Obama Dadda Blogger

So the great day is here and the nonsense is reaching fever pitch.  I say this as a loyal Democrat, all be it a Hilary supporter, but never the less delighted that our man will be in the Whitehouse in about 4 hours time.  God bless you George because no one else will.  Enjoy your retirement, some suspect it started eight years ago, you will not be missed.

The nonsense I refer to is the “first African American to be President of the USA” .  Ella, my six year old was sitting at the breakfast table this morning watching the BBC broadcast live from Washington and asked why is this President so special.  I explained that he was Americas first Black President and this was something to remember.  She looked confused and asked what I meant by black.  I told her I was referring to the colour of his skin.  “Oh that’s boring, why else is he special”.

 I briefly considered telling her that he was going to closed Guantanamo Bay, reduce the troops I Iraq and that Israel had promised to get all there troops out of Gazza before he swore his oath of allegiance but opted instead for “ if, 10 years ago, you had asked granddad north if a black man would ever  by President of America he would have said I hope so but not completely believed it”.

Her response was “where does Granddad North come from?”

“Guyana”

“Where’s that?”

“The West Indies”

“Where are they?”

“on the other side of the world”

“Near America?”

“Sort of”

“Can Grandad North be President next”

“Why don’t you finish your wheatabix and go and get ready for school”

The nonsense is not to do with his race but  the expectation that he alone can and will change the world.  That’s not a deliverable , he can deliver any one a wide range of things, the spirit of change and the hope of integration (USA & the rest of the world) be at the top of the list.

After the last eight years and the spectre of  Sarah Palin (comedy value aside) it gives me real hope that we now have a leader of the free world who actually knows where the rest of it is.  With Hilary as his Secretary of State we have a first team that can understand the issues and think outside the box, which is where the solutions are.

As a Brit watching the dog and pony show that is a Presidential inauguration I am amazed.   Prizes must be awarded for all involved, on the stage and in the audience, for braving the weather.  I understand do not understand why it has to be outside in January.  Other prizes must go to the First Fidgets for sitting through what for a couple of kids must be hell.  I have no idea what life as a First Kid is like, nice in many ways but their Dad is far from a MAD and having your formative years in the Whitehouse has got to be a brain twister.

The parade was  highlight for me.  We swear in the leader of the free world, top dog on the world stage and then make him watch, amongst many strange drive bys, the Lawn Rangers, a group of  marchers pushing and dancing with lawn mowers.  Wow.

A final word on the atmosphere in DC might need to go the Jonathan Freedland of The Guardian, yesterday wrote in his article that;

“Washington DC, usually a city of strait-laced, sober-suited types has acquired the atmosphere of a child's bedroom in the first hours of Christmas morning”.

Thanks Santa, Hope is back on the world stage and I am glad to be a farter of daughters and feel that their life might very well be better than mine.