Obama.

I stayed up till after 6 AM Moscow time - decided it was time to switch off the computer when one of my friends on Facebook posted this update: “[…] says it out loud: McCain can't win.”

I'm very happy.

A coincidence, of course, but it was only last night that I ran into Vanity Fair's choice of Top 25 News Photographs - among which is this image of a 1930 lynching in Indiana and this one of Dorothy Counts on her way to school in North Carolina in 1957. And today, the Chicago Tribune writes this in an editorial:

[…] Obama’s victory is one of those events that reveal how far the nation has traveled. When he was born in 1961, African-Americans risked death merely to register to vote in some Southern states. The pivotal civil rights and voting rights laws had yet to be enacted. Yet today, the nation is willing to entrust its future to a man whose father was black. […]

Another coincidence, perhaps, but the New York Times ran this piece about Ukraine yesterday:

Four years ago this month, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of this capital city to take back an election they saw as stolen. That outpouring, called the Orange Revolution, brought fresh hopes for freedoms and for a release from the country’s Soviet past that few other former republics had ever experienced.

The early promise of those days frayed in recent years, but economically times were good, and the country always seemed to manage.

But now, confronted by the global financial crisis, the new Ukraine is facing the single biggest test of its stability, and its leaders, by most accounts, seem to be close to failing. […]

I hope that in the next four years Obama is not going to screw it all up the way our whole bunch has since 2004.

As for the Republican Party, losing this election seems like a good “exit strategy” everyone's been looking for.

Hours after President-Elect Barack Obama spoke in front of thousands of supporters in Chicago, Illinois, non-US based bloggers familiar with Feng Shui referred back to their predictions and re-posted entries even just to say they were right. There were also those who posted their fears of the number 4 and what it may signify in the future of the historic leader, who by the way was born on August 4, 1961. According to the ancient Chinese system of aesthetics, the number 4 is considered inauspicious – or downright unlucky – in Feng Shui because it sounds like “death” in Cantonese. Knowing that, it is understandable why the number is considered bad luck in traditional Chinese circles.

Filipino blogger, ari, states that the 44th president of the United States indications point toward this:

“(Obama) needs to be told about Chinese Feng Shui and cautioned that the number 4 in Chinese numerology is considered unlucky and sounds like death in Cantonese. If one were to believe this, then 44 could mean a double death threat!

“There have been three incidents involving potential assassination attempts, the latest of which involves two skinheads reportedly tasked with beheading blacks all across the US. Obama’s security detail is now double the usual number, and US Secret Service sources said they are keeping Obama’s campaign route a tightly-guarded secret until the very last minute, frequently changing his code name in case it is being monitored by potential assassins.

“… the Secret Service will have its hands full because of potential death threats considering the deeply-rooted racist sentiments still harbored by many people no matter how much Americans deny it. There were instances where an Obama cardboard was hung up on a tree; the head of a dead animal was stuck with Obama campaign stickers; and an offensive billboard showed an Obama caricature wearing a turban.”

However, Prosy dela Cruz, another Filipino blogger and supporter of Obama disagrees and insists Feng Shui is actually working in the president-elect’s favour since he has more number 8s surrounding him. The number 8 is considered lucky in Feng Shui and is more dominant than the number 4.

“When we seem to perceive that all is against Obama’s campaign, that it seems his beginner’s luck is being evasive and no longer there, his dream to become the 44th US President is simply being tested: does he have enough persistence and courage to push through and reach the finish line?

“Like Beijing’s Olympics opening on 08/08/08, we too will have to believe that Obama, who turned 47 on 08/04/08 – that’s a convergence of lucky 8’s – will have luck lined up for the next US President.”

Ukrainian blogger and Feng Shui expert Zvezdochka says Chinese zodiac signs say a lot about the type of president Obama will make.

“Energy is a top concern in this year’s presidential election, but the personal energy of the candidates could ultimately affect the future of America. In the Chinese zodiac, McCain is a rat and Obama is an ox. 2008 is a rat year, but next year is Year of the Ox and that favors Obama, according to experts.

“Watching Obama in the debates showed his Ox qualities of being unflappable and steady.

“An ox is associated with the earth element and is known for being dependable, calm, methodical, and resolute and their negative qualities make them stubborn, materialistic, rigid and demanding. Speaking purely to the feng shui of time and energy, feng shui supports Obama over McCain.”

France-based Feng Shui expert Jeannie, who has worked with well-known experts Lillian Too of Malaysia and Joseph Yu of Canada, blogged early on November 4 why she thought Obama would win the election despite the double number 4 ‘threat’.

“His power is rooted and stored in the Goat, which is clashed open by Ox in the year branch. In his current 10-year luck period of yin metal Rabbit, Rabbit makes his power even stronger. Metal is his graceful output but is clashing his power with his heavenly month stem. He badly needs water to bridge this clash. We can find it in his hour pillar, also in this year’s Earth Rat and this month’s Water Dog.

“His performance so far, is exceptional because of the triangular combination of Snake, Rooster and Ox. As a matter of fact, November 4 brings him additional powerful output with the combination of monkey, rooster and dog.”

What sets him apart from Kremlin propagandists is his relatively balanced and multidirectional approach.

Here’s how he frames the U.S. presidential race. “Plan Putina” refers to Putin’s Plan; the cartoon addresses Palin’s recent remark on Obama and Ukraine.

Elkin appears to be an LJ user. His works can also be found at:
http://www.elkin.ru/engl_index.html
http://www.rian.ru/caricature/20081028/153934395.html
http://caricatura.ru/master/elkin/
http://ex.by/2008/05/23/prikolnye_karikatury_elkina_2_43_shtuk.html
http://sergei-elkin.blogspot.com/

Images:
http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/3303/elkin99.5/0_19d0a_ca30b245_XL.jpg http://plakat.censor.net.ua/pic/posters/very_big/1224857514.jpg

Greek-American blogger nicegreekboy commented on the electronic voting machines, which have already caused problems in early-voting-state North Carolina:

“These are used in multiple states, and all you seem to ever hear about them are problems. For one thing, computers crash. A lot. And these are some shitty, poorly kept-up computers. For another thing, there are fears that these things are very easy to hack…since they’re, you know, computers. Most of all, though, the biggest problems with electronic voting machines are sometimes caused by outside forces. For instance, in North Carolina, the state only offers machines; there are no paper ballots at polling places (there’s currently a push to get “emergency paper ballots,” but each polling place likely won’t get more than a 100). So, theoretically, if a polling place has its voting machines crash, then voters are up shit creek - they simply can’t vote. And if there are only 100 emergency paper ballots, a huge number of people still won’t get to vote.”

While Canadian blogger, L-girl, believes the election will be rigged.

“The 2000 election was stolen.



The 2004 election was stolen.

There were huge questions about the validity of both the 2002 and 2006 midterm elections.

And nothing has changed. As all problems left untended will, it has only gotten worse. There is evidence voting machines were tampered with in the primaries.

So why is everyone assuming the 2008 election will be fair? I’m still not convinced there will even be a 2008 election in the US. I'm not making a prediction; I'm not in that line of work. But let's put it this way: if the election goes ahead as it's supposed to, I'll be relieved. If it doesn't, I won't be surprised.


But if it's more expedient for the Cheney junta to hold elections, but keep them rigged, then they will.”

Fellow Canadian blogger, Paul Bryant, also comments on the U.S. voting system and lists five problems, including: the different ballot systems in each states and that there isn’t an independent voting commission. He writes about the Canadian voting system.

“The United States could learn from the Canadian election system. In Canada Federal elections are run by Elections Canada an independent body that decides on changes to the composition of ridings, how ballots are handled, identification required at the polls, campaign financing rules etc. Elections Canada is non-partisan and reports to Parliament. The Head and Deputy Head of Elections Canada cannot vote or be a member of a political party and are generally well regarded for their neutrality.”

While, Duncan McFarlane in the UK, writes about the past elections and states that voter irregularities are still considered a conspiracy “by most of the media.” McFarlane also comments on the distribution of the voting machines.

“Fewer voting machines were provided in districts with high numbers of low income, black or student (i.e Democrat) voters. In at least one Ohio precinct there were no working machines. Voters were told they’d be phoned to come back later. They weren’t. In some precincts they were offered provisional ballots – but under Ohio electoral law provisional ballots can’t be counted until 10 days after the election – long after the election had been ‘called’ for Bush (38,39,40,41).”

He then compares the election to the 2004 elections of Ukraine, where it was also suspected of being rigged.

“Perhaps its because the rigged results of the Ukrainian elections favoured Russian businesses at the expense of US and EU based ones – the US Presidential election results were those desired by the owners and chief executives of these companies – not least media conglomerates. The media is meant to provide viewers with the facts and let them decide – instead they present viewers and readers with a conclusion that’s good for business accompanied by as few facts as possible. So much for objectivity.”

Over in the Philippines, Mike comments on the mailed New York ballots that had “Osama” on the ballot instead of “Obama.”

“It is inexplicable for some that Osama Bin Laden, one of the world’s most wanted terrorists, and certainly New York’s most wanted fugitive in respect to the horrible terror attacks of the September 11, 2001, would be on a ballot in upstate New York where the stigma of 9/11 is still strong and some scars are still raw over post 9/11 alleged ‘crackdowns’ and law enforcement scrutiny of the large Muslim-American population in communities there.”

He further adds that the misspelling is offensive to the Democratic nominee.

“That’s both an insult and injury to a Senator who has earned the right to have his name spelled and put right on the ballot, even the electronic ones.”

Finally, blogger of American Buddhist Net, writes about the $100,000 reward offered by Velvet Revolution to anyone who can prove Karl Rove and Michael Connell rigged the 2004 election.

“I doubt that's enough. Maybe $10 million and a really good witness protection program would get results.”

In a letter to the UCCA, which recently convened in Cleveland, Ohio, Obama said this about Ukraine:

Friends of Ukraine in the West should continue playing a key role in building a secure and prosperous future for Ukrainians.

The experiment of Ukrainian democracy should succeed — not only for the sake of prosperity for Ukrainians, but also to be an inspiration for those in the region who are struggling for democracy, including even Russia.

In courting Ukrainian American voters, many of whom favor McCain, Obama said he believed that Ukraine was ready for a NATO Membership Action Plan. He added that he would work with U.S. allies in NATO so that Ukraine would be granted the opportunity to make a further step toward joining the Euro-Atlantic community, VOA reports.

Obama called the Holodomor a “terrible crime,” saying, “We must never forget about this famine and must always ensure that future generations will know about this tragedy so that it will never be repeated.”

Note: Since no English-language sources could be found, I did a back-translation of Obama's quotes from Ukrainian into English.

Sources:
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2008/10/21/83172.htm
http://www.voanews.com/ukrainian/2008-10-20-voa1.cfm

Not that I’m a big fan of Republicans (or Democrats, for that matter), but I do like this one. Watch the most “uncut” version of Sarah Palin's ABC News interview, as it relates to Ukraine, with the full transcript below.

GIBSON: What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state give you?

PALIN: They're our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.

GIBSON: What insight does that give you into what they're doing in Georgia?

PALIN: Well, I'm giving you that perspective of how small our world is and how important it is that we work with our allies to keep good relation with all of these countries, especially Russia. We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it's in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.

Sarah Palin on Russia:

We cannot repeat the Cold War. We are thankful that, under Reagan, we won the Cold War, without a shot fired, also. We've learned lessons from that in our relationship with Russia, previously the Soviet Union.

We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it's in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.

GIBSON: Would you favor putting Georgia and Ukraine in NATO?

PALIN: Ukraine, definitely, yes. Yes, and Georgia.

GIBSON: Because Putin has said he would not tolerate NATO incursion into the Caucasus.

PALIN: Well, you know, the Rose Revolution, the Orange Revolution, those actions have showed us that those democratic nations, I believe, deserve to be in NATO.

Putin thinks otherwise. Obviously, he thinks otherwise, but…

GIBSON: And under the NATO treaty, wouldn't we then have to go to war if Russia went into Georgia?

PALIN: Perhaps so. I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you're going to be expected to be called upon and help.

But NATO, I think, should include Ukraine, definitely, at this point and I think that we need to — especially with new leadership coming in on January 20, being sworn on, on either ticket, we have got to make sure that we strengthen our allies, our ties with each one of those NATO members.

We have got to make sure that that is the group that can be counted upon to defend one another in a very dangerous world today.

GIBSON: And you think it would be worth it to the United States, Georgia is worth it to the United States to go to war if Russia were to invade.

PALIN: What I think is that smaller democratic countries that are invaded by a larger power is something for us to be vigilant against. We have got to be cognizant of what the consequences are if a larger power is able to take over smaller democratic countries.

And we have got to be vigilant. We have got to show the support, in this case, for Georgia. The support that we can show is economic sanctions perhaps against Russia, if this is what it leads to.

It doesn't have to lead to war and it doesn't have to lead, as I said, to a Cold War, but economic sanctions, diplomatic pressure, again, counting on our allies to help us do that in this mission of keeping our eye on Russia and Putin and some of his desire to control and to control much more than smaller democratic countries.

His mission, if it is to control energy supplies, also, coming from and through Russia, that's a dangerous position for our world to be in, if we were to allow that to happen.

As a Ukrainian living next door to Russia, that’s the U.S. foreign policy I prefer, given the key role that the Clinton administration played in stripping my country of its nuclear deterrent.

Of course, I do know about the Christian fundamentalism of U.S. conservatives, just as I know about the Russophile pacifism of U.S. liberals. Both worldviews spell disaster. Now, isn't it funny how most YouTube videos omit the part where Palin emphasizes the need not to repeat the Cold War and mentions the Orange Revolution?

Could it be that Bush’s cowboy interventionism has slapped some childish isolationism into U.S. liberals, making democratic movements like the Orange Revolution an inconvenient truth? Oh, I forgot. It was all a “neocon CIA plot!”

With my country stuck between an expansionist Russia and a split West, I want a U.S. President who is neither too hard nor too soft on Russia.

As of today, most Ukrainians, and Russified Ukrainians especially, know little about NATO other than what they learned in Soviet history textbooks. Naturally, they do not want Ukraine to join NATO. Ironically, they do want Ukraine to join the EU.

Since the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, joining NATO has become a prerequisite — the prerequisite — for joining the EU. No Eastern European country has become an EU member without first becoming a NATO member.

I believe that Ukraine’s nonalignment puts us in the danger zone. I want Ukraine to join NATO and, ultimately, the EU while remaining a good neighbor of Russia, not a good banana republic of Russia.

Therefore, either Ukraine will join NATO, or the Kremlin will be tempted to repeat the Georgian scenario in eastern Ukraine. It’s as simple as that, Uncle Sam.

In the first case, you’ll get a 45-million country with a defense industry unmatched by any other fresh NATO member country. In the second case, you’ll get a conflict rivaling the war in Yugoslavia, plus millions of refugees and a major spike in your defense budget.

You decide.

Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNPGnZurs1k
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=5782924

As an article in The Huffington Post writes:

“The statement came after Palin had recounted a “providential” moment she experienced on Saturday: “I'm reading on my Starbucks mocha cup, okay? The quote of the day… It was Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State [crowd boos] and UN ambassador. … Now she said it, I didn't.

She said, ‘There's a place in Hell reserved for women who don't support other women.'”
Actually, Albright didn't say that. The accurate quote is, “There's a place in Hell reserved for women who don't help other women.” “

Women around the world have responded to Palin’s comment and have blogged about it.

Canadian blogger, Ashtraygirl, writes that the women cheering after Palin made the comment was “pathetic.”

“Palin cites a quote from Madeleine Albright that she saw on her ‘Starbucks Mocha Cup' *insert clapping and faint cheering here* why are you cheering at the mere mention of starbuck's?? Pathetic.”

She further adds one statement:

“She's really giving Ann Coulter some competition for my most hated harpy.”

Journalist Larisa Alexandrovna from Ukraine writes that many notable people must be in hell, if Palin’s statement is true.

“I would not support Palin for litter box duty, let alone for anything relating to government. This obviously means I will be going off to hell soon, which in Palin's tiny, pink pom-pom and fluffly shot-gun (and shot-gun weddings) world is likely a collection of sane, decent, honest people. In other word's, Palin's hell is likely populated with people like Ghandi, MLK, Thoreau, etc. By all means, let me go forth then.”

While Jewish American Jill Miller Zimon writes that Palin may have misquoted Albright to garner votes.

“In the above context, it’s the difference between Sarah Palin suggesting that women must vote for her because she’s a woman or else they will go to hell, and Madeleine Albright, via the quote attributed to her by Palin, but misstated, that suggests that women should provide assistance to other women whenever they can or else they should feel eternally miserable.

One little word? One big change in import.”

In another blog, Women Against Sarah Palin, women from around the globe have contribute their opinions on why they’re against the Republican candidate. Jennifer, an American living in Switzerland, writes that Palin is a representation of what women have fought against.

“The nomination of Sarah Palin is a very obvious and painful slap in the face to every American woman. To have chosen a woman who is the antithesis to everything for which we have fought is surely an abominable insult to every one of the women and men who have helped the advancement of woman in America—and around the world.”

And for Helen Philpot, an 82-year-old blogger and American, her dislike of Palin is simple.

“Look. I am going to say what everyone at CNN, CBS, ABC and NBC is thinking but is afraid to say. Governor Palin is a stupid, conniving bitch. And it’s not because she is a strong woman - I like strong women… worship them… It’s actually the opposite. She is a weak, pathetic woman who thinks big hair, winking, baby talk and self deprecation is somehow becoming of a woman who wants to lead the free world. My god, where is Margaret Thatcher when you need her!”