UK News
Financial times hopes that Obama will 'get the job'
Oct 27, 2008, 8:15 GMT
London - Britain's leading Financial Times newspaper Monday threw its weight behind US presidential candidate Barack Obama, saying the campaign had shown that the Democrat was the 'right choice' to lead the US.
'At the outset, we were not so confident. Mr Obama is inexperienced. His policies are a blend of good, not so good and downright bad,' said the newspaper.
But the public had 'learned a lot' about Obama and the Republican cndidate, John McCain.
'In our view, it is enough to be confident that Mr Obama is the right choice,' it said.
Obama had fought a much better campaign, although campaigning was not the same as governing, said the Financial Times.
'Nonetheless, a campaign is a test of leadership. Mr Obama ran his superbly; Mr McCain's has often looked a shambles. After eight years of George W. Bush, the steady competence of the Obama operation commands respect,' it said.
However, Obama was 'most disappointing' on trade, said the Financial Times. He had 'pandered to protectionists' during the primaries, and has not rowed back.
But he had impressed in his response to the economic emergency - not by advancing solutions of his own, but in displaying a calm and methodical disposition, and in seeking the best advice.
'Rest assured that, should he win, Mr Obama is bound to disappoint. How could he not? He is expected to heal the country's racial divisions, reverse the trend of rising inequality, improve middle-class living standards, cut almost everybody's taxes, transform the image of the United States abroad, end the losses in Iraq, deal with the mess in Afghanistan and much more besides,' said the newspaper.
'The challenges facing the next president will be extraordinary. We hesitate to wish it on anyone, but we hope that Mr Obama gets the job.'
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Older Talkback
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Obama is a European Socialist, so Europeans will feel that they have one of their own in the White House.
He is also a spineless equivocator - kind of like Jimmy Carter, only weaker - and when Putin advances, or when Iran tests its inter-continental missiles, or when the Chinese quarantine Taiwan, or when Hezbollah launches another attack on Israel, you're going to get weakness from the U.S.
And when he has tied down the American economy with taxes and trade restrictions, dragging down the entire world economy, you're going to have second thoughts.
George Bush will never have looked so good.
And we hope that the muslims and sharia law takes over your country
which they are already well on their way to doibg.
...but you're probably right. We get one of these every so often and I think it's coming. After the world bends him over and drives miss daisy home for four years, perhaps the electorate will learn.
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SP4: I guess they never read thisOct 27th, 2008 - 19:06:55
This was preventable.Sep 21st, 2008 - 01:59:13
John McCain predicted Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac crises, pushed 2005 legislation to prevent trouble:
The 'FEDERAL HOUSING ENTERPRISE REGULATORY REFORM ACT OF 2005' would have headed this off but it was killed in the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs by Chris Dodd who recieved the most money from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
President Bush sought to rein in Fannie and Freddie in 2003.
The Democratic response to Bush in 2003:
“These two entities — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — are not facing any kind of financial crisis,” said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. “The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.”
Representative Melvin L. Watt, Democrat of North Carolina, agreed.
“I don’t see much other than a shell game going on here, moving something from one agency to another and in the process weakening the bargaining power of poorer families and their ability to get affordable housing,” Mr. Watt said.
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