I am serious Barack Obama fan - on so many levels he is a transformative politician. He would get my vote every day in the American election.His speech last week was outstanding and I quote a few key points below: so much of what he says applies to the issues we have to wrestle with in the United Kingdom.
"There are also big fundamental issues at stake right now, issues that deserve serious debate among every candidate, and serious coverage among every reporter. Whoever he may be, the next president will inherit an economy that is recovering, but not yet recovered from the worst economic calamity since the Great Depression.
Too many Americans will still be looking for a job that pays enough to cover their bills or their mortgage. Too many citizens will still lack the sort of financial security that started slipping away years before this recession hit.
A debt that has grown over the last decade, primarily as a result of two wars, two massive tax cuts and unprecedented financial crisis, will have to be paid down. And in the face of all these challenges, we’re going to have to answer a central question as a nation.
What, if anything, can we do to restore a sense of security for people who are willing to work hard and act responsibly in this country? Can we succeed as a country where a shrinking number of people do exceedingly well while a growing number struggle to get by or are we better off when everyone gets a fair shot?
And everyone does their fair share. And everyone plays by the same rules. This is not just another run of the mill political debate. I’ve said it’s the defining issue of our time and I believe it. That’s why I ran in 2008. It’s what my presidency has been about. It’s why I’m running again.
I believe this is a make or break moment for the middle class and I can’t remember a time when the choice between competing visions of our future has been so unambiguously clear. Keep in mind, I have never been somebody who believes that government can or should try to solve every problem.
It doesn’t make us weaker when we guarantee basic security for the elderly or the sick or those who are actively looking for work. What makes us weaker is when fewer and fewer people can afford to buy the goods and services our businesses sell."
He speaks at length but I like the way he describes his American policies as being based upon a principle of One Nation...
If I am anything I am a representative of the one nation centre ground: I hope he wins in November.
