Call it quits Rudy

I have to respect Republican Rudy Giuliani for his persistence. But putting all of his hopes for this presidency race in the hands of Florida was the wrong idea. Now look what happens – he ends up in third place with a dismal 15 percent of votes, quite embarrassing really after all of that effort. (www.nydailynews.com)

He headed to Florida for this long campaign which he believed would be his turning point in this election but for the people of Florida their answer to Giuliani was no – the results of the votes spoke for themselves. I’m sure the campaigning he did helped propel him to third place otherwise I think he would have landed in fourth or fifth position.

So it’s time for him to call it quits right? Democrat John Edwards has declared his exit leaving the Dem race to Obama and “the Clintons” but not Guilliani (well I’m sure he will soon), his delusion of winning in Florida has come to an end, but as I say I do respect his persistence but realistically he has no shot in this race now – he hasn’t won a caucus and he is unlikely to.

One lesson I think Giuliani will learn from all of this is that he shouldn’t rely on his past exploits whether they were successful or not to get him through an election, his continually utterances of how well he handled 9/11 and how stable he made New York’s economy hasn’t sat well with people at all – he realised that too late.

Now over in the Democratic camp “the Clintons” won in Florida which is not at all surprising, Hillary still leads Obama in nationwide polls having more support than him in particular states like Florida. But as we’ve seen things can always change.

Obama widens gap

This race is far from over – Obama is giving Hillary Clinton a run for her money. Saturday was the widest win so far in the Democratic camp and so much the better for Obama because it was his win. (www.newsday.com)

After all the bitter words and scraps between him and Hillary, Obama gave the final slap with a win in South Carolina.

So does this mean Barack has the black vote? Well in South Carolina he certainly has with nearly 80 percent of black voters under the age of 40 giving their vote to him and 80 percent of older black voters backing him also. We will just have to wait and see what other predominately black states think. And then there is the whole issue about the Latino vote, critics seem to think that Latinos will vote differently to black voters.

White voters for Obama were pretty consistent. Almost 40 percent of white voters under the age of 40 backed him with the rest of votes divided up between Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.

South Carolina’s final count saw Obama take 55.4 percent of voters, Clinton 26.5 percent and Edwards 17.6 percent.  

Super Tuesday (Feb 5th) is going to be interesting, I’ve got a feeling this nomination race is going to be a neck and neck race – it’s all about the Democrats forget the Republicans!! (For now)

Road rebel in NY

At last I can say I’ve driven in NY! As the road rebel that I am I couldn’t wait to hit the streets in some wheels. I might be biased, because I love driving, but the roads are safe, okay you disagree but let me explain – the roads are safe but it’s the people who drive cars that make the roads unsafe.

I  didn’t drive in the heart of Manhattan but drove uptown instead. As a pedestrian I do see how dangerous it is – especially the yellow taxi drivers they’re the worst of the bunch because they have no conscience, as long as taxis drivers get to where they’re going they’re happy.

The only major differences in America compared to London are that in the States people of course drive on the right side and the majority of drivers here use automatic cars. So as someone who has only driven manual cars and driven on the left I’m surprised how quick I found it to adjust. It took me a little while but it was so easy. I did have the odd lapse where I felt like I needed to change gear but realising that all I needed to do was hit the gas pedal was pure delight.

To be truthful I was a little nervous because seeing how some of my cousins drive here would scare anyone. But being in the car and not worrying about the gears, my only concerns were where I was going, pedestrians, signs, knowing I’m meant to be on the right side – Oh and the most important, watching out for bad drivers.

Okay so there are some downsides to driving here. I’ve noticed that people love to double park, which means that for anyone who wants to get out of a parking space they can’t because annoyingly cars are parked alongside them; people hardly indicate to go left or right; drivers don’t like to stay in their lanes and they love to  jump lights – but that’s quite common in London too.

But that’s not going to stop me from driving here and yep I’m looking forward to more sessions on the road, next thing you know I’ll be driving from Manhattan to Brooklyn on my own, or perhaps even  further a field like Boston!

Embarrassment in Demo Camp

On Monday we finally witnessed some fighting spirit in the slinging match between Hillary and Barack (www.nydailynews.com) – unfortunately it’s too bad the showdown took place on Martin Luther King Day.

Up to now Hillary and Barack have been “fairly” civil to one another but on this occasion we saw their true feelings, especially how the election is taking its toll on them at an emotional level – you could see the strain in both of their faces.  Neither of them wanted to look like the weaker person which is why they were both standing their ground on insult after insult.

Then there’s the other democratic candidate John Edwards who peacefully watched on as both Hillary and Barack ripped into each other. Although he is non existent in the elections at the moment it made him look good especially after the spate when he questioned the audience asking if these are the two kinds of people you want running the country – obviously the faces of both Hillary and B|arack didn’t look pretty at all – more the look of shame than anything else.

But I believe this hasn’t affected the thoughts of voters because many plan to vote strategically  anyway. Many are thinking, “Where would my vote make the most significant difference?”

Now the candidates have headed down to South Carolina to seek the support of black voters – the caucus is this Saturday. Obama knows that he can’t win over black voters based on his colour alone and Hillary knows that just because of who her husband is she can’t just automatically win the black vote (Although there are some who will base their vote just on these factors). Many black democrat supporters are contemplating that if it came to the final hurdle between a Republican and Democratic who would be the big threat to the Republicans and perhaps even go on to win this presidential race. Some believe Obama and others think that realistically it should be Hillary.

There are so may dimensions to this election in regards to race, loyalty and war, but the common thought amongst a number of voters is that they want the Republicans out of the White House and I too can see that happening the only decision needed is to decide which Democratic candidate can do that.

Young leaders and the money that folds

Since I arrived I’ve noticed that there are distinct groups saturated with the intention to improve equality and life for black people. Groups including the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), the New York Urban League (NYUL), the Wall Street Project and the National Action Network are extremely active in NY.

I’ve met with most of these organisations and they each have their own way of attempting to solve the challenges faced in black communities, and one thing about them all is that they see economic independence as the way forward, which I completely agree with.

Last night I attended the NYUL Young Professionals general body meeting which seeks to build young professionals as leaders in their communities. It’s a very noble idea and I can see how effective it is for many young people and their communities.

Luckily on the night, I was able to hear from the two presidents and CEOs of the NYUL and National Urban League (NUL), Darwin Davis and Marc Morial. They gave very inspiring speeches about the need for future leaders and the work of the NUL. One really good point Davis raised regarded the presidential election. He argued that people were too caught up with the candidates in the race, that it overshadowed what it really should be about – their policies.

Listening to them and the young chairs in the organisation as I say was very inspiring and the turnout was great. The only thing I found questionable was speaking to some of the other people who attended, their interest for joining the meeting was purely for personal interest. Don’t get me wrong as young professionals it should be about networking and how we can work together. However, one guy I spoke to was particularly driven by money. He had developed a really interesting publication about parenting and I asked him where did the idea and passion come from and the first thing that came out of his mouth was “money” – he wasn‘t joking. It was only after a lot of prodding that he said that he came up with the idea because he saw a niche in the market. I know that money is an important thing in life especially to progress in this world but the true passion behind such ideas seems to be lost.

Change in Barbados

David Thompson, leader of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), who has waited years for the day to be declared the next prime minister will now officially see his patience reap as he is sworn in as PM today.

Right now my family and other Barbadian expatriates living here in NY are discussing the news that Owen Arthur, leader of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) is no longer Barbados’ prime minister after 13 years in power. I’m hugely disappointed because from what I see he’s been a great leader for the island. Just look at how strong Barbados is today – it has one of the strongest economies in the Caribbean.

I remember when I was 18, I went over there to spend time with family in my gap year before university, it was also a time when the Barbados general elections were taking place. I went to rallies, which were always colourful occasions, watched campaign motorcades (trucks) with sound systems blaring music, horns tooting and heard speeches made by party members. Owen had so much support behind him that it was no surprise that he stayed in power. Nine years on the island has continued to grow and become one of the most fruitful islands in the West Indies.

I’m a person who always thinks change is good. Although I would have liked to see Owen Arthur continue as prime minister because he was doing a good job, I’m also keen to see what new direction Thompson will take the island. Barbadians have voted him in for a reason, perhaps its change they want and as I say change can only be a good thing.

Is Hillary losing the black touch?

Apparently not, although a recent New York news poll did reveal that 42 percent of Black people in New York  would now vote for Obama compared to 40 percent for Hillary.  But this will hardly worry her since nation wide, among democrats, she is still the voters favourite leading with 47 percent to Obama’s 27 percent.

One thing I’ve noticed in Obama is that he doesn’t really play up to political banter. It’s so apparent because whilst he focuses on his campaign Hillary is caught up trying to defend comments she made claiming that president Lyndon Johnson played as big a role in the civil rights movement as Marin Luther King. And even Bill Clinton, he had to make guest appearances on local black radio stations to clarify his comments after criticising Obama’s stance on the Iraq war claiming that they were “fairy tales”.

But considering New York is her home state I particularly feel she won’t have a problem but in saying that I have noticed that black and Latino people here are divided on who to vote for. Even among my family members there’s division, some are for Hillary and others are backing Obama. If this is the case for every other black family too then the caucus in February is indeed going to be split. What is not particularly surprising is how the split is divided, much of the older members of my family plan to vote for Hillary and the younger ones are rooting for Obama.

The divide can even be seen certainly between black celebrities, we’ve already seen Oprah run a three day tour pledging why she thinks Obama should be the next US president but then on the other hand, founder of the Black Entertainment Network (BET) billionaire Robert Johnson made an opening speech as to why he was supporting Hillary and not Obama.

The race card is going to be a continual feature in this race and surely a tactical one as it has been in previous elections. Since I arrived here the banter has been a constant reminder of that and I can only imagine what it will be like as the caucus’ for the southern states, with large black populations, draw near.

Forever young

I wouldn’t want it. You’re probably thinking you say that now but wait until you get older, but I’m being honest I really wouldn’t want to rely on steroids or human growth hormone to slow down my aging process. I believe in the saying that one should grow old gracefully, and as far as I would go in that would be to exercise to stay fit and eat healthily.

But steroids, which has always been around in sports is now reaching celebrity status, I suppose it has always been there but as an underground craze now surfacing to the mainstream. An investigation is taking place over claims that a number of high profiled artists like 50 Cent and Wyclef Jean have purchased orders for steroids but there’s no evidence to link them so I doubt how true these claims are. But obviously I’m sure there are people out there who certainly use them to stay young. And I’m sure its use will increase on a much wider scale now that it is out in the open to the public. I can already hear image conscious people saying “anti-aging steroids…hmmmmm I must to try that”.

I really don’t see myself taking things like that or even lying on an operating table having my face tugged at, getting the fat (not that there is any on me anyway) sucked out, or having the fat from my ass injected into my lips or anywhere else on my face. I’m not sure if this is part of our evolution but if it is I’m quite worried to see what man-made creations will involve into, who knows what tampering with bodies will result in as years pass by. I hate the fact that we live in such an image conscious world.

Dumb and Dumber

Strange but true:www.nydailynews.com - The things people will do for money…

Smiles all round for Clinton

What will they call her now? Hmmmmm…let me guess – The comeback kid!
It was obvious she was feeling the pressure after Obama’s win in Iowa but his short victory, now overshadowed by her success in New Hampshire, means that things are going to hot up in this race.

It certainly wasn’t a clean sweep but an extremely close race, just two percent between the two of them and it was like that up and down continually as the votes were counted throughout the evening all the while Hillary maintaining that slight lead.

So no doubt there are smiles all round in the Clinton camp the complete opposite to how they were looking a couple of days ago when they felt they were losing a grip on the nation. As Hillary stood in front of her delegates at her victory speech, the worry lines in her face, tiredness and frustration all seem to have disappeared now with the news that she has NH in her pocket.

Alright then my guess to what tipped the scales – I think her emotional response on Monday to a voter’s question, “How do you do it?” was an aid to her win (www.nydailynews.com), it humanised her and I believe that’s how she gained those extra votes especially from female voters – she had more in NH than in Iowa. I believe she’ll play on the emotional card to get more reverence from voters. In her speech she said that she had finally found her voice. So I predict that you will see more of that emotion in speeches, press conferences and as she meets the many people in states across the nation who intend to vote.

But we mustn’t forget Obama, he is the underdog and is still very much Hillary’s main opponent. He gave a staunch speech for coming second in NH. His speech was far from defeatist and he already has his sights set on the next primaries down South and West, especially Super Tuesday, where on February 5 the majority of primaries will take place in States across the country – what I call crunch time.

And to be honest he is still very much a favourite among circles and his campaign for Change seems to be growing on people by each day that passes.

Now if I compare it to the Republicans, things are pretty different. First off the Republican race appears to be more open field John Mccain won in New Hampshire closely followed by Mitt Romney and further down the line Mike Huckabee.

For some reason I believe that a democratic will run the White House, who exactly I don’t know but I can certainly see a democratic president, but of course it is still far to early to tell.