Race matters

Last Tuesday Democratic front-runner Barack Obama delivered a brilliant speech on race issue. It was the first time when he addressed this issue in such an eloquent, insightful and personal manner. I am not a supporter of Obama nor do I think he will make a good president but the words were so professionally chosen that one just couldn't disagree with his message.
At first I read his speech in full and after that I watched it on YouTube.

Yes, his oratory skills somehow struck even me, non-American. And it is absolutely clear why so many people consider him the best candidate in their lifetime. He perfectly mastered the words to make his point understandable and at the same time to inspire the people he addressed to.
But there is something that you will see only after scrupulous analysis of what he actually said. He properly described black anger and white resentment, he properly underscored remaining inequalities. But he still didn't say substance. The most certain policy-oriented passage that I have found was:

Not just with words, but with deeds - by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations.

Here he wants to talk about deeds but still he refers to uncertain ladders of opportunity that obviously represent an absolute good but don't transform to detailed policy proposals.
Another point of his speech that struck me in his choice of words was:

This time we want to talk about how the lines in the Emergency Room are filled with whites and blacks and Hispanics who do not have health care; who don't have the power on their own to overcome the special interests in Washington, but who can take them on if we do it together.

This time we want to talk about the shuttered mills that once provided a decent life for men and women of every race, and the homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from every religion, every region, every walk of life.

This time we want to talk about the fact that the real problem is not that someone who doesn't look like you might take your job; it's that the corporation you work for will ship it overseas for nothing more than a profit.

This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag.

We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that never should've been authorized and never should've been waged, and we want to talk about how we'll show our patriotism by caring for them, and their families, and giving them the benefits they have earned.

Do you notice what "we" want in his opinion? "We" want to talk about this, talk about that - but what about doing this or that?
We don't want to talk, we want to do. If Mr. Obama doesn't understand it, then he isn't the person who we need as President of the United States. His rhetoric can not save us from a looming economic crisis. Now we need not words but deeds, policy proposals, contingency plans and strategic vision.
All generations want change. Americans are tired of Washington politics and Mr. Obama represents novelty in American politics. But speeches and words can't steer country from the dangerous situation with two wars and an economic crisis at hand. Mr. Obama is right when he talks about unity of black and white middle-class and working people in face of mighty corporations and credit crunch. But this unity should express itself in form of policy blueprints and reform proposals and not in form of fanatic rallying around one man who hadn't yet proved his political efficiency.
Mr. Obama considers his campaign as change but if this is all the change he offers voters should turn away from him and turn to more reasonable candidates. We want change but we will not accept as change inexperienced President running the world's leading economic and military power. Mr. Obama didn't repudiate his pastor who in his sermons said "God Damn America" and even compared Rev. Wright with his grandmother. Thus he supports the man who hates America and while he explicitly rejected Wright's views he still didn't answer the question why he hadn't challenged his minister on these issues before.
And here we come to the conclusion. Race issue is very complicated and Mr. Obama showed a considerable bravery addressing this issue. But complexity of this theme forced him to use abstract words not leading to any reasonable policy proposals. The analysis of his speech led me to the point that undermines his perceived bravery. What is more admirable: to address a complex issue but do it in a way that doesn't give away any concrete thoughts or not to address this issue at all?
So if you want to see some real change in the way of doing things and not in the way of pronouncing them, turn away from Mr. Obama. He still hasn't proved his ability to conjure reasonable policy proposals and to make them real. Maybe, he is too young for it. But if you want to see an experienced seasoned man in the White House, you should turn to John McCain.

Clinton comeback

So, yes, we are entitled to follow the Democratic race for another couple of months. After Hillary won popular vote both in Ohio and Texas, it seems that we will even be forced to wait till August and the Democratic convention to know who will secure the nomination.
John McCain won in all four states that voted yesterday and was endorsed today by President Bush. Now Mr. McCain can focus on uniting Republicans behind himself t get ready for the final showdown in November. The victory of Mrs. Clinton guaranteed that Democratic candidates will continue fighting each other and thus making life easier for John McCain.
Mr. Obama was heavily criticised by Mrs. Clinton in the past few days. He was pushed to the wall by questions over his dealings with Tony Rezko, a businessman and a donor to his campaign, who is currently under trial over fraud charges. Also a leaked memo on NAFTA spelt bad news for Obama. In this memo a senior Canadian official says that one of the Obama's economic advisers has said to him that Obama's criticism of NAFTA was "just politics". The issue of NAFTA is very important for such states as Ohio where the free-trade agreement is blamed for big job losses. Once more the question was raised about the Obama's campaign: there's real difference between speeches and deeds, isn't it?
So we return to the core issue of this election: can a messianic message and lofty rhetoric substitute experience and substance? Here in the UK people know, for certain, they can't. Inspiration is very important, indeed, I shall say that we really need it (especially, from Gordon Brown because he really likes to figure the details rather than grasp the spirit). But they should go together - inspiration and policy. This mixture - vision and substance, insight and seriousness, rhetoric and policy, words and deeds - is what we need from our politicians in the hectic life of modern world.

US Election - race goes on

Now Hillary has everything at stake in Texas and Ohio on March 4. If she don't win there by huge margin, her hopes for presidency will be completely dashed. Yet it seems harder now taking into account Obama's 11 victories and his unstoppable momentum. Her lead in Texas has shrunk to several points, while in Ohio Obama narrows the gap too.
In order to maintain her positions Hillary has gone tough on Obama on recent rallies. She has once again praised her experience over Obama's inexperience, underlined her substance vs. Obama's abstract wording and even mocked Obama's prophetic style.

What will be the result of this bitter Democratic contest? While Democratic candidates scorn, sneer, and gibe at each other, Ralph Nader has entered the race. All this coupled can seriously undermine once well established lead of Democrats over Republicans (confirmed by the last Senate election results). In this fight it is the Republican candidate, John McCain, who can emerge as the winner. While excited by the Democratic contest, Obama's inspirational speeches and urgent demand of change, we should answer the following question: is McCain's possible win utterly undesirable for us who are not US citizens. Many people are exhausted by sometimes mad and stupid, sometimes arrogant and assertive Bush Administration but McCain is different. His stance over climate change has made him a considerable support even amongst liberals and also he criticised the Republican policy of tax cuts that was unquestionable since Reagan's era. But what seems his most important asset is his experience in foreign policy and national security. And these are the areas that should worry us as non-US citizens.
Here John McCain is on the right side of debate. He understands the current threat from Islamic extremism and he is in a good way stubborn and resolve to fight it and win. He understands an important role played by US allies and in the first row by the UK. For sure he will treat our special relationship as we deserve after our support in Afghanistan and, more importantly, Iraq. So then it will be up to our Lefties if they will put up with such a strong and confident Republican figure. I hope that his win might bolster our defence spending and army development while at the same time lead to the greater confidence of the West in the looming battle with extremism and fundamentalism of all kind that employs murdering of innocent civilians as means of reaching political objectives.
We shall see how this race will develop but whatever will be the result in November I hope that this display of democracy in action gives a good example to some countries in the world how modern people should govern themselves.