With his election for President of the United States, Barack Obama has again given proof to the notion that if you are willing to work hard and dream big, you may be able to fulfil those dreams one day. Now, the number 3 through 300 spots are up for grabs. And to qualiy for those, dreaming big is not enough.
Precisely one week ago, Obama declared that “change has come to America,” as he became the first black president of the United States. On the very same day, Nov. 4th, 2008, the state of California voted yes on Proposition 8, legally restricting the sanctity of marriage to heterosexual couples only.
“Just how much change can a nation take in one day?” I’m ironically tempted to ask…
Prop 8: Like Icing on the Change?
Today, Friday, the U.S. government announced the highest unemployment rate (6.5%) since 1994. October marked the 10th consecutive month of decline on the job market. Since August, the U.S. economy has lost 651,000 jobs, October accounting for 240,000 jobs alone, totaling 1.2 million lost jobs so far this year.
November 4th, 2008. What better place to be on Election Day, than the place they promise to change: Washington, D.C.?
At U Street Corridor, Reps Won't Find Rest
After following this election campaign closely for what seems like forever, we woke up this morning wondering… what will we do with all this newly free time? Suggestions after the jump.
Grand seigneur of the intellectual left in the US, Noam Chomsky has given the Spiegel an interview. He makes it pretty clear that Europeans shouldn’t hope for much from a possible President Obama.
SPIEGEL: “Change” is the slogan of this year’s presidential election. Do you see any chance for an immediate, tangible change in the United States? Or, to use use Obama’s battle cry: Are you “fired up”?
Chomsky: Not in the least. The European reaction to Obama is a European delusion.
SPIEGEL: But he does say things that Europe has long been waiting for. He talks about the trans-Atlantic partnership, the priority of diplomacy and the reconciling of American society.
Chomsky: That is all rhetoric. Who cares about that? This whole election campaign deals with soaring rhetoric, hope, change, all sorts of things, but not with issues.
He has more to say about the state of American democracy and the 2008 elections. Chomsky touches upon the role religion plays for campaign managers, the narrow spectre of choices voters are given and McCain’s honest suggestion that this election really is about personality and not issues, as the Obama campaign claims. The full interview is here.
Here are the words which John McCain and Barack Obama used most frequently in their acceptance speeches they delivered at their party’s conventions. Draw your own conclusions (but be so nice and tell us about them in the comments).
The wordclouds were created with the help of wordle.net.
At eleven forty the crowd slowly becomes bored and people start to entertain themselves. “Yes, we can! Yes, we can!” An interpreter for the hearing-impaired is still on stage, who raptly joins in. She clenches her right fist to nod with it, brings it to her chest with her index finger out, then clenches both fists and stems them toward the ground - Yes, we can! Back and forth, the crowd and the little woman in a summer dress are firing each other up; all just to lure him, the Democratic Presidential Nominee, savior and general hopeful on to the stage. To no avail. Barack Obama sets his own timetable.
Next,
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