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Iain Dale on Barack Obama's Big Day: Extraordinary Misery Memos
Iain Dale and certain other Tory bloggers got a bit of stick for backing the third way social democrat Barack Obama for President, almost from the get go. Worry not. With the concentration and resolution of a gnat Iain Dale started raining on the parade more than five hours before that great speech. Worrying about over-promising and under-delivering. Clearly the next thing to do in gnat-world is to moan about an alleged lack of whelming. Good speech I thought. Remaking America. Multilateral and humble place in the world. Leadership. Doing the right thing. Yes we can.
There were some curious turns on the bill with him. Aretha murdering Thomas Arne's shared toon which divides us. Mad homophobic minister swaggering. Duff poet, unused to performance. And, less curious, civil rights pastor with rather brilliant folksy humour and a real common touch.
And George W Bush looked like he was thinking the sort of thoughts reserved in literature for "DOG" in Marina Lewycka's Two Caravans. 
Although of course "DOG" probably had more right to think he was Good Dog, and certainly more nobility and more selfless service. If you want true insight ask the dog suggested the Guardian.
Let's hope Iain bucks his ideas up ahead of his Sky News paper review right now. He will be in a minority of one if he claims the speech was lame, or disappointing, or not appropriate to the crisis context.
Lest we forget. Here is the essence of Iain Dale's Misery Memo, ahead of the inauguration and speech:Iain hopes Barack Obama will...
* Issue an order to close Guantanamo within hours of taking office
* Make clear he runs US foreign policy, not Hillary Clinton
* Within a month, launch a meaningful middle east peace initiative
* Send the necessary troops to Afghanistan
* Realise that you can't spend your way out of a recession
Iain fears Barack Obama will...
* Have his presidency dogged by a lengthy economic slump
* Not live up to expectations
* Waste his first term by being short termist
* Expand Bush's policy of increasing the size of government
* Be assassinated
My view is that Barack Hussein Obama will exceed most people's reasonable expectations for his first hundred days, first year, and first term. He will then win again. And Democrats will then win over and over again. No-one in Britain will accept Conservative attempts to annex Obama's buzz and bravery. Social democracy will become the established politics here too. Potential sibling rivalry between European leaders, and a certain Mr Blair, will be handled by Obama. But London will be the first trip. Around Easter time.
UPDATE Wed 11:59, plus add pic and a few amends above: Iain behaved himself with a good eye on the First Lady's get up. And only a slightly clumsy levering in of Margaret Thatcher to blot the copy book. He is even now sitting in what may be the exact same Sky TV Mercedes limousine over which he called Kevin Maguire Maxwellian only today. And of course the 'insightfully predicted' Guantanamo closure announcement? ... Has already been announced.
6 comments:
That's astroturfing MISA ... "Vital point of love psychology Secret of popular useful at once woman"? Indeed.
As for Obama being assasinated, I became concerned about hubris when commentators compared him to J.F.K and Martin Luther King.He travelled to Washington on a train that followed Lincoln's route to his inaugeration and his first port of call was the tomb of the unknown soldier!
Never mind Iain Dale's dull, empty offerings. What about Dennis Skinner at PMQs today. The boy played a blinder. Tory fat cats in the banks ruining our country indeed. Tories won't be able to blame the unions for this recession. Hear hear. And in any other age they would be referred to as the enemy within. On the money, Dennis. I couldn't have put it better myself.
that's a nice post
It is your lot who will get the blame for bankrupting the country as you've been running the show for nearly 12 years.
Obama would be mad to come anywhere near Brown, he's tainted with the mark of a loser.
how long before Barclays and RBS go belly up and are nationalised.
how long before the countries credit rating is reduced.
i never thought that Zanulab would give us a Zimbabwean economy!
Are you serious BHT?
The current crisis is clearly the fault of Thatcher's greedy mantras, Tory City Boys (as identified by Comrade Skinner), and lest we forget the Tory City Boys in Wall Street and Tokyo and world wide.
Where Nu Lab - far too soft on the deregulation IYAM - tried to reregulate and encourage voluntary CSR Tories carped and jeeered and spoke up for the Market.
Michael Spencer, Tory Treasurer, being one of the leading exponents of the volatility economics that saw his company advise Local Authorities to bet our money on an obviously ridiculous Icelandic banking offering.
Because there's money in volatility and recession for Tory Boy Bankers and Tory Boy Vultures too. Less so in 10 years of stability.
Take a bow "Lord" Broken Promise Ashcroft, former Tory Treasurer.
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