What's next?

Rather than attempt to summarize my thoughts on what's to come for the president-elect, I shall reprint here what my step-father, and lifelong mentor, has recently written to me in an email. I think it sums everything up rather perfectly.

Courtesy of Clinton:

I’ve been reading the press here on the American elections, with large sections of the papers devoted to Obama. I just hope for the world’s sake he can live up to the hype.

All of the coverage is all too reminiscent of the coverage when Blair came to power here. There was a huge sense in the country of a need for change. Blair replaced a humiliated and discredited and deeply unpopular Government and was seen as a fresh “new” era of leadership.

Obviously we saw what happened. The vast majority in parliament was squandered. All the areas where real change could have been made were quietly dropped. Particularly the well overdue and imperative need to reform the welfare state. I hope that Obama is confident enough to surround himself with the right people (not cronies who need paying off for their support) and brave enough to make the smart choices as we all need the world’s only super power to lead us out of the mess we are in. Blair was found to be severely lacking in all the areas of character that were required in a leader here and can only be deemed successful in propelling himself into the league of the super rich. Mind you what else should we have expected from someone who publicly professed that many of his key decisions had the approval of god.

At least Gordon Brown seems less worried about his personal wealth and “legacy”. Even though he is “a son of the manse” he doesn’t appear to bother god too much about the economic crises.

Lots about the “special relationship” with America . When will we ever give give up thinking that we have any influence with America ? Lots on the vast inefficient coverage offered by the BBC. Lots of reporters and hangers on sent to USA at vast expense only for coverage to be technically and intellectually poor. Only their choice of Christopher Hitchens to give his usual razor sharp comment has been praised.

The child is father of the man? So it seems. I have taught him well. Clinton also adds a suggestion to my earlier question:

I doubt that the CIA is going to let a foreign unbeliever and despoiler, such as yourself, anywhere near the president, so I wouldn’t worry about what you say to him. Just tell him you are related to Yo Blair and that you also want a job lecturing to the American public at £250’000 a pop.