Who’s this?

It is Cindy McCain, wife of 2008 Republican Presidential candidate John McCain. And she is featured posing in favour of same-sex marriage – along with her daughter Maghan McCain.
Considering the usual nature of Republicans – fundamental Christianity and a hatred of gays appears to come as standard – this is a brave and important step. Maybe now Republicanism will start to move forwards and embrace rel freedoms and stop trying to define marriage as between one man and one woman – rather than between two people who love each …

This is the current level of debate made by Republicans in America. It’s depressing.

George W Bush has earned some respect. Why? Because he has stated that he will not be criticising Barach Obama and his new administration, saying

I love my country a lot more than I love politics… I think it is essential that he [Obama] be helped in office.

That’s the way it should be.
By doing this and not following the example of his former vice-president Dick Cheney in attacking the new President, Dubya has earned himself some respect. Respect he certainly didn’t earn whilst in office.

Congress Debates Adding Elaborate Dance To Obama’s Inauguration Ceremony

Hillary Clinton is promising a new aproach to foreign policy as US Secretary of State, a role she is due to take up in just a matter of days,
What is she saying? That rather than using its military power to get what it wants, the US is now going to use “smart power”, whatever the hell that is.
To me that just sounds like they’re going to continue to do what they currently are, but just call it something different to ease their consciences. It’s like calling bullying “smart persuasion”.

I’ve written before about the absurdity of the US electoral system that leaves more than two months between the election of the President and them actually taking office, and this is an example of it

Disgraced media tycoon Conrad Black is seeking clemency from outgoing US President George W. Bush.
Black, 64, is serving a six-and-a-half-year jail term for fraud and obstruction of justice in Coleman, Florida, and has asked the President to free him as one of his last acts before he leaves office in January…
President Bush has the power to …

The G20 financial summit will indeed be “pointless” without Obama. What, precisely, is the point of having a summit to try and sort out the global financial crisis without the man who will soon be inaugurated as President of the US?
There isn’t any.
President-elect Obama needs to stand up and be counted right away, not wait the two months (plus) until he is inaugurated.
He should be choosing his Treaury spokesman as a matter of urgency, and they should be attending all international conferences on financial issues. After all, what would the …

Of course, Barack Obama was elected President of the United States
There was another vote in America on November 4th, with a less salubrious result, as gay marriages are banned in Arizona, Florida and California.
I’m shocked that so many Americans can vote for change in a Presidential election and for the prevention of change in another election at the same time.
It seems that America is only prepared to vote in favour of theoretical rather than specific change.

Final results:

Electoral college: 349 seats to 162 seats (270 needed to win)
Popular vote: 52% to 46.7% (6 million vote plurality for Obama)

This is a landslide victory for Obama. America has decided that it wants change, and voted in a Democrat as President, a Democrat-controlled Congress and a Democrat-controlled Senate.
Now it comes entierly down to President Obama to show that the trust America – and the rest of the world – has put in him is justified.
The hard work starts here [well, in two months time].

If you want exclusive US election information, go elsewhere. If you want my random thoughts, questions and responses, read on.
(Just so you know, I’m ProBama.)
23.17 – I don’t get the US system. Why have two months between election and office?
23.21 – If either candidate wins only on electoral college votes, will they take office? After all, if they’ve lost the popular vote, their legitimacy is in doubt from the start…
23.27 – Is Obama Labour or Conservative? I mention it because one of the search links that brought someone here asked …