The Straits Times Blogs - Bhagyashree Garekar

Obama's party... and party... and party

2009-01-16T04:30:00Z

Bhagyashree Garekar on the inaugural balls lined up for the US President-elect.

In Washington

WHAT a party Mr Barack Obama is going to have next week.

Hours after he's sworn in as president next Tuesday, he will attend at least 10 - yes, that's right 10 - inaugural balls.

At some of them, he plays the host, like the youth inaugural ball - for young Americans aged 18-35 featuring Beyonce, Mariah Carey, JAY-Z and others.

Following tradition, he is also the host of the five regional balls (for guests from the Midwest, the West, the East, the South, and the Mid-Atlantic regions) and a ball for each of his home states Illinois and Hawaii.

Then, there's the neighbourhood inaugural ball being held for the first time - specially for the Washington DC residents and the Commander-in-Chief's Ball where guests will include wounded warriors and the families of fallen heroes.

And these are just the 'official' balls. He may also show up at any of the over two dozen other private, 'unofficial' balls, or so their organisers hope anyway.

For some, the balls are the social highlights of the year. But the veterans say they are nothing to dance about really.

To get in, you must clear mile-long security lines that eventually lead to more queues - to check in the heavy winter coats (so that the special tux and gown can be aired) and then to still more queues to get champagne (in a plastic cup) and grab a pretzel (rather than oysters).

As for the twirl on the dance floor, it can be quite a crush even in the years when the interest was not as sky-high as now. And if you blink, you might miss the president waltzing by.

The president and the first lady will basically zip in and zip out of the venues quicker than you can say Emperor Waltz.

After all, they're sure to be rushed around. Talk about dancing all night!

Not too jolly

2008-12-28T09:27:00Z

Bhagyashree Garekar explains why good cheer is lacking in the US this season.

In Washington

WHERE'S good cheer to be found this season? There's no respite in bad tidings - the economy is expected to get worse before it gets better, unemployment will scale new highs, stocks are at unimaginable lows and property market continues to stagnate. Even the weather's been lousy, with a cold snap causing misery in large parts of the country.

Retail therapy, anyone? Not really. This Christmas period has seen the lowest sales in 40 years, say retailers who unfortunately depend on holiday shopping for as much as a third of their annual sales. Consumers are keeping away despite discounts as deep as 80 per cent. Amazon and WalMart look like the only ones who have been hearing cash registers ring.

Grimacing at their prospects, the retailers are trying to move Congress to approve three 10-day periods of tax-free shopping in the new year in an effort to encourage consumer spending. Whether these will entice the deeply-indebed consumers on enforced belt-tighening regimen remains to be seen. But analysts note that personal bankruptcy filings are up too, rising to 131,672 in November, up 37 per cent from a year earlier.

In this gloomy scenario, there has been one bright spot for the consumer - relief from the high petrol prices experienced this year. Right now, a gallon of gas (the unit used in the US) is below US$2 - this is the lowest price in 5 years and a drop of over 60 per cent form the high of over US$4 in July.

One analyst estimated that the price decline was equivalent to a tax cut of up to US$300 billion.

The consumers are not inert to this 'stimulus', the vow to drive less and take the train more has fast come undone. Hybrid vehicles are beginning to seem like a summer fad. Fuel-guzzling trucks and SUVs, which are available for heavy discounts, will outsell cars in December - that hasn't happened since February. The sales of hybrid vehicles - for cars like Toyota Prius and Honda Civic had weeks of waiting period and a premium just a few months ago - are headed south.

Not too surprisingly, conservationists are frowning. Good cheer is in limited supply this season.

Voting, literally, for change

2008-11-04T05:28:00Z

Bhagyashree Garekar tallies up how this election has changed US politics.

From Washington DC

IN REALITY TV terms, it has been an Amazing Race and two years of Survivor. Or, if you like, American Idol.

In the course of 2008 presidential race, Americans have made history, regained their political innocence, rediscovered political intimacy and set new records for participation.

Now that it is almost over, a look at the race that remade American politics:

1. Yes they can!

Senator Barack Obama, 47, need not win the election to prove it. The fact that he has became the first black candidate of a major American political party has paved a path for a once enslaved people to aspire to the highest office in the land.

Blacks in America have produced champion athletes, rock stars, movie stars and some of the most prominent community leaders. But the White House was thought to be politically unfeasible. No longer.

For a nation which took a long and bloody route to dismantle racial segregation in schools, restaurants, buses and trains, the achievement is like astronaut Neil Armstrong's giant step for mankind. Minorities across the world are taking notice.

For a while, the race question hung in the air. Mr Obama, fighting the primary battle, faced stubborn resistance from white voters who seemed unwilling to close the gap with him.

His utterance, made in private but outed by a blogger, about small-town Americans clinging to guns and religion, seemed to have damned him. His longstanding ties with a controversial pastor who harboured anti-white sentiments also caused suspicion.

But Mr Obama went on to disown the pastor and made a stirring speech about race relations, partly undoing the damage. Along the way, he also dropped his objection to wearing flag pins on his chest (it was token patriotism, he had maintained). It was a concession to those who wanted an assurance that the son of a Kenyan father who bore the middle name 'Hussein' had his heart in the right place.

Race 2008 struck a blow for gender inequality too. Republican running mate Sarah Palin now stands just one hurdle removed from becoming the country's first female vice-president.

2. Look ma, no ideology

When the race opened, it seemed no great risk to foretell a shoo-in Democratic year. President George W Bush was ending his two terms as America's most unpopular president, the Republican brand was - to quote the party leaders - "in the trash can".

The Republicans hovered briefly over the party favourites - former Massachusetts governor and millionaire businessman Mitt Romney and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee before making a beeline for Senator John McCain. Compared to Mr Obama's, his nomination was sewed up fairly early on, though not without a fight.

As for the Democrats, they had all but declared New York Senator Hillary Clinton the inevitable winner before they enacted their longest primary battle in history. Mr Barack Obama opened with a stunning victory in mainly-white Iowa and went on to outplay the 'experienced' Mrs Clinton in a bitterly fought state-by-state battle.

The country took a long time to choose the contenders this year and look who it found - Mr McCain, who proudly cites his longstanding bi-partisan record in the Senate, and Mr Obama, who declared himself the post-partisan candidate from Day One of the race.

In the process, the American electorate took a collective breather from the pitched partisan battles of the past years and returned to the state of political innocence.

In choosing party rebel McCain, the Republicans moved away from the confusion of the Bush Administration which has upended the party ideology. Instead of a small government with limited spending, in line with party principles, Mr Bush is poised to bequeath a record budget deficit of US$1 trillion to his successor.

Equally, the American voters have looked past Mr Obama's voting record of being the most left-leaning of senators and placed faith in his economic plan. Opinion polls have made that clear, and way before the financial storm.

Whatever happened to conventional wisdom of America, the centre-right nation?

3. American dream redefined

There was a collective intake of breath when Senator Obama declared healthcare was a "right" during a televised debate. In contrast, Mr McCain said it was a "responsibility" - a more familiar argument that that good employers should provide health care to their employees. And that government should reward the employers with tax cuts.

The US is unique among the wealthy democracies to not offer universal healthcare to citizens. But with the number of uninsured Americans - ie they have no health cover and get little or no health care until they end up in an emergency room - standing at a huge 47 million, the logic underpinning the American dream is under strain.

If it were not for the financial crisis, it would not be too difficult to imagine healthcare as the top election issue. And a growing number of Americans seem to think Mr Obama is right on this one.

With that, a key narrative of American political culture will be reshaped - that a "true American" gets ahead on his own. That has been the founding principle of this country where an individual in "pursuit of happiness" expects the government to keep out of the way and does not look to it for succour when hard times hit.

Compared to Europe, where the collective rather than individualistic spirit prevails, Americans pay lower taxes. And by extension the nation spends less on pensions, unemployment benefits and things like child-care allowances. And yes, healthcare.

It has to be said that globalisation has been hard on America in the last decade. Surveys show that voters feel less secure now than ever before about their own and their children's future. Home to the world's best universities and research institutions, Americans are being knocked out of global competitiveness by poor schooling. Wherever Mr Obama promised to invest more in early education and make college tuition affordable, he met loud approval.

At the same time, Americans are also less sure about their place in the world, the image of the country battered by the Abu Ghraib and Gitmo Bay abuses, its resources stressed by two wars, its supremacy challenged by a more sure-footed China and a resurgent Russia.

The next president can't navigate the future looking in the rear-view mirror. He will need to redefine what it means to be American in a globalised world.

4. Put your money where your mouse is

For some, this pitch from the Obama campaign last Saturday was a real steal: "You could be one of five first-time donors to go backstage on Election Night, as long as you give - in any amount - before Sunday at midnight.

"If you're selected, you and a guest will be flown to Chicago, put up in a hotel, and given a front row seat to history." That is, to Mr Obama's victory - or concession - speech on Tuesday night.

Pitches like these, possible at the cheap through mass emails, caused the signature phenomenon of this race - Mr Obama's record-breaking US$605 million treasure trove, more than double Mr Bush's record feat in 2004. To the wonderment of all, the most numerous of his donors are those who have given small sums - under US$5. And the fundraising has been an e-transaction.

The McCain camp woke up late to the potential of the Net, but also harnessed it, though not as well as the Democrats to identify and communicate with potential voters.

The old-style political courtship - think long-limbed Abraham Lincoln on the stump - was reborn.

Face-to-face contact with voters, given up as an option more expensive than few minutes on TV, made a comeback. Technology helped delete the trial-and-error method from door-to-door campaigning. With a database on consumers and the Google maps, the pinpointing of potential voters becomes a breeze. A campaigner knew exactly which door to knock.

The vast outreach - by both campaigns - contributed to political rallies of an unusual size, an unprecedented number of early voters, and perhaps what might be a record-setting turnout tomorrow.

The Internet did more - enabling gaffes to travel at the speed of sound and light. Thus Mrs Palin and her winks are on permanent display at Youtube. Mr Obama's controversial ex-pastor Reverend Jeremiah Wright's rants loop endlessly on many websites. Mr Obama's running mate Joe Biden's patronising references to him are a double-click away, to be circulated among.

There is one last favour the Internet could yet do the voter. A number of websites are on alert for catching and documenting voting irregularities on Election Day. Just go Twitter.

5. It's the economy...

When the political season opened, there was a ringing buzz about this history-making campaign which promised Americans the first black president in Mr Obama, the first woman president in Mrs Clinton, the oldest president in Mr McCain, at 72. As also, the first Mormon president in Mr Romney and the first Hispanic president in Mr Bill Richardson who was knocked out in the early Democratic primaries.

In the closing lap of the race, the crisis struck and all debates about racism, sexism, ageism were rendered moot.

With economy going up in smoke, the first virtue the voters are seeking is competence. Suddenly, Mr Obama is not that black anymore and Mr McCain not just old but experienced.

As they say, this race ain't over till it's over.

Preparing for the polls

2008-10-31T22:00:00Z

Bhagyashree Garekar describes the pre-election mood.

In Washington

THREE days away from choosing their next president, Americans are in a high state of excitement.

In a crowded Washington subway, a young man on the phone claims he will be "severely depressed" if Senator Barack Obama loses. A woman across the aisle purses her lips and looks away.

In roadside stalls, souvenir and gift shops, Halloween masks of both candidates are selling briskly (it's a puzzle to me whether the wearers think the grotesque rubber and plastic masks are a trick or a treat), as are Obama- and McCain-faced cookies (I thought of picking one, but couldn't decide which one in the end. And it later struck me that unlike a voter I could have had both).

In this last wild weekend, closing the longest presidential race, the last-minute pitches are growing frantic.

The opinion polls - as has happened in the last four out of five elections - are narrowing further.

Passions are heating up. Such that even at this late stage people are second-guessing the choice of running mates.

Should it have been Mrs Hillary Clinton after all for Mr Obama? Was Mrs Sarah Palin Mr John McCain's biggest mistake?

Worries that there could be chaos on the Big Day are being voiced louder. Many say they are afraid their vote will somehow be lost or not counted. Mostly, these are Obama backers who fear that somehow their candidate will be thwarted in his tryst with destiny.

At this point, according to a survey, at least eight in 10 Americans believe their country is on the wrong track.

This measure of dissatisfaction also speaks of expectations from the next incumbent of the White House.

But what can the next president really do?

Voters have pretty definite ideas.

An Associated Press-Yahoo! News survey taken at the beginning of the year showed a large majority of voters believes the president has considerable sway on economic issues such as inflation, interest rates, the federal deficit and taxes.

About three-quarters believe the president has at least some influence over healthcare costs.

Some 69 per cent think the president can cause a change in petrol prices.

The voters were less certain about the president's ability to change how things really work in Washington - a major election promise made by both Senators Obama and McCain.

Some 55 per cent thought that was possible; 44 per cent did not, no matter who's elected.

The financial crisis is crowding out the long to-do list for the next president, shooting past priorities such as the ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, finding solutions to the high energy prices or providing affordable healthcare. All of which are critical to America's well being and will spring back on the agenda after the firefighting is over.

Then, there is a measure of cynicism about big-mouth politicians.

Former president Richard Nixon set a 1980 deadline for ending US dependence on foreign oil - a goal still unmet. Who can forget President George H W Bush's "Read my lips, no more taxes". He had to eat his words.

Mr Bill Clinton gloriously pledged to end the era of big government; he prevailed but for a brief while. President George W. Bush promised to pay down the national debt by US$2 trillion, it has grown to about US$10 trillion.

Still, hope has a long shelf life.

If that were not the case, we would not be looking at predictions of a landslide in voter turnout.

Read the full Saturday Special report in The Straits Times today.

You've got election mail!

2008-10-29T05:10:00Z

Bhagyashree Garekar gets spammed by Obama and McCain.

In Washington

I HAD a taste of how up, close and personal this race is.

In my inbox this morning was a letter urging me to take the day off work.

This is how it went:

"Bhagyashree --

Ask your Boss. Ask your Professor. Take Election Day off and volunteer to make history...

We have volunteer shifts to fill throughout the day - make calls, knock on doors, and make sure your fellow voters get to the polls.

No previous experience is required. Sign up now to take the day off and make history on November 4th.

Jon Carson, National Field Director, Obama for America."

Another email, two days ago, had this intriguing subject line: "How Bhagyashree can change America".

I was tickled. And I just had to open it, of course.

"Dear Bhagyashree,

Election Day is just days away, but you still have plenty of opportunities to make a difference for Barack.

Change never comes without a fight - and it won't come at all unless each of us does our part.

Will you browse the list of activities below and see what you can fit into your schedule?"

It was again from the friendly Mr Carson, helpfully listing all the activities in the vicinity where I could make myself useful.

Oh, and I keep hearing from Hillary, as in Clinton, and Bill, as in Clinton again. And Joe, as in Biden, too. Sometimes, Chelsea pipes up.

Sometimes, it is an invite to tea for me and my cellphone (so we can get together and call friends who might like to vote, volunteer, bankroll the campaign. Preferrably, all three). Sometimes it's stuff they feel I just have to know if I am to be a meaningful participant in this election.

I'm not a US citizen, of course. And the emails are just part of the mails sent out by the millions by the Obama camp, and almost always inviting a $5 donation. "Own a piece of this campaign," they say, and the pitch has sold well going by the unprecedented millions raised by Mr Obama. With small donors, tempted by messages such as these, making up the bulk of the donors.

But they do get more personal than emails.

Twice in the past few weeks I got calls asking me if I had "free weekends" to help out with some turnout efforts. "It's not hard, we can show you how to do it. It's fun, do come."

Not robo calls, mind you, like the ones from the opposite camp.

But from real, live volunteers.

I'd listed my number on Mr Obama's website, in order to be among those who were to know of his choice of running mate through "historic" text messages. Somehow, I never did get that SMS. Clearly, however, my number was lodged somewhere in their database.

And the Obama folks really believe in their database, and the power of the Internet, ever since Howard Dean, the original Internet politician, showed it was possible to win votes and raise cash by reaching out in cyberspace.

An aide at the Democratic Party's Washington DC office said: "We know face-to-face campaigning is the best way. But it's also the most expensive, more expensive to do than TV spots. So we plugged in the Internet."

Here is how it works: the party has access to huge databases bought from all sorts of companies (like credit card companies). The databases are mined for telltale traits that identify possible Democratic voters.

Then the names are posted on a map and there you have it - a ready reckoner for the eager volunteer who needs to know which doors to knock on. Every volunteer who emails the campaign is given the names and addresses of potential voters in their area.

And it doesn't end there, for this the campaign that makes a big fuss over accountability. The party checks on whether the names on the list have indeed been contacted, and hopefully, registered as voters.

"It's a great way for us to reach underserved areas and communities, like the Asians who have really low registration and turnout rates," said the Democratic Party staffer. "And best of all, we go right over the head of media."

So much for thanking the American newspapers and TV networks, that have been largely pro-Obama.

The McCain camp's outreach efforts seem half-hearted in comparison.

A few months ago, when his campaign was still pitching him as a "leader you can believe in" versus Mr Obama's "change you can believe in" - there used to be regularly emailed "briefings" from the campaign manager Rick Davis.

In text and video clips, they would explain how the campaign was reaching out, what the big strategy was.

And of course, there was the invitation to contribute funds - until Mr McCain decided to use public funds for his election.

Mr Davis has since fallen silent.

The McCain emails now ferry TV ads, and Youtube clips the campaign believes the voters must see, the feelgood newspaper clips that praise the candidate or at least criticise Obama. The McCain mails are not as many and not nearly as personal - some would say intrusive - as Mr Obama's.

But then the McCain's partymen are already well mobilised - take a bow Sarah Palin - and at a rate that beats the Democratic Party's success with its own base by a few percentage points.

But if McCain maintains his reserve, others who speak for the party revel in some of the most biting commentary to be found.

I'm signed on to Human Events, a 60-year-old conservative weekly which of course has an Internet avatar. Several times a day I get bites of wisdom from the conservative talking heads Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Pat Buchanan. The subjects-lines are as juicy.

For instance: "Last chance to "Obama-Proof" your portfolio".

"Did you see Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live?"

"Obama the Slum Lord"

"The REAL skeletons in Obama's Closet" (This turned out to be a book promotion.)

The result: My inbox is forever jammed.

Thankfully, there's just seven more days to go.

McCain finds his feet too late?

2008-10-16T14:43:00Z

Bhagyashree Garekar spotlights the maverick's performance at the final debate.

In Washington

Senator John McCain's fans were delighted by his performance in the debate on Wednesday (Thursday Singapore time).

This is vintage McCain, they say - clear and commanding.

At last he is on the attack, gunning for his rival's weak points and not lacking in passion in denouncing them either.

The troubling question: But is it too late?

He seems pleased enough.
Source: REUTERS

People tune in outdoors in Hollywood.
Source: AFP

For the last few weeks, Mr McCain has been fielding calls to get tough and has hardened his message in response - reinventing himself once more.

At the beginning of his campaign, he was the man who stood for victory in Iraq above all. But even then, that slogan had not sold very well.

So he set himself up as the leader you could believe in - just as rival Barack Obama cleared the primary hurdle. But that approach never quite took off.

Critics said the issue for voters was whether Mr Obama was the leader they could believe in - given his newness on national stage.

So Mr McCain saw promise in taking Mr Obama on on his own turf.

So while Mr Obama sold the "change you need", Mr McCain said he was the guy to deliver the change.

After all, he was the original maverick, the real deal who had already been working to bring change to Washington.

Unfortunately, the economic tsunami broke just as the McCain-Palin maverick message was finding takers. Mr McCain was holding the wrong flag yet again - and his ratings took a tumble.

Just this week, he did find his voice as the man who will fight for Americans. And this is where he spoke from today, to good effect.

He pointed out how Mr Obama broke his promise - forsaking public funds for his campaign after vowing to follow Mr McCain in using them.

He raised a question about William Ayers links to Mr Obama. He said emphatically he was not Bush II.

A good few months after conservative analysts - Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove and others - had been shouting themselves hoarse that Mr McCain should be doing just that.

In the 19 days that remain, is the Vietnam vet facing Mission Impossible?

As the bard said, long ago: There is tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows...

Financial storm hits home

2008-09-18T05:08:00Z

Bhagyashree Garekar discusses how ordinary Americans are affected.

In Washington

MS SUSI DuPuis, a 49-year-old from Alexandria, Virginia missed the bad news coming out of Wall Street last weekend. The 49-year-old legislative assistant at a giant oil company was focused on another twister, the real kind, wreaking destruction on the Gulf coast where her company has oil rigs.

The rigs escaped the storm without damage. Her portfolio of investments, when she tuned into TV news on Monday and saw the panic waves emitting from the Wall Street, is largely intact too.

"The first thing that came to my mind as I watched the news on TV was 'what about my retirement funds? Am I safe?'," Ms DuPuis said.

Her financial planner, who happens to be a close friend, knew she'd be worried and called to let her know that her money was not in Lehman Brothers, the US investment bank which collapsed and filed for bankruptcy before receiving a takeover offer from Britain's Barclays Bank.

"Now that I know my money is okay I can afford to watch the events with interest, not panic. I can say I have no fear. As I see it, there are large firms caught up in difficulties arising from the shake-up in the mortgage market. And I count myself lucky that I am not in the housing market - I do not have a house to sell or buy."

Ms DuPuis, relieved on the personal front, is now worried about a friend who works for Merrill Lynch, another stricken financial services giant which agreed to be bought over by Bank of America.

"I hope he's doing okay and will escape the reorganisation after the merger," she said.

Ms DuPuis, married to a military officer and the mother of three grown up children, thinks her goal of being able to retire at 62 can still be met. She is, as she admits, luckier than most.

A new survey shows one in five Americans is feeling the stress from the Wall Street turbulence and expects to put off retirement. Apart from investments and retirement funds, many worry about paying more for car and housing loans and higher credit card payments.

For the moment, in newspaper columns, radio and TV shows, the experts have simple but sober advice - just sit out the rocky ride.

The consumer and the worker are relatively unscathed despite the mounting job losses and inflation - these are high but not on the scale witnessed in the previous downturns.

Days of their lives

2008-08-29T16:21:00Z

Bhagyashree Garekar on the Democratic National Convention soap opera.

In Denver

TALK about a family gathering!

The reunion begins with a squabble for inheritance. Mr Barack Obama, the winner of the Democratic primaries, fending off Mrs Hillary Clinton's vocal supporters who feel they are owed something for her strong second finish.

The air crackes with tension. Reporters chase rumours like a kitten chasing its tail. Was Bill Clinton feeling dissed by the Obama campaign? Will Mrs Clinton put up a convincing endoresement of a rival she fought hard against?

Streetcars slowly glide in and out of downtown Denver, packed with delegates whispering about a revolt by the Clintonites. The elders intervene with an out-of-court settlement to make peace.

There is no question that Mr Obama is the heir apparent, but who wants a messy scene? In the interest of party harmony, a compromise is reached the day before the delegates are to cast votes in the nominating process.

The voting will begin as scheduled and then Mrs Clinton will dramatically step up to ask that Mr Obama be chosen by voice vote. It's a win-win: She gets the respect for all to see; her supporters are mollified. Indeed, like many distant relatives caught up in a family struggle, most are plain relieved at not having to take sides.

And Mr Clinton is magnanimous with praise, asking all to get behind Mr Obama. Good old Bill, they all say.

So what's accounted for the newly-minted bonhomie? It's a family secret.

Nevertheless, it's a picture-perfect ending. Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, will.i.am provide the soundtrack, warming up the crowd that has endured the heat, the inconvenient parking, and the long security checks to hear Mr Obama's acceptance speech.

Marines set the ball rolling, tugging at heart strings. It's okay to criticise the war, they say. It isn't unpatriotic. But, they add, if you want to honour our sacrifice, don't be afraid to vote for change.

The Family welcomes new members - "refomed" Republicans who are ready to vote for a change, including former president Eisenhower's grand-daughter. Also cheering the heirs along, former vice-president Al Gore and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson - a parade of grey heads to show the sceptics that Mr Obama can bank of the support of the experienced.

The closing scene is classic: Stars and stripes, fireworks and confetti as the Obamas and the Bidens hug and kiss each other.

But what about Hillary? Oh well, that's another story for another day.

To borrow from Leo Tolstoy, happy families are all like a soap opera.

Oba-mad in Denver

2008-08-27T03:48:00Z

Bhagyashree Garekar goes shopping at the Democratic National Convention.

In Denver

THE party is in full swing.

"Buy a bit of history," calls out Ruth, a vendor of Obama buttons in a street in downtown Denver. "One for $3, two for $5."

Passers-by stop to admire her collection, even if they don't buy one. They are not short on Obama-quotient themselves; plenty are wearing T-shirts with his picture on the front and back.

Obuttons galore.
Source: BLOOMBERG

I have yet to spot a Hillary button, though plenty are apparently in circulation. Her 1,896 delegates are outnumbered by the Obama supporters and most - unlike the lady pictured above - are not exactly seeking attention openly.

You can often spot them in the crowd, mostly older, white women who identify deeply with her story of shattering the glass ceiling.

Today, they will bring the traffic to a halt as they protest the absence of their leader on the Democratic ticket.

The clock ticks on Mrs Clinton's highly-anticipated address this evening. Can she put the feminist genie she released back into the bottle?

Bottles, meanwhile, are being uncorked as delegates mingle in all sorts of parties all over town.

In Denver's rather tiny "black quarter", there are nightly jazz sessions. The New York delegation has been politely reminded not to get drunk. Apparently that can happen quite quickly in the thin mountain air of this Mile High city.

The restaurants (this city boasts it has the highest restaurants per capita in the land) are doing brisk business. Naturally, Obama is on the menu and you may order any of the following:

Ba'Rock Shrimp;
Obamalettes;
Ballot Box Brownees;
Campaign '08 trail mix;
Obamanator Lager;
Barack on the rocks;
Changing Tide; and
O'Pama Granite Martini.

And, given the 15,000 journalists in town tasked with bringing the Democratic National Convention to the world, you might well want to take a break from the Obama-fare and have another of the proffered concoctions: Media Madness.

Goodness knows what liquor they put in that one.

Advantage McCain

2008-08-19T08:08:00Z

Bhagyashree Garekar gives her assessment on debate between Obama and McCain.

IN WASHINGTON

The two contenders for the White House shared the stage for the first time since the primaries ended in June. And Senator John McCain convincingly pressed his home turf advantage.

At the forum convened by America's mega-pastor Rick Warren in the Saddleback Church south of Los Angeles on Saturday, the focus was on personal beliefs, on issues like marriage and abortion. Mr McCain was applauded more often, and the claps rang out louder.

McCain and Obama stand with moderator Pastor Rick Warren at the Civil Forum on the Presidency at
Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.
Source: REUTERS

In a sense, it was to be expected, because the audience, the evangelical Christians, traditionally vote Republican.

Of course, Senator Barack Obama also has his supporters among the evangelicals, especially among the young who look at matters like poverty and environmental issues through the lens of faith, and like what they hear from the Democratic candidate.

In a close election that this promises to be, Mr Obama could not be asking for more.

Their answers to some questions were revealing.

On the three wise men they trusted the most, Mr McCain named General David Petreaus, the commander of US troops in Iraq; veteran civil rights leader John Lewis, a Democrat from Georgia; and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, a top adviser to his campaign.

Mr Obama named his wife Michelle; his white grandma; Republican Senator Richard Lugar and former Democratic senator Sam Nunn who is an anti-nuclear weapons advocate.

It showed Mr McCain's faith in the military (he chose Petraeus) and Mr Obama's in diplomacy (he chose senators associated with Congressional foreign policy panels).

Throughout the hour-long conversation that Pastor Rick had with the two men, one at a time, Mr McCain kept his answers short and direct. He recounted at least three anecdotes from his personal life which lent depth and credibility to his replies. And the audience visibly warmed to him.

Mr Obama, celebrated for his public speaking skills, was surprisingly less effective. Some of it had to do with questions that placed him at odds with the audience, for example on abortion (he was pro-choice in a crowd of pro-lifers) and stem cell research (he has no objections to embryonic research while Pastor Rick and the evangelicals do).

Mr Obama's manner was thoughtful and professorial - not a bad thing. Whereas Mr McCain, whose answers came tumbling out of his mouth, appeared forceful and decisive.

Mr McCain scored points on patriotism, harking back to his days as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He turned a question on flip-flopping to his advantage - naming offshore drilling as an issue he had changed his mind on. And was rewarded with applause.

Answering the same question, Mr Obama talked about how he'd changed his mind on welfare from opposing the Clinton plan to embracing it. The audience remained attentive but silent. A lost opportunity perhaps, since Mr Obama has also flip-flopped on drilling.

The influential pastor did not announce a winner at end. But his opinion will matter, even if he chooses not to endorse a candidate officially. In the last election, he did not endorse President George W. Bush's candidacy, but he did let his congregation know that he agreed with Mr Bush's positions.

It looks like Mr McCain may also get his blessing.

Presidential faith

2008-08-18T08:01:00Z

Bhagyashree Garekar on why religion is a pull for Obama and McCain.

On the New York Times' best-seller list is an allegorical tale aimed at disenchanted Christians.

The Shack, written by an unknown William Paul Young, is also on the Top 10 on Amazon.com, No. 1 in religious fiction in Publisher's Weekly, and the No. 1 trade paperback fiction at Barnes & Noble bookstores. It is rare for a piece of Christian fiction to sell 2 million copies.

Mr Young, a 53-year-old small-time businessman, turned celebrity overnight: He has been interviewed on TV chat shows, and reportedly has several film offers.

Americans are certainly among the more religious people in the world. A poll showed 85 per cent of Americans saying religion is an important element of their lives, with some 70 per cent stating they want their president to be a person of faith.

No surprise then, that both Senators Barack Obama and John McCain found it worth their while to spend a Saturday evening taking questions from an evangelical pastor who may change their political fate.

Mr McCain grasped the chance to speak loud and clear on the matter of his faith. He has always shied away from public discussions on what he considers his private matter. But this time, the logic was compelling. Pastor Rick Warren's evangelical followers are widely believed to have swung President George W Bush's re-election in 2004, delivering the crucial edge in a swing state like Ohio. That, at a time when public unhappiness with the Iraq war was expected to help Senator John Kerry win.

For Mr Obama, who has never declined to talk about his faith, it was an opening to speak with an audience that traditionally votes for the Republican candidate but is believed to be considering a Democrat as its interests expand beyond moral issues like abortion to social ones like poverty.

Mr Warren's one-on-one dialogue, first with Mr Obama and then with Mr McCain, crystallised the differences between the two.

Asked about abortion, and when a baby begins to have human rights: Mr Obama passed, saying he was pro-choice but understood that there was a moral dimension to the decision.

He said: "I think that whether you're looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity is above my pay grade."

Mr McCain said: "From the moment of conception... I will be a pro-life president and this presidency will have pro-life policies."

Asked about moral failures, both personal and America's: Mr Obama referred to his experimental use of drugs in his youth.

He also said: "Americans' greatest moral failure in my lifetime has been that we still don't abide by that basic precept in Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me."

Mr McCain said his unsuccessful first marriage was his biggest moral failure.

He added: "America's greatest moral failure has been throughout our existence, perhaps we have not devoted ourselves to causes greater than our self interest." He criticised President George W. Bush, saying the country took the wrong attitude after the September 11 terrorist attacks - when Mr. Bush asked people to boost the economy by shopping. Mr McCain said: "I think after 9/11, my friends, instead of telling people to go shopping or take a trip, we should have told people to join the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps or the military."

Asked whether evil existed and how to address it - whether to ignore it, negotiate with it, contain it or defeat it: both men said evil existed. But Mr Obama said that only God could defeat evil, while Mr McCain was unambiguous: "Defeat it."

Asked about their most gut-wrenching decisions: Mr Obama said his was to oppose the Iraq war, a minority position to take at the time.
Mr McCain recalled the time he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam and was offered an early release, but decided to forego the opportunity in favour of another cellmate who had been captured earlier.

Going by the frequency of applause alone, the crowd-pleaser of the evening was Mr McCain.

America's bored with Obama

2008-08-15T12:37:00Z

Boredom with Democratic nominee Barack Obama is apparently responsible for his wilting ratings.

THE Washington-based Pew Research Center, a respected pollster, conducted a somewhat unusual survey last week, that sparked off headlines about 'Obama fatigue'. Pew asked a representative sample of Americans how much they had heard about Mr Obama and his Republican rival John McCain.

Too much of Mr Obama, said almost half the voters. Only about a quarter said they had heard too much about Mr McCain. But the high wattage visibility was not working in Mr Obama's favour. Pew also found that 22 per cent of the respondents said they had lately formed a less favourable opinion of him.

Mr Andrew Kohut, who heads Pew Research, said he thought boredom with Mr Obama's story may be accounting for his stalling poll numbers.

In recent weeks, Mr McCain has significantly narrowed the lead that Mr Obama has had over him since June. Some polls say the two are tied while some even show Mr McCain has stolen a lead. Should Mr Obama be worried?

Before he set off for his vacation in Hawaii this week, the ever-empathetic Mr Obama said he thought the American public deserved a break.

"We had the longest primary in history. And so I can imagine that folks need a break from politics and they didn't really get one like they normally do," he said.

"I think that the majority of people have been fed a constant stream of political chatter and I'm sure that having a couple weeks off and enjoying the Olympics is probably what the doctor ordered for everybody."

The American media clearly did not think they needed to give the candidate a break from relentless coverage. Scores of reporters and photographers lay in wait as he met his grandma, strolled on the beach, played golf or went out for dinner.TV anchors weighed in on whether his choice of vacation spot was too exotic and not 'American' enough.

Whether the Americans like it or not, the coming days promise even more coverage of Mr Obama. And in that lies the opportunity for Mr Obama to reverse the boredom settling on his campaign.

On Saturday, the two contenders are to have their first debate at a forum convened by popular evangelical pastor Rick Warren - dashing any desires for an Obama-free weekend.

Next week, Mr Obama is likely to announce his choice of running mate - guaranteeing hours and reams of speculation before the announcement is made, live coverage during it and more as the talking heads dissect the pros and cons of his choice.

At the end of the month, he will make what is expected to be the 'mother of all speeches' - his acceptance speech at the party convention where he will be confirmed as the official candidate.

Despite the risk of the saturation coverage turning off some voters, if these events do not spray his campaign stiff with positive ratings, Mr Obama is indeed in some trouble.