I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the result is historic. As for the BBC’s coverage, well thanks for your comments. Iain Dale was also unimpressed, and as evidence of the Beeb’s standing at home and abroad, here’s an American perspective:
The real fun network of the night was BBC America, which picked up the BBC feed being aired back in England. The coverage played like a good-natured “Idiot’s Guide to the American Election,” with references to such states as “North Hampshire.”
After all the hard work, though, it’s only right that the last word goes to the Beeb. And who better than John Simpson (a troll challenge here: can anyone make a convincing case Simpson might have voted Republican?) :
The United States has seen the biggest transformation in its standing in the world since the election of John Fitzgerald Kennedy in November 1960.
This is a country which has habitually, sometimes irritatingly, regarded itself as young and vibrant, the envy of the world. Often this is merely hype. But there are times when it is entirely true.
With Barack Obama’s victory, one of these moments has arrived…
UPDATE: Iain Dale fleshes out his criticism of the Beeb’s coverage here: references to John Bolton’s outburst, “car crash TV”, and a note that this should be David Dimbleby’s last election make it well worth reading.
So the BBC keep going on about a fresh start and change for America as they’ve got rid of a toser in the White House.
Can we now expect the BBC to support getting rid of the fat one eyed Scottish tosser in Downing Street? After all we need change in the UK don’t we?
Firstly I should say congratulations to Obama. And even though I’m a centre right voter (and had I been an American would’ve voted McCain), at least now he’s won, hopefully the BBC and the left in general will stop with the constant anti-America propoganda they’ve been constantly sending out. Yes America is a great country. Those of us on the right have always known it and believed it. Sadly the left only think it’s a great country when the left win. I still think it’s a great country, regardless.
Secondly, has anyone seen the immense amount of dross being written /said by newspapers and broadcasters about Obama’s victory? They all think America has in someway ‘changed’. No it hasn’t. By my reckoning about 48% of the population voted Republican. That’s hardly a statement that centre right / conservatism politics is dead and the liberals ‘have won’ (something discussed on Channel 4 news tonight).
Obama won because a lot of African Americans voted for the black man and young people fell for the ‘change’ rhetoric. Oh, and the economy stinks. That’s probably what won them Florida and few other swing states. But profound change? No. I wish these liberals would stop spouting their nonsense and have some perspective.
I mean, Finklestien has clearly lost his marbles (and note when reading his nonesense that he’s a failed political strategist think Conservatives 2001, so what does he know?). How on earth can he say,
“The Republicans were forced to select a maverick because they did not have an electable mainstream Republican candidate. This was because the mainstream Republican agenda is no longer a winner. ”
A total plank. If the economy was good the Republicans would’ve won. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/daniel_finkelstein/article5084046.ece
It’s time Conservatives took the gloves off and stuck one to the liberals. We need a new generation of articulate men and women with backbones. Cameron need not apply.
Finklestein is just perpetuating the same tosh that got iDave his job – ‘no one can get elected if they are on the Right.’
It’s a myth the BBC loves to promulgate, because it panders to their hive-mind Leftism.
The truth, however, is that the Republicans simply failed to find a sufficiently charismatic figure to run against Obama – particularly in the light of Bush’s failure and overwhelming MSM bias.
Anonymous writes: “If, for instance, someone says ‘the BBC are saying XYZ – that shows they’re left-wing’ and someone else counters that Paul Dacre, Simon Heffer and Peter Hitchens are all saying XYZ too, and so is Bill O’Reilly on Fox – then one would wonder about how strong a case the first guy had about the BBC.”
Rubbish. Almost the entire UK media was behind Obama. That doesn’t make the BBC any less biased. Nor is it in the least surprising when you look at how journalists are recruited these days – following intensive university indoctrination courses.
As for whitewineliberal, I’m in the ‘go’ camp. He is just a subtle troll.
Martin | 05.11.08 – 8:34 pm |
Can we now expect the BBC to support getting rid of the fat one eyed Scottish tosser in Downing Street? After all we need change in the UK don’t we?
Sure, but in Beeboid land that just means a change in Labour leadership.
Here’s another frightening thought about President-elect Obamessiah:
World leaders hail Obama triumph
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown called Tuesday’s poll historic and said he and Mr Obama “share many values”.
Wonderful.
The journos have had their political orgasm in the USA. Now they will relax for a while, do a bit of gentle partying, do a bit of duty-free shopping, tot up the expenses and fly back to the UK, tired but hugely satisfied that,despite their neutral reporting, the correct person seems to have been chosen. Perhaps they’ll have to stop slagging off America for a bit. But there is no time for an anti-climax, there is the next UK election to prepare for. Now, they will be thinking, who shall we support for that? Well, call me simple but I don’t know. Any ideas?
I notice the BBC keeps referring ot the US as being in a recession, but we only have a downturn. I’m guessing that once the son of god takes over the US will be in a downturn as well.
David Preiser (USA): Actually David the BBC wants “No Change”. To the licence fee at any rate 😉
Martin,
And the BBC won’t even have to reach as far back as Mrs. Thatcher to blame for the UK recession. It’s all the fault of greedy bankers, short sellers, and Bush! President Obamessiah has an uphill struggle undoing all the damage caused by rich, white, Republican Special Interests, and has been proactively resolved of all sin. Robert Peston already explained that this whole thing was all the Republicans’ fault, and he and his BBC colleagues swept the Dems’ culpability under the rug.
Come this time next year, he’ll still be blaming Republicans and greedy bankers for causing all of the UK’s problems, but the BBC will be able to call it a recession because they can say it’s not Mr. Brown’s fault.
David Preiser (USA): The BBC have totally down played Brown’s sticky little paws that are all over this recession.
The fact he took the strong regulation of the city away form the Bank of England and gave it to a bunch of halfwits called the FSA. The fact that these debt packages were diced, sliced and sold off through London as no one was regulating it correctly. The fact that Brown allowed huge amounts of debt to build up, screwed billions out of the pension scheme, failed to reform public servies and just kept pouring billions down black holes called the NHS, the education system and social security is just part of his failing.
Where Cameron is failing is NOT to do what Obama did which is continually hammer his opponent as being just another George Bush, or in the case of the UK Cameron should be reminding people that Brown is just another Blair with the same failed policies.
Cameron needs to stop backing up Brown. No opposition party EVER gets credit for supporting a Government. If the tories had opposed the Iraq war, they would be in power now. If they’d have opposed this pointless failed Brown bail out plan, they’d be able to hammer the point that billions of pounds in tax payer money have been pissed away on fat cat bankers for nothing. The stock market is in the tank and the pound is round the U bend.
Cameron needs to find a message, stick to it and hammer it day and night. When any Tory goes on the BBC ignore the beeboid and hammer hammer hammer Brown.
Newsnight again just referred to the ‘Recession in the USA’. Has the USA actually had two quarters of negative growth yet? If not, why is it a recession in the USA but only a downturn in the UK BBC?
Maybe the only silver lining around, but there ain’t no way that the MSM in the US will get away w/ this in 2112.
Many won’t even be there, bankrupt buggy whips in a wired world. The news mags are on their last legs; NYT bonds just got downgraded to junk to match the editorial content; Christian Science Monitor is about to become a weekly; nearly all the others — Copley, Gannett, the alphabets — are struggling. The Los Angeles Times may be the first to fold, but it doesn’t make a lot of difference; all are now loathed and despised by half the electorate, who will happily stand aside and watch the collapse. Not exactly a great business model to alienate half your coustomers, is it?
How I love American capitalism!
Meanwhile the BBC drifts on, a bit bashed about but protected as ever and still smug, stately and awful. What will it take?
knacker wonders: “What will it take?”
A lot more than iDave, sadly.
Martin,
The US has not had two consecutive quarters of decreasing GDP*. Q2 was +2.8%, and Q3 provisionally calculated at -0.3%.
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/gdpnewsrelease.htm
*This is the rule of thumb for defining a recession in the US though its not technically correct.
Martin | 05.11.08 – 10:36 pm
bang on martin. obama’s message has been relentless and LASER like in its focus.
then again, you cant forget the grassroots effort – the Democrats were hungering for power, and were utterly relentless, and indeed vicious, in pursueing it.
i simply do not see that hunger with the Tories.
i suspect that yet again i will be voting for the “none of the above” party next time round.
Car Crah radio on right now. Radio 5 with ex cokehead Richard Bacon in a Chicago radio station shouting at everyone who thinks Obama is a twat.
archduke: If the Tories want to exterminate Liebour at the next election, they really need to start getting tough.
Nice article in the Mail today about how much money we’ve lost because the fat one eyed twat sold all our gold off at rock bottom prices.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1083057/QUENTIN-LETTS-How-spondoolicks-did-Gordon-lose-gold-sales.html
Cameron needs to cut the crap and start kicking the fat one eyed one. Problem for him and the Tories is they’ve backed every fucking mistake Labour has done.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (just what the fuck are we going in Afghanistan?) for starters, the arse licking of Muslims and the EU taking over our Country.
Problem is Cameron supports all this shit. Where is the clear air between them?
and the lesson of obama is – make sure you have a HECK of a lot clear air in your stance versus your opponent.
and dont forget that obama made specific pledges on taxes – “spread the wealth around”…
voters got a very clear message from him.
meanwhile over here the best the Tories can come up with is the timid “share the proceeds of growth” bollocks. the voter knows that they are talking out of their arse.
Watched newsnight earlier.
Started off with a lot of magic negro BS without realising they said much the same things about mandela and look at SA now – following zimbabwe down the toilet but at an even faster rate.
Report by susan watts eulogising about barry’s green policies without mentioning his policies to bankrupt anyone who wants to build a coal-fired power station and to get electricity prices to skyrocket.
Someone somewhere asked if barry would even change the name of the White House. (I think they were being sarcastic.) My suggestion: how about “The Woodpile”?
bbc news 24 just did a vox pox on the obama victory on the streets on Havana.
no mention of the secret police standing nearby of course.
shilling for dictators – the BBC.
“The Woodpile”?
Where many Americans, tracing bloodlines hoping for a duke or a king in the fambly, end up.
I turned off the BBC late Tuesday night, when I decided that Richard Bacon on R5 was doing my blood pressure no good whatsoever.
I chose to have a trawl through my old VHS tapes and DVDs instead.
I return today, with 300 odd comments to read.
Has something happened? 😉
Archduke 1:32
I think Castro was one of the first to congratulate Obama. I guess Obama has already made a promise to lift the embargo on Cuba. I would expect that to be one of his first actions.
Has something happened?
rightofcentre | 06.11.08 – 7:54 am | #
Yes. Historic stuff. There is a key election in Scotland that will put sharp focus on the person and administration who have been ‘running’ this country for over a decade.
I believe he is the UK’s first one-eyed PM, and is hence fully qualified for slavish BBC support.
Oddly, this national event has not rated much mention until today.
I see since the election of the son of god, the US stock market has followed our one even further down the toilet pan.
Is there a common link? Yep, two Socialist twats running the Countries.
Markets are down all round the world today thanks to fears of a global recession.
You’re quite thick aren’t you Martin?
bomber harris 9:48
In the perverted BBC mind, when markets go down it is “global recession” , ( note, not “global downturn” ). If they go up, it is due to Brown’s intervention in the banking system.
If they had gone up yesterday, the BBC headline would have been ” Obama victory boosts markets”. As they went down , the headline should have been ” Markets plunge on Obama victory”, but it wasn’t referred to.
This is what we mean by BBC bias. It is insidious, it is in their DNA. Some of it deliberate, some probably unconscious, but it applies to every single news report or lack of them.
bummer harris: I see another BBC troll has appeared. No rent boys today then?
Who do you think created the ‘recession’ in the first place? Oh sorry you beeboids keep calling it a ‘down turn’ don’t you?
Fucking moron.
GCooper | 05.11.08 – 8:59 pm
– following intensive university indoctrination courses
Yes, journalism does have its Gramscians. But I’m not sure Paul Dacre, Simon Heffer, Peter Hitchens and Bill O’Reilly are among them.
In fact, I’m fairly sure they’re not.
gordon-bennett | 06.11.08 – 12:55 am | #
Better a bad black President than Apartheid, and your closing comment is – unless I am misinterpreting it – beneath contempt.
henryflower | 06.11.08 – 11:47 am
Better a bad black President than Apartheid
Tell that to the 250,000 people murdered since the savages took over and ruined the police force (and everything else).
I would. You tell them they’d be better off with Apartheid back. See what they say. Because that’s the rub, g-b. Democracy. They get to choose. I believe in that, do you?
Someone somewhere asked if barry would even change the name of the White House. (I think they were being sarcastic.) My suggestion: how about “The Woodpile”?
gordon-bennett | 06.11.08 – 12:55 am |
Better a bad black President than Apartheid, and your closing comment is – unless I am misinterpreting it – beneath contempt.
henryflower | 06.11.08 – 11:47 am |
I’m from an age, and a generation that actually finds that amusing without actually condoning it.
GB has a point, Africa is a total basket case, but I don’t think, by any stretch of the imagination, that the US is going down that road.
TPO: I thought the “Woodpile” comment very funny, but maybe henryflower doesn’t have any surprises in the family tree, and so would not understand how these things traditionally happen with a meeting “Out at the woodpile”.
You must be so annoyed Martin. Presume you’ll be emigrating to Alaska soon? Let’s hope so, you turd.
Oh how I laughed when I saw the result. I knew it would annoy you.
Joel’s Spanish cousin?
betyangelo | 06.11.08 – 4:08 pm |
I think in the UK it has a different connotation.
Not much wood chopping, I presume.
“I think Castro was one of the first to congratulate Obama. I guess Obama has already made a promise to lift the embargo on Cuba. I would expect that to be one of his first actions.”
3pm:
Ah’m-on-a-mad-jihad of Iran has also congratulated Obama !
Who’s next to congratulate the Obamessiah then – “Hugo the Chav” aka the Venezuelan Caligula ?
“the Venezuelan Caligula”
LOL!!!!
‘Daily Mail’:
“How 175 BBC staff got it wrong”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1083448/How-175-BBC-staff-got-wrong.html
The republicans lost their credibility with the American people when they wiped their ass with the Contract With America. The media lost all pretense of credibility when it gave The Obamessiah an 18-month slob-job.
Given the incredible bread & circus promises Obama has made to his hopeydopes, for the sake of not only the American people but the entire world, we had all better hope Obama proves equally (and obviously) hypocritical.