This week a big event, a remarkable achievement was recorded in history. Barack Hussein Obama took oath as the 44th president of the United States, in an inauguration ceremony witnessed directly by no less than two million people and another hundreds of millions of television viewers. On Tuesday, 20 January 2009 Obama, the first African-American leader of 'the Free World', was a brilliant star. He looked like a magnet that attracted attention from either supporters and opponents. Obama's success means a lot domestically and internationally; indeed, it is a case that deserves to be - accompanied with various expectations.
Obama's victory over his rival in last year's presidential election was all because he promised changes. He promised changes for the people who have been suffering from the economic crisis that culminate in recession, which nobody could know exactly for its end. He also promised changes to a country whose international image was badly damaged during the eight year period of the previous administration. It was this 'changes' mantra that brought him the victory and undoubtedly is serving as a powerful ammunition for his call to 'remake America', as he mentioned in his inauguration speech that Tuesday.
In the first days of his leadership, Obama soon won many people's hearts when he ordered the immediate closure of Guantanamo Bay (but, see also Four Reasons Obama Won't Close Gitmo Soon). Nevertheless, hopes were already ruined when Obama reportedly asked Hamas to stop its rocket attacks against Israel to end the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In this last case there are many who hold pessimistic view to Obama, an acceptable attitude if we are to consider carefully Obama's long-standing position on Israel-Palestine relations (see my previous posting 'A New, Changed America'? - Don't get too excited ...). True it is still too early to assess Obama's presidency, but a track record on his campaign promises and their implementation should start from now.
I argue this is, among others, behind the reason for St. Petersburg Times, a Florida media, creating a website entitled The Obameter: Tracking Obama's Campaign Promises. At the same time with this posting is written, the site records that from his 509 campaign promises, Obama has met 5 promises and compromised 1 promise, while 14 promises are still in working and 1 promise stalled. This is a very good way to assess what Obama's administration has been working to meet his mantra of 'changes'. If Obama would look forward to continuing his leadership for the second time, he certainly should strive to minimise the broken promise and increase the number of promises that he can fulfill.
Obama is a smart person, so we probably will not smile or laugh quite often again when we learn his reaction to many issues, as we did when we found out Dubya's 'ignorance' during his eight-year presidency. The former Texas governor will always be memorable not only because his warring tendency, but also for he had produced many scores of Bushisms, 'ridiculous' quotes of his speeches or comments. Take these for examples: "You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test." (Townsend, Tenn., 21 February 2001); "You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror." - Interview with CBS News' Katie Couric, 6 September 2006); and "I'm telling you there's an enemy that would like to attack America, Americans, again. There just is. That's the reality of the world. And I wish him all the very best." (Washington, D.C., 12 January 2009). Oh, I don't know about you, but I will miss these Bushisms as perhaps the only 'positive', amusing thing from his time.
The Bush era has ended, the era of change has arrived. To become the president of the most powerful country in the world at the time of crisis is very difficult indeed. For that, we need to give credits for Obama's courage to take up this challenge. Although the road is still long and full of uncertainty, but I am certain that Obama wants to be recorded as a president with SUCCESSES, be them domestic or international. The world has changed very quickly and the United States is no doubt one of the determinant actors. However, if its jingoism won't fade out, we can expect that The Obameter would record negative results, particularly in the context of America's international role and position. A 'dictum' I heard from my former American politics lecturer quite a long time ago - the U.S. will be more likely to take the road of war and conflict to settle international problems if led by a Republican - will face a difficult test during Obama's time.
25 January 2009
07 November 2008
'A New, Changed America'? - Don't get too excited ...
History was made in the United States three days ago. Democratic Senator Barack Obama successfully won the 2008 U.S. presidential election - one of the most exciting presidential elections in U.S. history - with a landslide victory over Republican candidate Senator John McCain. Obama, 47 years of age, will become the 44th president of the U.S. as well as the first African-American president for the 'free world' when he takes his oath on 20 January 2009.
Twenty-one months is not a short time, but that was the amount of time Obama needed to throw Hillary Clinton away as the Democratic presidential candidate. With his slogan of 'Change We Can' Obama succeeded in convincing many American people, especially those of young, first-time voters who traditionally are not interested to participate in the presidential election. Obama's victory in several countries with a large Electoral Vote, such as New York, California, Florida, and Ohio, was hitting the GOP camp severely (there has been no Republican presidential candidate wins the election without 'taking on' Ohio). This is obviously a historic victory, especially for many African-Americans whose life are in the shadow of Martin Luther King's dream, and indeed deserves to be celebrated.
In such a celebration, what thrilled me is the so-called 'Obama-mania'. Obama's victory were not only celebrated in the United States, but also virtually all over the world, from a suburb at Menteng in Jakarta to a small town in Japan which shares its name with the president-elect. They cheered, they sang, they were dissolved in the happiness encouraged by 'confidence' that Obama would make 'a changed America'. A television station in Australia even mentioned "Americans have chosen hope over fear" to describe how justifiable it was that Obama was expected to make 'a new United States'.
However, I think the next, best attitude for most of us is to wait and see. We can rejoice, but do not exaggerate on it and forget that history will test Obama over the extent to which he would successfully fulfill his campaign promises. Obama should be able to answer criticism that he is not experienced for he will soon be faced with a very big task move ahead (or quoting Kevin Rudd, to address "a mountain" of the domestic and world problems). In the next two months he should prepare his best transition team to replace the administration of outgoing president George W. Bush. There will be only a short honeymoon period for Obama that he must answer the economic issues (recession and and increasing unemployment), war in Iraq, health care, global warming, and terrorism, to name a few. Also, in the context of the Middle East conflict, it is interesting to see how Obama would act: we can not forget Obama - who call himself "a true friend of Israel" - used to describe the relationship between the U.S. and Israel as "Unbreakable today, tomorrow Unbreakable, Unbreakable for ever" as well as assert,"Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel and it must remain undivided."
Apart from the heavy tasks faced by Obama, it is not wrong to call his victory as inspiring, both in positive and negative ways. His victory speech had no doubt endorsed many United States citizens to move forward with him creating a 'Change', but there are also some people starting to prepare any means to get rid of him even before he is appointed as president (see ''Impeach Obama' groups pop up on Facebook'). Once again, the best action is awaiting whether 'a new, changed America' will be created under the leadership of Obama. Until that happens, while preserving our optimism, let's not be fooled by what he has promised.
Twenty-one months is not a short time, but that was the amount of time Obama needed to throw Hillary Clinton away as the Democratic presidential candidate. With his slogan of 'Change We Can' Obama succeeded in convincing many American people, especially those of young, first-time voters who traditionally are not interested to participate in the presidential election. Obama's victory in several countries with a large Electoral Vote, such as New York, California, Florida, and Ohio, was hitting the GOP camp severely (there has been no Republican presidential candidate wins the election without 'taking on' Ohio). This is obviously a historic victory, especially for many African-Americans whose life are in the shadow of Martin Luther King's dream, and indeed deserves to be celebrated.
In such a celebration, what thrilled me is the so-called 'Obama-mania'. Obama's victory were not only celebrated in the United States, but also virtually all over the world, from a suburb at Menteng in Jakarta to a small town in Japan which shares its name with the president-elect. They cheered, they sang, they were dissolved in the happiness encouraged by 'confidence' that Obama would make 'a changed America'. A television station in Australia even mentioned "Americans have chosen hope over fear" to describe how justifiable it was that Obama was expected to make 'a new United States'.
However, I think the next, best attitude for most of us is to wait and see. We can rejoice, but do not exaggerate on it and forget that history will test Obama over the extent to which he would successfully fulfill his campaign promises. Obama should be able to answer criticism that he is not experienced for he will soon be faced with a very big task move ahead (or quoting Kevin Rudd, to address "a mountain" of the domestic and world problems). In the next two months he should prepare his best transition team to replace the administration of outgoing president George W. Bush. There will be only a short honeymoon period for Obama that he must answer the economic issues (recession and and increasing unemployment), war in Iraq, health care, global warming, and terrorism, to name a few. Also, in the context of the Middle East conflict, it is interesting to see how Obama would act: we can not forget Obama - who call himself "a true friend of Israel" - used to describe the relationship between the U.S. and Israel as "Unbreakable today, tomorrow Unbreakable, Unbreakable for ever" as well as assert,"Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel and it must remain undivided."
Apart from the heavy tasks faced by Obama, it is not wrong to call his victory as inspiring, both in positive and negative ways. His victory speech had no doubt endorsed many United States citizens to move forward with him creating a 'Change', but there are also some people starting to prepare any means to get rid of him even before he is appointed as president (see ''Impeach Obama' groups pop up on Facebook'). Once again, the best action is awaiting whether 'a new, changed America' will be created under the leadership of Obama. Until that happens, while preserving our optimism, let's not be fooled by what he has promised.
24 October 2008
Election 2008 is Coming ...
In less than two weeks the world will witness a major – probably the biggest one – political contest that has drawn much attention for several months. In the midst of the global financial crisis, we await the emergence of new leaders the United States, a president whose words and actions will affect the global politics significantly.
When in August Obama appointed Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential candidate, followed not long after by the selection of Governor Sarah Palin as McCain’s running mate, the news media have been ‘bombarding’ us endlessly with analysis of Biden and Palin selection. For example, why Obama did not choose Hillary, which will provide the votes of women for him, or that McCain is actually ‘set a trap for himself’ by choosing Palin.
So far we can see that Palin adds nothing but good-looking to McCain’s camp. Yes, she is beautiful, but beauty is not well reflected in ‘nice’ campaigns. She, for example, stated that she understood Russia better than Obama only because she led Alaska, a state that faced directly with the country (come on Sarah, couldn't you do any better?) Needless to say, Palin has been ‘smashed’ with several issues and scandals since her selection - in an obvious attempt to break her reputation - to which she has not responsed wisely. Campaigns have turned ugly to both camps, but it seems that the G.O.P. cannot handle them very well.
On the other hand, Obama has a stronghold of confidence after a series of polls showed a clear victory over McCain. His call for a Change (with a capital 'c') seems 'too attractive' to many Americans from common people to celebrities that in many occasions he was welcomed like a rock star. His option on Biden is also seen as a ‘smart’ move, given Biden’s tons of experience in foreign policy – something that will complement Obama’s capability as a presidential candidate. Obama may not (or does not) lose the so-called ‘Hillary factor’, until the results of the election prove it.
The latest, and perhaps the hardest so far, ‘punch’ to McCain came from Colin Powell, an influential Republican and former secretary of state, who said that he would cast his vote for Obama. Not because he’s black, said Powell, but because he would bring more changes and deserve better to be president. Although McCain underestimated Powell’s endorsement by saying that he was supported by four former secretaries of state, he indeed appears more ‘emotional’ in these crucial days. Despite this, he is still confident that he will win the election.
Whatever decision the American people make later, history is in the making. If McCain wins, people must be ready with the consequences: should he dies while in duty, the U.S. would be led by a woman, yet poorly experienced politician, like Palin. If Obama is elected, he will become the first Afro-American guy who leads the United States. However, with regard to Obama’s skin color and his origin, it is predicted that it would not be easy for him to perform his presidential tasks. This would be yet another chapter on bitter racial sentiments - a very long, unsettled irony in the ‘democratic’ United States.
A number of old and new issues are there to intercept either Obama or McCain if one of them gets elected as the new president of the United States. The current recession may continue to get even worse, and this is no doubt the first priority to be resolved. Indeed, the problem of economy is ‘the most determine’ domestic issue that determines the victory of a candidate. In foreign relations, the new president must strive to improve the image of America that has been downgraded badly by Bush’s adventure of the so-called ‘war against terrorism’. Will Obama or McCain bring the United States out of recession as well as make it a benign and responsible hegemon? History will tell.
When in August Obama appointed Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential candidate, followed not long after by the selection of Governor Sarah Palin as McCain’s running mate, the news media have been ‘bombarding’ us endlessly with analysis of Biden and Palin selection. For example, why Obama did not choose Hillary, which will provide the votes of women for him, or that McCain is actually ‘set a trap for himself’ by choosing Palin.
So far we can see that Palin adds nothing but good-looking to McCain’s camp. Yes, she is beautiful, but beauty is not well reflected in ‘nice’ campaigns. She, for example, stated that she understood Russia better than Obama only because she led Alaska, a state that faced directly with the country (come on Sarah, couldn't you do any better?) Needless to say, Palin has been ‘smashed’ with several issues and scandals since her selection - in an obvious attempt to break her reputation - to which she has not responsed wisely. Campaigns have turned ugly to both camps, but it seems that the G.O.P. cannot handle them very well.
On the other hand, Obama has a stronghold of confidence after a series of polls showed a clear victory over McCain. His call for a Change (with a capital 'c') seems 'too attractive' to many Americans from common people to celebrities that in many occasions he was welcomed like a rock star. His option on Biden is also seen as a ‘smart’ move, given Biden’s tons of experience in foreign policy – something that will complement Obama’s capability as a presidential candidate. Obama may not (or does not) lose the so-called ‘Hillary factor’, until the results of the election prove it.
The latest, and perhaps the hardest so far, ‘punch’ to McCain came from Colin Powell, an influential Republican and former secretary of state, who said that he would cast his vote for Obama. Not because he’s black, said Powell, but because he would bring more changes and deserve better to be president. Although McCain underestimated Powell’s endorsement by saying that he was supported by four former secretaries of state, he indeed appears more ‘emotional’ in these crucial days. Despite this, he is still confident that he will win the election.
Whatever decision the American people make later, history is in the making. If McCain wins, people must be ready with the consequences: should he dies while in duty, the U.S. would be led by a woman, yet poorly experienced politician, like Palin. If Obama is elected, he will become the first Afro-American guy who leads the United States. However, with regard to Obama’s skin color and his origin, it is predicted that it would not be easy for him to perform his presidential tasks. This would be yet another chapter on bitter racial sentiments - a very long, unsettled irony in the ‘democratic’ United States.
A number of old and new issues are there to intercept either Obama or McCain if one of them gets elected as the new president of the United States. The current recession may continue to get even worse, and this is no doubt the first priority to be resolved. Indeed, the problem of economy is ‘the most determine’ domestic issue that determines the victory of a candidate. In foreign relations, the new president must strive to improve the image of America that has been downgraded badly by Bush’s adventure of the so-called ‘war against terrorism’. Will Obama or McCain bring the United States out of recession as well as make it a benign and responsible hegemon? History will tell.
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