Why Barack Obama may be lonely in 2009

theglobeandmail.com ^ | July 5, 2008 | Doug Saunders

[Puzzleman]

When Barack Obama lands in Europe for his first big international tour this month, the Democratic presidential candidate may be shocked to find himself standing in the middle of a vast, blood-soaked plain littered with the bodies of his political allies.

He will see left-wing parties that have reached their lowest popularity levels in a generation and in most cases have all but slid into non-existence. And it's getting worse. If he becomes president, by the end of 2009 Mr. Obama almost certainly will be the only left-wing leader remaining among the Group of Eight nations and one of only two or three left-leaning heads of state in the Western world. Once again, America will be going it alone.

It is a darkly ironic reversal of fortunes: At the start of the decade, a conservative such as George W. Bush was almost alone in the world; today, the world is being overtaken by conservative leaders — though not necessarily, as we shall see, by their ideas. Ten years ago, Newsweek magazine proclaimed that, "with the exception of Spain, every major country in Western Europe is now run by a left-of-centre party," adding tellingly that "conservative political parties keep winning policy debates and then losing elections." Today, almost the opposite is true. Across Europe, the left is collapsing...

[Puzzleman]

There's some great stuff here!

[johnthebaptistmoore]

A possible President Obama along with a probable leftist/RINO dominating Congress is not my idea of great stuff.

[Dahoser]

He will see left-wing parties that have reached their lowest popularity levels in a generation and in most cases have all but slid into non-existence.

What would it say about the voters in this country? (Not that it would say anything good even if the European left-wing parties were super strong.)

[SamAdams76]

Even in the U.S., there is a quiet groundswell building for McCain. Nobody wants to say it openly because firstly, McCain is not the most inspiring nominee we've had and secondly, it is politically incorrect to come out against the first black nominee for president. But behind that voting booth in November, McCain/Romney are going to come out big winners.

And yes, it will be Romney who McCain will choose as VP. Mitt is It.

[RetiredArmy]

Great. The rest of the world wakes up to the fact that liberals and leftist are destroying their countries and here, the stupid ass holes in America are going to sleep and going to commit the exact same mistakes that the Eurowinnies now realize were mistakes. Simply marvelous that we are too become stupid as they are, last of course, and then have to muddle through 4 years of this ass hole and his Marxist congress destroying America. Simply grand. /sarcasm still on

[freeangel]

“What would it say about the voters in this country?”

It would be interesting to see if he would throw all of his voters under his bus so that he could then achieve world status in the new world order.

[Dahoser]

It would be interesting to see if he would throw all of his voters under his bus so that he could then achieve world status in the new world order.

Obama already threw his own grandmother under the bus, so throwing his voters under would be no big deal. However, his voters believe in the new world order so there would be no need.

[Jabba the Nutt]

I don’t know, who was with McCain in Colombia? Joe Lieberman. Which States does Romney help win?

[arthurus]

Romney brings a lot of money to the campaign.

[Don Corleone]

Which States does Romney help win?

All of them!

[Cacique]

btt

[BlueAngel]

I think that I could vote for McCain without holding my nose, if Romney were on the ticket.

[cotton1706]

Romney wil help a great deal in Michigan and Nevada. And though McCain’s very popular in NH already, he may help there too. And he may possibly have to make the democrats spend money in MA to keep that safely in their column.

[ishmac]

Even in the U.S., there is a quiet groundswell building for McCain.

I don't know about a groundswell, but I think the old adage, "You can't fool all the people all the time" is starting to kick in. We complain about a dumbed-down populace, but Obama's ad about "The Country I love" was just laughable. "Heartland values"??!! The guy who attended a hate-America church for 20 years and is the most Marxist candidate since Henry Wallace of the 1940's? His ineptitude is also starting to sink in.

If only we had a strong conservative candidate this time!! We could seriously be thinking about retaking the House and Senate on his (or her--oh for a Lady Thatcher) coattails. Oh well. Our time will come round again sooner than most think. As Thatcher herself put it, "There are no permanent defeats in politics because there are no permanent victories."

[Salman]

Be that as it may, just remember “right of center” European parties are still quite socialist, though more nationalistic.

[johniegrad]

Great. The rest of the world wakes up to the fact that liberals and leftist are destroying their countries and here, the stupid ass holes in America are going to sleep and going to commit the exact same mistakes that the Eurowinnies now realize were mistakes.

Actually, I think they are behind us. These politicians bear a resemblance to our White House occupant for the past 8 years with no controls on social government spending and running as "compassionate conservatives". They may differ on our Middle East intervention but not as much as they did 8 years, or for that matter, 4 years ago. I think they are following us and not vice versa.

[PapaBear3625]

Across Europe, the people who actually work for a living are waking up and seeing that their countries are being taken away from them and given to a growing, imported welfare class who rape, rob, and plunder the natives

The native Europeans are slowly realizing that they have two choices at this point: allow themselves and their children to succumb to invaders, or fight back. If they choose to fight back, the response will NOT be pretty

[driftless2]

"great stuff"

And far more idiotic stuff. His analysis of why the Dems won in the nineties is way off. Clinton lucked into the tech revolution. He "reformed" welfare (actuall the Republican congress forced him) and passed a capital gains tax.