Why Obama's Inaugaration can't come soon enough

There is just over a week to go before Obama's inaugaration, but the day just can't come soon enough.

Although I didn't support his candidacy, I agree with Gerard Baker that Obama's Premiership is unlikely to be a major departure from the Bush era. I actually think that many Liberal commentators will secretly miss the Bush years, as the 43rd President personified everything they loathed about America. Obama by contrast is something of chameleon, far harder to pigeonhole.

Come January 20th, the Liberal intelligentsia will no longer be able to hide behind the claim that "we're not anti-American, but anti-Bush". Expect to see the phrase "Uncle Tom" bandied around the Liberal media.

Winston Churchill won the war but lost the election, Gordon Brown take note

A couple of weeks ago, Labour were neck and neck with the Tories and there was talk in the air of an early general election, but not anymore. The latest polls indicate that the brown bounce has fallen flat with the Tory lead again growing to double digits. It brings to mind that old saying: "A week is a long time in politics".

As long as there were major fires to fight, Gordon Brown was doing well, but now were back to the daily reality of Gordon Brown's Britain: a collapsing economy, job losses, debt, the shrinking pound and negative equity.

It all brings to mind the 1945 general election. Back then, Churchill really did save the world, but he still got thrown out of office. Gordon Brown must be secretly hoping that there will be several more opportunities to save the world between now and June 2010.

The British weather and media sensationalism

Is it me or has the media gone completely barmy when it comes to reporting the British weather?

As thermometers throughout Britain fell several degrees below zero, the Evening Standard reported:

"Minus 10 - it's colder than the Antarctic"

For god's sake, do any of these reporters know anything about geography? Being in the southern hemisphere, the antarctic is in the middle of summer, and temperatures can climb as high as 0 C. It's a very good example of how journalists manufacture news when there's no news. Lets' remember, this is the month of January, not July!

We have a few mild winters and suddenly anything a few degrees below zero is described as "Arctic" - these journalists should go and live in Toronto. (Its climate is described in travel guides as being "mild" yet temperatures regularly drop to -20C in Winter).