Friday, 6 November 2009
The nightmare, 5 More Years of him
Politicalbetting.com report an article in today's Scottish Daily Record that Gordon Brown still believes he can win the next election and if so he will serve a full term. A dark reminder only a week after halloween of what can still happen, 5 more years of him, far scarier than the new Saw film (which is really good by the way.) A sequal of Nightmare on Downing Street, The fourth term, is one horror film too many for my liking.
A reccommended read - Jeff Randall
From Jeff Randall in the telegraph. A fine summary of modern Britian after 12 years of Labour. I agree with most of this article, not quite all, but it is a serious contribution to modern debate and I heartily reccommend it. The article is here.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
One year on from history, and a terrible night for Obama
Two under the radar here in the UK elections took place last night. They may have big implications for Barak Obama however. The President who swept to power on a wave of euphoria a year ago, is now a strugglin President finding Governing much harder. He has generally been seen in the US as quite weak on the international stage, buying the Gordon Brown stimulus line on the economy, and being beaten to the punch on several occasions by Russia and China on environmental issues heading into the Copenhagen summit on the issue. Many also believe he has dithered on sending more ground troops to afghanistan when many fear it has given the Taliban a vaccume to take advantage of there.
He has also had problems of his own making at home, particularly his health plans which have allowed Republican opponents to present as a huge extension state run health care, something most Americans, unlike here in Britain, do not support.
The Presidents popularity has over the last 3 months fallen into negative terriroty for the first time after all this. The last Rasmussen tracking poll showed on 29% strongly approved of Obamas record, 39% strongly dissaproved. When you include those who somewhat approve, he had 41%, 12% less than voted for him 12 months ago.
Last night this was put to the test for the first time in terms of real votes. Two Governor races were contested, Virginia and New Jersey. Both states Obama won, last night however, the Republicans won both, Virginia by a huge margin and New Jersey, a state Obama won by 14% last year, the Republicans won that too.
So a year on from Obama's histroic victory, the stardust is wearing off, Rupublican America is rising again, the New Jersey result suggests Obama may be even losing some of his eastern base, Virginia certainly suggests he is losing some of the centre. A year ago that Obama would serve two terms seemed certain, right now, there are many problems ahead for Obama, and re-election is going to take a lot more work that it first appeared. First though will be next years mid-terms where Democrat power in the Congress and Senate could be lost, and a lot of Obama's power with it. For British and European politicans who in the last year have tried so hard to be on Obama's side, maybe he is not such an attractive proposition either.
He has also had problems of his own making at home, particularly his health plans which have allowed Republican opponents to present as a huge extension state run health care, something most Americans, unlike here in Britain, do not support.
The Presidents popularity has over the last 3 months fallen into negative terriroty for the first time after all this. The last Rasmussen tracking poll showed on 29% strongly approved of Obamas record, 39% strongly dissaproved. When you include those who somewhat approve, he had 41%, 12% less than voted for him 12 months ago.
Last night this was put to the test for the first time in terms of real votes. Two Governor races were contested, Virginia and New Jersey. Both states Obama won, last night however, the Republicans won both, Virginia by a huge margin and New Jersey, a state Obama won by 14% last year, the Republicans won that too.
So a year on from Obama's histroic victory, the stardust is wearing off, Rupublican America is rising again, the New Jersey result suggests Obama may be even losing some of his eastern base, Virginia certainly suggests he is losing some of the centre. A year ago that Obama would serve two terms seemed certain, right now, there are many problems ahead for Obama, and re-election is going to take a lot more work that it first appeared. First though will be next years mid-terms where Democrat power in the Congress and Senate could be lost, and a lot of Obama's power with it. For British and European politicans who in the last year have tried so hard to be on Obama's side, maybe he is not such an attractive proposition either.
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
The EU get's it's way, to the detriment of us all
Today the EU Lisbon Treaty has finally come into force. It paves the way for an EU President, unelected at massive tax payers expense, the surrender of 50 national vetoes over policy and the installation of what in effect is an EU Constitution.
It in effect renders any prospect of a referendum in the UK pointless as David Cameron the Conservative leader has already pointed out. He now has a huge job to rebuild policy on this issue. The EU is a nasty, autocratic, corrupt, anti democratic, nepotism ridden institution that is a disgrace to the modern world. Today is a sad day for all who believe in freedom. The only saving grace is that this line of thought will render the EU increasingly irrelevant in the wider world.
It in effect renders any prospect of a referendum in the UK pointless as David Cameron the Conservative leader has already pointed out. He now has a huge job to rebuild policy on this issue. The EU is a nasty, autocratic, corrupt, anti democratic, nepotism ridden institution that is a disgrace to the modern world. Today is a sad day for all who believe in freedom. The only saving grace is that this line of thought will render the EU increasingly irrelevant in the wider world.
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Brown still does not get it
Our Prime Minister, the man who has left us in the biggest debt crisis ever, is planning guess what, that's right, more spending. The man who has left us not far off a trillion pounds in debt, has decided to create even more debt in a pathetic attempt to further paint the Conservatives as the party of 'cuts.'Every recent poll taken accepts the need for public spending cuts. His spending spree has left us the only nation left in recession of all leading nations in Europe and around the world and debt is the reason why. To add to it now is sheer stupidity. Gordon still does not get it, and after this decision can we now please stop this nonsense about how clever Gordon Brown is, there has never been any evidence to back it up and this suggests quite the opposite. What contempt for ordinary people, the man has to be gone soon, Britian cannot afford this fool in power any longer.
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