Obama

Articles

After the handshake by Grace Livingstone (June 2009)

Latin America has welcomed the election of Barack Obama. But how far do the US president’s policies point to a real change in US/Latin American relations? And even if Obama personally wants such a change, does he have the power to deliver? By Grace Livingstone

The first 100 days: a legislative agenda by Bill Fletcher Jr (January 2009)

Bill Fletcher Jr imagines a ‘people’s agenda’ to kick-start the change we need

What Obama means to the world by Gary Younge (January 2009)

People’s obsession with Barack Obama says more about them than him, says Gary Younge

Change we can achieve by Bill Fletcher Jr (December 2008)

President-elect Obama (savour the phrase) offers historic possibilities and challenges for progressives. Bill Fletcher Jr reflects on his victory and the kind of critical support that will be needed if we are to build on it

No hope by  (December 2008)

Dear Auntie,

All my left-wing friends seem to be overjoyed about Obama winning the US election, holding real hope that he will bring change, that he’ll stop the wars, and that he’ll somehow make America all cuddly and nice. But haven’t we been here before? I’m getting flashbacks to the expectations people had of politicians like Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, and how quickly they betrayed us. Is it terrible that I think Obama will be just more of the same?

Hopeless, London

My friends on the left by Gary Younge (September 2008)

Barack Obama is unique among recent Democratic presidential candidates in terms of the support he has mobilised and his relationship to his base. Win or lose, his supporters will need to stick around and organise, argues Gary Younge, as he analyses their dynamic and their role in determining Obama’s prospects

Holding Obama’s feet to the fire by Gary Younge, Doug Henwood, Jo-ann Mort, Betsy Reed, Ta-Nehisi Coates (August 2008)

With his appointment of a series of Clintonite economic and foreign policy advisers, Barack Obama has attracted fire from the American left. Doug Henwood, Gary Younge, Jo-ann Mort, Betsy Reed and Ta-Nehisi Coates debate the politics of Obama’s candidacy and the huge mobilisation of support behind it