The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
! The crowd was chanting Barack ObamaÕs name as the junior senator from Illinois defeated John McCain, the senior senator from Arizona, a highly experienced politician and war hero. To win the presidency, Obama and the Democrats profited from a perfect storm. The housing market collapsed and many Americans feared losing their homes. The financial market tanked and the banking system and manufacturing economy got into serious trouble. Of course this situation is worldwide, but America is blamed in many circles, and of course the Bush administration took a major hit in popularity. Foreign policy didnÕt help, with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan still ongoing and the U.S. being criticized by allies like Pakistan and the current regime in Afghanistan for the deaths of innocent bystanders. How could Obama possibly lose as this storm enveloped the Republicans? Obama promised to get out of Iraq in about 15 months, and time will tell if this is possible. He also promised more troops for Afghanistan, which should please the Canadian military. He also implied that the U.S. would make more of an effort to get Osama bin Laden and has said the U.S. should concentrate on Afghanistan and Pakistan, not Iraq. This should make Pakistan wonder whether there will be air strikes in their country to get at the terrorists who have been organizing there. The President- elect has also made a host of promises on the domestic scene. He has promised a universal health care system, as 47 million Americans do not have coverage. This will be difficult, if not impossible, to deliver given the state of the economy and the entrenched for-profit system in his country. Remember Hillary ClintonÕs failed efforts in this regard? Obama also promised to subsidize tuition fees for university students in return for public service; cut taxes for most Americans and raise them for the wealthy (the redistribution of income, which is why McCain called him a socialist); and make the U.S. less dependent on foreign oil by looking for alternative energy sources. Even Obama recognizes these things may not happen right away, and his opponents hint he will become an Òundertaker President.Ó The U.S. is approaching a trillion-dollar deficit, and how do you spend money you donÕt have or cannot get? What about Canadian-American relations? Stephen Harper warmly praised ObamaÕs victory and mentioned plans to discuss a joint climate change plan between the two nations, offering more clean oil sands oil to prevent a U.S. reliance on foreign oil. Some of Obama supporters have spoken out against the Òdirty oilÓ of Northern Alberta, but it will probably be worked out between the two governments. NAFTA could be an issue. American protectionists put up trade barriers to Canadian goods during the Bush years, in violation of the trade agreement. ObamaÕs pre-election rhetoric allegedly included the comment that he would phone Òthe president of CanadaÓ and have NAFTA torn up. The comment was quickly denied by ObamaÕs people, but it does mean some discussions will have to take place. What about race as an issue in the election? Many commentators say race was not a factor, but it was. African-Americans voted 95 per cent for the black President-elect, and whites 55 per cent for McCain. Latinos and Asian-Americans were for Obama, perhaps looking forward to the day when one of theirs becomes President. The increased turnout, nearly 65 per cent overall, meant a huge increase in the ethnic/black vote and gave Obama Republican states like Virginia, Florida and North Carolina. Democrats were worried about the ÒBradley Effect,Ó a reference to a black mayor of Los Angeles who ran for governor of California in 1982, led all the polls, but was defeated on election day as white voters either lied to pollsters or changed their minds at the ballot box. Apparently it did not happen this time, at least not much, which gives pundits hope for the future of race relations. How will Obama, who takes over on January 20, do? Will he be mired in the economic and military mess? LetÕs hope he will have some new ideas and new luck in running the worldÕs most powerful country. RogerÕs Right Corner runs Wednesdays.
