Across the pond

In the last two days Barack Obama has demonstrated beyond all doubt that he is ready and capable of leading America. On Wednesday the unity of the Democratic Party was restored with a remarkable speech by the former President Bill Clinton who in the space of a few minutes healed his own psyche as well as the splits in his party. Gone was the disgruntled Bill of the campaign trail. He began by expressing his deep disappointment that his candidate, Hilary Clinton, had lost the battle for the nomination. It was candid expression of his own feelings. He did not have to add that he was also disappointed because her election would have given him another four years in the White House. He then went on praise Obama’s character and abilities. It was an unmistabeable handing of the torch of leadership to the next generation. Both Clintons stood smiling, cheering and clapping as the convention moved to elect Obama by acclamation. It showed a quite exceptional generosity of spirit on the part of both Clintons. And it came on top of the endorsement by Senator Edward Kennedy, who got up from his sick bed to throw his weight behind Obama on the opening day of the conference.

Obama could not hoped for anything from the leaders of his won party.

He then went on demonstrate what he can do, in what many people thought was such a move so bold that it was rash. Instead of making his speech to 15,000 Democratic party activists in the Convention Hall he booked a football stadium with space for 75,000 people. He erected a stage, which was in fact a mock-up of the White House. But many media commentators, egged on by the Republicans, said that it looked like a Greek temple and that Obama was suffering from that well known disease the Greeks called hubris.

The only Presidential candidate was has done this before was John F Kennedy in 1959. Kennedy’s bold move was rated a success, even though he filled only half the 30,000 capacity. In fact, according to every report I have read 84,000 people turned up. I still find this astonishing. It does not prove that Obama can run the country but it sure shows that he has a remarkable capacity for organisation as well as inspiration.

And although he is an avid user of the new techoogies, web sites, emailing and texting as well television, it shows that he understands that face to face is still the best way to win hearts and minds and votes.

As promised the speech concentrated on the economy. And, as also he follewed the advice of those of his team, who had been urging him to attack McCain. Which he did by making a portraying him as an honest man who did not understand the need for America to change the policies of the last eight years and asserting that McCain was 90 per cent in favour of the policies of George W Bush.

He made his policies clear, but did not show how he was going to achieve them. He made the extraordinary claim that he was going to free America from imported oil in ten years. It is a claim that may come back to haunt him. But maybe it is possible for America to switch to renewable energy. After America has plenty of wide open spaces and mountains for wind turbines and many hot deserts ideal for solar energy.

But he made his politiccal position even clearer than it was before. He will help the poor and tax the rich. He reminded Democrats they were the party of Roosevelt as well as Kennedy and Clinton. Roosevelt’s New Deal was possible because Wall Street had been crippled by the Great Crash of 1929 and by the ensuing long depression. In 2008, although the American economy is in very poor shape, Wall Street and many big businesses are doing exceptionally well.

In this election Americans are being offered a very clear choice between the right and left. I imagine that McCain will have no trouble at all raising the millions he needs to fight his campaign.

The question is no longer whether Obama is ready to be President.

It is whether America is ready for a President like Barack Obama.

(My link for Obama’s complete speech is to the Huffington Post. None of the main newsaper and BBC sites I checked this morning had the full speech on video, although they did carry the prepared text circulated a few hours before the speech was delivered. But I recommend that readers watch the complete video.)