Washington File

There are more Canadians than ever watching the pre-elections in the States. I would hope the americans would vote for a leader with foresignt to the future that leads to peace within its own country. Clean up your own back yard first as there are too many stories on poverty, crimes against humanity; failed infastructures on everything I can think of; unemployment (more than statistics are showing; racism and anyone who wants to add to this list are welcomed to do so. The point is we live in fear so we keep the Status Quo.
Suggestion: Get rid of the Inoome Tax Return; replace with the Income Return; and then allow $mints globally to print money based on Income Return; then governments - Federal, Provincial/State, municipals at all levels would have funds to change the list above. No more GDP of exporting/importing quantity over quality good. There are many people who have great ideas that can be implemented if we just don't stay with the STATUS QUO. We created our monetary system..we certainly can change. Have you noticed all the great leaders who sought change - Ghandi, John Kennedy, Lincoln, Martin Luther King didn't stay with the Status Quo.

The USA has to be turned up-side-down in order to land right-side-up.

The current administration has caused irrepairable damage that will be more evident when the current administration is no longer in office.

Hillary for President.
Is there anyone more suitable or capable?

The question to answer is whether or not Obama can win the swing States. I would like to hope so but I still do not think the US is ready to support a black nor a female leader. Gore would be a great choice, certainly since his coming out in the Inconvenient Truth. Sadly I don't think he will run again. That being said can you say President Edwards. And for any one in Obama's camp you can tell him to move to Canada we are certainly lacking in leadership. You got my vote when you get here!

It is quite disturbing to see smear campaigns by the right and neocon supporters like FOX NEWS is alive and well. It is even more disturbing to hear some american citizens still resonnate these views. Remember, you have been fooled twice, will you be fooled a third time? Elect a leader that will make a difference for the betterment of your people and the global community. Elect a Democratic leader.

Chris in Ottawa thinks any black that fails to vote for a black candidate is disloyal. Can you say racist? condesending? hypocritical? How about liberal? Would you express such a preposterous opinion about white people? I think not.

Obama as Prez is a pipedream...same goes for Hilary. There is no way on this god's green earth that a Black or female candidate is going to win the presidency in the USA in todays cultural climate.

The Democrats should come back to earth and pick a white male if they are serious about regaining power.

PS...I think Gore will run again.

It's not Obama's appeal to white voters I think is in doubt, it is the support of the afro-american communities. There has been a lot of rumbling that he is not "black enough" and this constituency is startlingly critical and even disloyal at times.

The Business of a presidential election in the u.s.a. is that of the american people and holds no weight on us up here, it's the americans that have to live with their decision.
Just remember how you got screwed over
with the Gore/bush election.
If you don't vote, the person you don't want in will get in!

I too am dumbfounded by the lack of specific ideas by Obama and others.

Do us all a favor and do a piece on Wesley Clark. One of the CBC correspondents mentioned that he might run in 2008.

Clark was a four-star general in NATO, is the most decorated military officer since Eisenhower, saved over a million Albanians from ethnic cleansing, had high praise from Clinton, and is credited with saving an endangered turtle. Could anyone want more??

http://securingamerica.com/taxonomy/term/31

Faith in Toronto, if it is true Obama has "thousands" of ideas to bla bla, I wonder why he did not mention even one of them in his recent coming out speech. Nothing but "can't we get along" and other platitudes. Of course liberals eat this up but if this is the best he can come up with he will prove to be all hype, PC and just another empty suit.

As an American I'm not happy at all with our president or his policies. I am wanting a real change. Obama makes a lot of sense in what he is saying. The last election showed that Americans want a new direction in policies. I hope he is elected not because of his race or party, but because of his ideas. I am a realist though. I know that all reformers have an up hill battle in American politics. It is part of this American culture. If he is elected, he won't be able to do all that he would like but, the direction of change could be started and that has always propelled Americans into action and has transformed our nation more than once. It is the conflict between the ideal and reality of our politics that keep me involved in making my country a better place to live in and to live next to. I would hope that Canadians give us the understanding and good wishes for a better country with better leadership.

I believe the democrats could win the next election, but I think having Obama or Hilary as their candidate will greatly hurt their chances. All the usual republicans (or fence-sitters) that are unhappy with the current administration and wish to vote democrat now have to support an african-american or a female, instead of there usual old, rich and white male.

As sad as it is that race and sex are an issue in the 21st century, when all is said and done it will have a big impact on many voters (as Mr. Champ has given particular examples where race was an issue). I hope I'm proven wrong.

Can anyone say "the black John Kennedy?"

Obama is an idealist, a man with a thousand ideas of how to repair the badly tainted reputation of the United States, and improve life for all those living within them.

I'm usually not a pessimest but lets be honest, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, and when the guy in the hot-seat is floundering around like a fish out of water it's always easy to stand back and say "I could do better".

I wish Obama the best, it would be a milestone in the history of America should he be voted in, but he needs to remember that unilateral decision making is not automatically granted to the President, he will have to sell those ideas to the harshest of critics -his fellow politicians.

Bright, articulate .... appeals to white, black, young, old, male and female alike.

That sounds familiar ... kinda like a "Black" Bill Clinton !!

It's one thing to pump for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq while you're in opposition. It's quite another to be the President who unleashes a Rwanda-scale bloodbath by withdrawing them. The man is obviously crazy to want the job.

From the perspective of the rest of the planet Obama is the best candidate so far - which means you can bank on Americans electing McCain.

Has anyone asked Obama whether he supports an investigation of the Bush Administration for war crimes? Does he support reparations to the people of Iraq for his country's unprovoked invasion? What SPECIFIC environmental initiatives does he support? Since he sells himself as a man of the people, what are his SPECIFIC goals for medical care, minimum wage, old age pensions, education, etc? If he doesn't give CONCRETE answers up front the first time he is asked, then we all know that he will just end up another corporate puppet. A politician is a politician is a politician.

If Gore decided to run then Obama would stand a better chance as his mate.