It’s Obama time!

Been away all day so first chance to post. It’s Obama time at the BBC today with celebrations all around hailing Hamas/Fidel Castro/Jimmy Carter’s preferred Presidential candidate. The breathless tributes on BBC Radio 4 that have filled the airwaves from 6am this morning would lead one to almost believe Obama is already in the White House such has been the BBC refusal to engage in any substantive discussion on the GOP’s John McCain’s prospects – other than parroting the Dem line that he presents “a third Bush term”. The highlight for me was having Eddie Mair do the sign off from the PM programme tonight as follows “Tonight’s Barack Obama was Roger Sawyer, and Hillary Clinton was Fiona Leach” Thank you and goodnight! A black liberal who wants to talk to Ahmadinejad, who wants to run away from Iraq, who wants to socialise healthcare, and who worships at the shrine of Kyoto is the BBC dream candidate for the Presidency. Now if ONLY those white working class rednecks could see it in the same enlightened way…!

DASCHLING FOR THE DEMS

. Tom Daschle, the Democrat who holds the distinction of being the first Senate party leader in more than 50 years to be voted out of office, was on BBC Radio 4 this morning to discuss the US Presidential election. Talk about being given an easy ride! Daschle is firmly in the Obama corner and got stuck into Hillary Clinton’s prospects. I was entertained when the BBC interviewer cooed in open-mouthed agreement at the “extraordinary power” Obama generates when he speaks. No bias there folks. There was plenty of discussion about how Obama can unite the American people and no talk of the Obama/Rev Wright debacle that has played out for some weeks now Stateside. The big concern raised was Iraq and the fear of US success. The BBC interviewer wondered how Obama could cope if “the surge” continued to work; the answer was that things had failed anyway and so getting out was the main priority. All these really weak points made by Daschle were let pass – no hard questioning and for one simple reason; the BBC is salivating at the prospect of a black liberal in the White House. This was an excellent opportunity to press Daschle on a range of issues such as Obama’s post-Iraq plan; Obama’s plan to counter Al Queda; Obama’s plan to enforce border controls, to manage a free-market economy; there were so MANY questions that could have been put across but in the end all we got was a cushy push for Obama the great. Listening to this wrapped in cotton-wool interview, one could be forgiven for thinking that no-one is running against the Democrats!