Reply #18: Write-up from the Guardian... [View All]

[madfloridian]

Must have been a low key affair.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/23/uselections2008.barackobama

"We turned up in droves and stood in disorderly queues and spoke in loud voices. Many came with children in tow and wearing T-shirts bearing the insignias of American sports teams and advertising their belief that Texas should not be messed with.

Imperial College, London, was a slightly surprising place for the chairman of the Democratic National Committee to turn up on Sunday only days after his party had begun the frantic scramble to cope with the fallout from Obama's decision to refuse public funds. But Howard Dean fulfilled his promise to turn up to address the members of Democrats Abroad UK, despite what might have been some rather more pressing concerns.

Statesmanlike, Dean avoided saying anything controversial, besides remarking that "I think the Republican brand is incompetence and corruption, myself", to much applause. It was essentially a fundraising junket, with the now-classic rhetoric – "If you can't heal the party, you're not going to heal America" – but the enthusiasm was palpable. I felt incredibly inspired. It was unsettling.

Unsettling, because it's been a long time since American politics has inspired me."