For several people (also in the US) someone is considered black, even if he's half white and half black.

Maybe compare it to some chancellor candidate Germany whose ancestors are half german and half turks. Several Germans would have a problem with that - for sure!

The program is idealized, no doubt.
Obama however has charisma, he has proven to be able of holding very good speeches.
His job won't be easy at all, and for sure he can't accomplish EVERYTHING. If he just helps to calm down everyhting a bit, then that's already a good thing.
We'll see.

I am glad. For once that americas people have proven themselfs that they not as stupid as they did look to the rest of the world (Elect Bush TWICE? SERIOUSLY?!) and that their country has now a promising leader.

Hopefully, he will hold his promises. But i have a good "vibe" about him and was in favor of him all the time. He just has this way to make people trust him... Maybe just a good politician

ANYWAYS:


LET'S PARTY

Obama is pretty white for a black dude or pretty black for a white dude. I guess either way, that makes him American.

Seriously though I wish him good luck, in my opinion he was the better candidate, but what's his name again.. uhm Ron Paul wouldn't have been bad either,

Cheers

As expected the democrats receive the presidency during economic downturn,
and the republicans will receive the presidency during economic hight.

The reason: during the downturn or expected downturn, people vote
for "left" policy of substitutions for poorer people and tax reductions for
poorer people, and higher taxes for richer people.

At economic hight (where general taxes are high, and
the labour marked has more restrictions), people will opt for right wing policy
of reducing general taxes for everyone and loosen the
government restrictions on the labour market.
(such as fiering policy)


So Barack Obama beeing elected president is a good indicator that we
have an econimical crisis (not just in the US).

Currently the economical crisis is only in the heads of the people. But it will become real because they all "believe" in this upcoming crisis. Companies will delay their investments, expect lower sales, consumers will delay some shopping.

It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is the price for such a good world-wide communication. We all will suffer it at the same time.

But so is often economical upturn just a product of peoples
imagination.
they expect a steep growth of the markets and their wealth.
They invest into project fot the future, -on credit- and dont
save so much.

Everyone is purchasing and investing more.
A typical bubble arises.
In the end the economy grows unhealthyly fast.
(too many investments in not needed capital goods and markets, and overspending on credit for
consumer goods, low savings)

Its as bad a deperession coming from expectations.

(-> Keynes model of anticyclical govenrment
actions/interventions is still valid as in the 30s)


And to Obama: I dont think he would be elected in any
European country. The top candidates here need
to present their stance differently than in the US.

Well I think europe most likely would have elected Obama and not McCain. But you're right, things are different in Europe so it's hard to do a real comaprison.

McCain didn't have a good plan to solve the economic issues, he wanted to continue war even though the US really can't afford it. For voters there really should be plenty of reasons why to vote for Obama instead.

The only thing hugely bothering me, is that he's looked upon as a Messiah. He's said already he won't be a perfect president, but if he's not able to solve the economic issues (which is likely to be honest, such things take time).. then the Republicans will be in the Whitehouse 4 years from now.

By the way, is it just me or do voters seem to be more likely to punish Democratic presidents when things go wrong, looking at when Bush got re-elected...



The whole idea that this came 'without warnings' is bullsht though. To some extent we can blame the Iraq war, overspending and the mortgage markets in not only America, but in the end it's just another indication that capitalism isn't flawless.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no communist, but it's terribly ignorant to think things like 'we couldn't have predicted this happening'. In fact, the crisis is more or less right 'on time' looking at history.

Cheers

It will not work and did not work. The government is always to slow, too late, invests in many cases in the wrong field and delays the structural change. Government should spend protection, law and security but not interact into economy.

Here in Germany the government offers help to the banking industry (they call it a "rescue package").
They offer billions of security money. Now the banks are accepting this money to secure their future investments for the next 2 years. This is not a rescue package anymore. It is a deep intervention into economical processes. And it is paid from taxes, all Germans could pay now to ease the life of rich bank managers.

It is just an example that government should not interfere into economy.

I know it's not representative, but in case you have an iPhone and know the "Ligther" application, you can choose in which color the flame should burn (red for mccain, blue for obama), and if you agree to, this would be uploaded to a database along with your GPS coordinates and be represented.

Here some screenshots of Europe BEFORE the election:



guess europe would have elected Obama.