May, 2008

Stories from May, 2008

Cuba: Las Damas & Obama

  May 29, 2008

Las Damas de Blanco are in the spotlight again, but not for the reasons you might think. They are apparently endorsing US Presidential hopeful Barack Obama - or at least his plan to meet with the Castro regime - and Cuban bloggers have lots to say about it.

France: Is the Prime Minister supporting McCain?

  May 27, 2008

Blogger Corine Lesnes at the Big Picture, Croquis d'Amérique, asks whether French Prime Minister François Fillon would vote for McCain if he had to express a preference (fr): “En visite à Washington, le premier ministre François Fillon a été interrogé par FOX News sur ses préférences. Il n'en a évidemment...

Israel: Going Green with Gore

Former Vice President Al Gore added his name to the list of political luminaries visiting Israel in recent months. Gore joined the Board of Governors celebrations at Tel Aviv University this week to accept the $1 million Dan David Prize for environmental activism.

Africa: Florida is not Zimbabwe

When the US presidential campaign began – sometime shortly following the 2000 election – candidates of all stripes promised a thorough debate on issues, both of national and international importance. Yet, for all the hot air generated by the three remaining contenders from the major U.S. political parties, the subject of Africa (and its people) has most often received short shrift. No longer, writes John Liebhardt, who explains how presidential hopefuls are bringing up Africa in their debates, and how Africans view the US elections on their blogs.

A Punjabi Vice President?

  May 23, 2008

On the South Asian group blog, Sepia Mutiny, blogger and Duke University professor, Amardeep Singh, wonders whether Republican presidential candidate John McCain might seriously be considering Indian-American Louisiana governor, Bobby Jindal as his running mate. “I know it’s crazy, but maybe it isn’t as crazy as it sounds,” wrote the...

Middle East: Obama’s Man in Gaza

Call him Barack Obama’s man in Gaza. Ibrahim Abu Jayyab, a bookish 23-year-old media studies student, gathers friends to try and rally support for the Democratic candidate by calling U.S. voters from a cybercafé in the Gaza strip. John Liebhardt takes a closer look at why Obama may be ... or may be not ... scoring points with supporters in the Middle East.

Iran: Sitting with Ahmadinejad at the Same Table?

  May 20, 2008

US President George W Bush's address to the Israeli Knesset prompted Senator Barack Obama to condemn Bush for launching a ‘false political attack' against him. Now several Iranian bloggers react to Bush's remarks and the Democrats' reaction to it in this translation of Farsi blogs by Hamid Tehrani.

Israel: Bush's Last Presidential Visit

On the heels of its 60th birthday celebrations, President Bush visited Israel this week, marking his second and last presidential visit to the Middle Eastern state. Maya Norton tunes into the Israeli blogosphere to bring us the latest reactions.

Global: Obama An Apostate?

  May 16, 2008

On May 12, the New York Times published an op-ed by one Edward N. Luttwak from Chevy Chase, Maryland entitled “President Apostate?” Luttwak's op-ed piece details Obama's relationship with Islam (his father, born Muslim, renounced the religion, and Obama became a Christian early in life) and the effects that it could have on global politics and the United States' relations with predominantly Muslim countries.

Global: Edwards Endorses Obama

  May 15, 2008

In a move toward solidarity for the Democratic party, John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama on Wednesday. The endorsement came just a day after Hillary Clinton won 2-1 in the West Virginia primary. From India, Pickled Politics puts it concisely: It’s been a long time coming but John Edwards has finally...