An interesting link made by Martin “son of Richard” Wainwright between the current Obama bandwagon and the Red Guard of the 60s:

Jo Grimond in particular enjoyed intellectual experiments and didn’t mind the excesses of youth. He sent Young Libs out all over the world to report back to him on Yugoslavian workers’ cooperatives, black power in the US and the first stirrings of free thinking behind the iron curtain.

There was also a much more significant model: John Kennedy. And that brings this period of history up to date and gives its experiences and lessons a relevance. Barack Obama appears to have captured a similar mood. His youthful volunteers are streaming out across the States at the moment, as confident as the YLs were that they can make a difference.

Article here.

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I’ve done the Bob the Builder gag elsewhere, but I have to say this video couldn’t look more like a noose to put around the potential future President Obama if it was made of hemp and had a knot in it:

Remember George Bush Senior’s “read my lips - no new taxes”? Or Labour’s 1997 “things can only get better”? If Obama makes it through on Tuesday and goes onto win the nomination (never mind beyond that), this video is going to be rammed down his throat by his opponents at every given opportunity.

Still, on the plus side it looks like it is currently helping him to capture a wave.

Personally speaking, when it comes to Obama, colour me Fox Mulder. I want to believe, but I need something tangible. Obama strikes me as the ultimate West Wing candidate - his rise could have been scripted by Aaron Sorkin. Enjoy it though I did, I never trusted the version of politics that the West Wing tried selling me and my reaction is the same with Obama.

Still, he does that hope and change schtick well, doesn’t he? If I had a vote, he’d probably get it. But win or lose, he’s going to disappoint a lot of people when he comes flying back to Earth. That’s when we’ll know if he’s really presidential material.

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