Have you noticed how the Democratic party has shifted from ‘Between Obama and Clinton, who will be the best next President of the United States’ to ‘which one of them can beat McCain’ ?? Senator McCain has (as I previously predicted on this blog) come in from behind and taken advantage of the political bickering between Obama and Clinton. The two are acting as if the is not a race for the Presidency of the United States, but a high school election. Personally I think the world outside would love to see Obama as the next US president- for it gives a great message that the US is going to once again open it ‘liberal doors’. I would love to see Obama as president
However, given the economic situation in the US, the war in Iraq is no longer the major pre-occupation of the people of the US…..
……And I believe that McCain may just be the next President of the US. It’s the word I get form the streets of New York. For McCain is being perceived as the ‘less indefinite one’. But more importantly, both Obama and Clinton are running out of steam for the American people. The ‘tiresome’ factor is setting in. Would either of them be able to rustle up a fresh exciting new campaign for Presidency ? They will have to work extremely hard at that. For they have already fired all their guns and their political cylinders may well be empty. Can Obama relaunch his campaign of ‘Change’ as a fresh Presidential race ?
shekhar
Dear Shekhar,
You are perfectly right that both Obama and Hillary have spent all their force fighting each other and created confusing scenario for the voter. This is an extremely important election for the democrats for it there lose another 8 yrs are gone. Today’s Ny times article http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/24/us/politics/24obama.html?ref=us nicely explores the possibilities for the two candidates and tells the complex scenario – I also think that McCain will win the election as he’s the only one standing on firm ground, republicans still have a better reputation for fighting terrorism, and he is a decorated war hero.
We’ll all wait and see but at this moment it seems McCain will win.
Best Regards,
Himanshu
Dear Mr. Shekhar,
I don’t know in much detail but I have been following the headlines. In a poll, 54% said they would vote for white candiate, 16% for any other candiate and rest said they would not vote. Is this a racisim? Does it still exist..I know it does but can’t we see beyond it. We all talk about humanity but are we actually following it?
I think clinton has the higher chances of next democratic nominee but I would love to see obama. If obama becomes the nominee, then maccain will not leave the opportunity to cash in on race card. And then for sure, maccain will become next president of US.
shivani
Hello Shekhar ji.
From the streets of New York there are few more words i would like to share.
“Americans will never chose any Black or Women President.” Yes, racism still exist in this country.
I myself have asked so many Americans here in NYC only to get similar reaction. Its hard to believe that average person here in US thinks almost the same way.
So at the end, Mc cain will be the president who is ready to keep american forces in iraq for next 100 years if required.
US already spending billions of dollars every month is slipping into recession very fast.
Can Mc cain bring the US out of the mess which is created by Bush, another republican ?
i wonder how things will be after mc cain becomes the president. Mortgage crisis, Rising Food prices, Oil has jumped over $100 a barrel. Global warming, bio-fuel problems…
At the end, i can only say God save this planet.
Dear Shekhar:
I am afraid your prediction about McCain becoming the next President of the U.S. may not be so far-fetched. Hillary Clinton, who, much to the chagrin of my friends was my pragmatic choice to become the nominee over Barack Obama, has now turned me off with her cheap opportunistic bent to cash in on any minor blunder of Obama playing it up into a major character flaw by exuding sanctimonious indignation, a role that is unbecoming of her and lacks cogency and credibility.
When all the dust has settled the democratic party will choose B.O. as their nominee, I am convinced of that. The negativity of HRC is turning off even her staunchest allies. The question is whether the Democrats will put an end to this “high school election” puerility rather sooner than later. If they wait till the convention in August both candidates may have blown each other to smithereens. They remind me of a couple arguing who is better suited to drive off the stalled car from the railroad crossing while a train is bearing down on them. The Republicans may not even need to tap into Karl Rove’s treasure trove of innuendo anymore.
As exciting as it is to have in Obama a man of such obviously fresh attitude, smartness and convictions, uncorrupted by the vortexes of politics, reality will catch up with him so that even as intellectually unimposing a man as McCain may have a relatively easy task to win.
I think that the impressive rhetoric of Obama has lost its luster. His mesmerizing speeches no longer have the same ring of conviction, the wave of messianic fervor is subsiding. To rekindle that same original freshness, to credibly give the camelot image a new aura, will be difficult to achieve. To gear up a new campaign of change will be hard to do for him but do he must to have a chance. I can only hope that his youth will be credibly portrayed as an asset and that McCain’s age will increasingly be seen as the liability it undoubtedly is. Let’s face it, Obama must tone down the grandiosity of his vision and tune much more into the worries and daily struggle of the common man. During their upcoming debates he must expose McCain as an intellectual lightweight and must ruthlessly expose him as the successor to old and tired Republican déjà vu politics, with no social narrative and no ability to comprehend the complexities of world economy, in other words expose him as a G.W. Bush clone.
He must energize the young and the black voter block and must win over the Latino vote. He also must establish a rapport with blue collar America and he must soften the image of his perceived elitism. His emphasis must not be so much on a new dawn as on a more pragmatic and new beginning. The Kingian oratory must be replaced by speeches that are devoid of the great sweeping gestures.
It can be done but the very latest in June the Democrats must present their nominee.
Kind regards,
Horst
Clinton! Clinton! Clinton!
Janab…
Politics for me is as bad as my cooking knowledge eh heh!!
But i remember one story form this…wo thi na bachpan waali…
Two cats fighting for bread and the monkey comes inbetween, and takes the bread…
Doh ki larayi…teesre ki jeeth!!
Huh did I make sense?
NO???
Do I ever eh heh..who cares!!
Mew mew
Thanks for the wonderful post, Dear Horst!
I hope it is Obama too!! If he doesnt make it this time, I hope he gives it another go next time. He is young and world surely needs him as the President of USA.
Maybe Indians should start thinking on who would be best for India. We surely have a huge amount of jobs and trade at stake. Since the US is anyway run by various lobbies, all our efforts should be on who gets the best deal for Indians.
For too long Indian, international vision has been shaped up by what is good for the world.
So when India got the chance to join the UN security council in fifties, Mr Nehru felt that it more more sense that our senior “brother” China should get the opportunity. China displayed no such “love” in 62 and till date. Today the only Indians who appreciate China’s stance on India trying to join the security council is Mr Prakash Karat.
We messed it up with the Arabs also. We have supported them all along yet get little support in international forums, when we require them.
And to top it all we have a huge problem of terrorism in our country and the world community looks the other way.
So let’s get the debate back to what is good for us… Maybe it is Hillary or Obama or Macain. But let’s find that out….