GMT
Useless, cliched drivel. Will someone please tell me what was the point of this article?
Posted by Richard | 24.01.09, 17:07 GMT
Limits are useful? No? The lack of them is what has brought our Anglo-American world to a screeching halt. We should all be in favour (or favor) of a swing back to middle, regardless.
This article points to a truth that is incredible, the US, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic, we all change governments without great cause. We expect such a thing! We have such great privilege and as much burden. A blessing and a curse.
Hope springs eternal!
Posted by lanelle | 22.01.09, 01:10 GMT
Brian,
I do my best to keep up.
If as you say Obama has put strict limits on lobbys then surely in this huge economic downturn he will not approve another annual 4 billion to Israel which he has to borrow to do so.
Talks cheap takes money to buy liquor Brian but go online on the real cost of Israel to America and get back to us ok THANKS
Time will tell indeed.
Posted by BILL COOK | 22.01.09, 00:21 GMT
really, this article is pro-obama, pro-US! ... though you'd never think that from the comments on here from lefties who don't like to be reminded obama is, after all, american, but who still want to think he's 'just like them', just because he's not from the same 'party' as gw.
gail's right. obama will be at the very least a good president, because the us system has a way of selecting good candidates who, for a while anyway, get the consent of the majority.
and a good us president is good news for the rest of the world, dependent on us aid and us soldiers. like the un, for a start.
indeed, 'hail to the chief', gail
Posted by catholic | 21.01.09, 22:28 GMT
Bill,
On the other hand, Gail won't be too pleased to hear the strict new limits Obama has just placed on lobbyists and lobbying. Oops, do try and keep up. Bang goes your Israeli theory, at any rate.
Posted by brian | 21.01.09, 22:11 GMT
Ms Walker's seems to mistake tired cynicism for political/cultural insight.
Posted by John | 21.01.09, 21:20 GMT
Interesting observations from an entertainment point of view.
The real question is who decides US policy ?
Most people believe the lobbyists have that power.
Possibly you may be pleased to learn that the most powerful lobby next to AARP is the Israeli Lobby and no president in recent times has opposed them ergo they dictate ME policy, and will IMO continue to do so not Obama
Posted by BILL COOK | 21.01.09, 20:26 GMT
Love the article! The best entertainment here in the US, at the moment, is listening to the American lefites lose it as it slowly dawns on them that President Obama is not going to dismantle the American Empire, the Capitalist state, or outlaw the SUV! Actually I am waiting for this news to make it across the pond as listening to British lefities go beserk is even more fun!
Posted by lanelle | 21.01.09, 10:14 GMT
sneery, one eyed article
Posted by McD | 21.01.09, 09:43 GMT
Ms. Walker
Thank you for recognizing that we only elect Americans to be our President.
From reading and tallking to people all over the world there seems to be an impression that we Americans are purposely doing a disfavor when we elect or appoint certain officials to posts in our government. The truth is our motivation is that we have interests and we protect them just like every other goverment does.
We are also a more conservative population than most countries so you should not expect us to stray to far left. A case in point is Hilary Clinton, most Americans think she is a left leaning liberal but drop her into Brussels and she would look like the second coming of Prime Minister Thatcher.
We hope you like our new President but if not you need wait only 4 years and hope we change again.
Posted by Dennis Steffe | 21.01.09, 05:47 GMT
Hail to Gail! I wonder, where Obama is going to put the prisoners of Guantanemo? Jan. 20th, 2009 is a historical date for all Americans and all those who sail with her. Who knows, Obama may well become the 45th Pres., also! kudos to George W. Bush who welcomed Obama and his family into the White House swiftly. What a gentleman! In the last 7 years, America has NOT been attacked. Bush leaves the White House with a clear conscience that he made decisions based on, "the right thing to do." God was his captain, NOT Washington $'s in return for favors. We'll learn more about the everyday stress of "The Chief" when Bush's autobiography is released. Maybe then, you'll see a REAL person with feelings and a God fearing conscience - that had YOU in mind - when he was in the Oval office.
Posted by Former NYT correspondent. | 21.01.09, 00:21 GMT
There are very few articles on the net today appraising Bush as a great president. Aside from a few right wing nutjobs in the States with a rather loose grip on reality. Oh, and Gail Walker's piece.
Posted by Gone, gone , gone | 20.01.09, 23:28 GMT
Perhaps Gail Walker fails to comprehend the significance of this election for people of the U.K. because she is never felt the sting of racism or endured the suffering that ethnic minorities have faced for decades. If she would have seen Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence speaking to Jon Snow on Channel 4 News, she might begin to understand why this event is so inspiring for so many people here in the U.K.
Posted by RMW | 20.01.09, 21:53 GMT
What a load of rubbish and waste of time this article was (not unusual for Gail Walker)
It starts off with - I can't understand the fuss over the US president and then goes on to say why there is such a fuss and ends with how great America is??? What is the point of all this apart from stating the obvious, yes America is still an influential power around the world and whoever is President is of interest to those awaiting his/her impact. One glaringly stupid statement is the one about America always electing an American, um I think thats the point isn't it. No country is all that keen on having their leader be more representative of a completely different country or again am I stating the obvious.
Posted by Lisa | 20.01.09, 20:40 GMT
Once again, a clear-eyed article. It worries me when the political hysteria mounts. It was the same with Blair, and now those same millions loathe the very mention of his name.
The very people who, one day, claim the US presidency is in the hands of a few powerful individuals or corporate interests, claim the next that Obama will make executive decisions to do the right thing, ie renounce everything American and be like a liberal Englishman.
One thing is for sure, Obama will have US interests at heart, first and foremost. And that doesn't augur well for the rest of the world. Before too long, the UK liberals will be moaning "how can a man whose people suffered so much themselves be so aggressive towards Muslims? You'd think he'd know better ..." and on and on.
I'm with you, Gail. Up the President! Up the US!
Posted by ireland abu | 20.01.09, 19:46 GMT
Gail Walker is ill-informed on epic proportions. Why are people still surprised that she writes articles like this?
Posted by AP | 20.01.09, 17:00 GMT
optimism my eye. as usual, ms walker is correct - and equally as usual, the posters cannot seem to get to grips with the points made, thereby confirming each one of them.
obama is american - unpalatable fact number one.
he is not a liberal in any sense recognisable to the brits
funny how the same squiffy, sentimental, tear-jerker attitude that brits detest in american movies is exactly what they want to drink by the gallon in real life.
obama should ship the guantanamo inmates to the maze. let's see the moira liberals welcome that.
Posted by catholic | 20.01.09, 16:57 GMT
I agree with Gail, can't believe how the british media is going OTT. Lets see if the 'messiah' is as popular in four years.
Posted by G | 20.01.09, 16:34 GMT
What on earth are you going on about? Have a nice cup of tea and do be quiet.
Posted by Jon Hatch | 20.01.09, 15:29 GMT
25 Comments