Image courtesy of © Gary Barker BBC Politics ShowPolitics are as you know are very important to me, especially as my partner is the Political Cartoonist for the BARKER GALLERY BBC POLITICS SHOW .The image above is his latest offering created in my house in Ramsey, Isle Of Man, displayed on the BBC website and probably sold to a genuine collector at some point in the future. Sometimes Gary creates images that are quite parochial to our political situations, other times his images will document an historical event, and be part of the news themselves. I will never take a photo as important as the historical, contorversial, poignant image such as this he created this week. Obama as President is the best thing to happen for democracy in my lifetime.
My lasting memory of the celebrations will be of Jesse Jackson's genuine tears. The man who stood beside Martin Luther King, and now Obama. He was the bridge between the worlds. Time will tell what kind of President Obama will prove to be. Times are bad, and his inheritance is poor, but he promised change and so far he has delivered the biggest change of all voter apathy into voter awareness. A one time only from me, you won't hear me say this again, but "All Hail the Chief". If only Rosa Parks has lived to see this day.
America well done and thank you.
62 comments:
Oh Babooshka, I certainly hope and pray that he's the answer to all our problems!
Great cartoon. How cool to "know" the cartoonist ;)
Great cartoon...
But we must wait and see for the answer to all "americain" problems...
Great post today. Gary is very gifted and your text today summed up the events and feelings perfectly. Lets hope some of that rubs off in the UK.
Hoping your optimism rubs off. There is definitely a wind of change.
Your brother is very talented. Runs in the family eh? ;0)
Crazycath Gary - is my partner, not brother. My brother is definiitely not a cratoonist. I agree, lets hope it's infectious.
Hi!
Your post is great! I was just watching our television news. If only Martin Luther King, Jr. were alive to see this!! Take Care!!
Sherrie
Very, very good blog. Of course I was hoping for Obama. That psycho Palin was the one who scared me away from the republicans. And is one reason(I think)why McCain lost the election, they were afraid of Palin.
i love it, i truely am excited, i love this post, i far cry of rascist slander i have already seen, and people who claim to love america wanting to move to canada.
Thanks B.
sravus
After I saw a number of people totally unable to get John Bolton to even consider it a possibility that Palin might have put undecideds off it suddenly became all too clear that the US had truly been governed by complete imbeciles for the past eight years.
malibumara
That's always the hissy-fit response of spoilt right-wingers when they don't get their own way - we have them say the same thing in the UK. Jim davidson is the obvious example. He said he'd leave the country for ever if Tony Blair got elected. Needless to say Tony did ten years in power and unfortunately unfunny Jimmy is still here.
I knew Gary would be spot on. Thank you B for your positive remarks about our newly elected president. As a tiny blue dot in a very red state, I mainly just kept my mouth shut and prayed. Hope for change, hope for the future and hope that the rest of the world will step up and help him.
V
Ah yes, Rosa, MLK and all the countless others who gave of their time, passion, care and lives.
Babooshka, thank you for this wonderful post AND your congratulations to us. We have exercised our right, and change is not only possible, but I think well underway. Gary has perfectly portrayed this election!
Wonderful cartoon. Totally agree with your sentiments. I can't believe how emotional I was watching live feeds of an election on the other side of the world. An historic day indeed. I wish him and America well.
Great cartoon Gary.
Babooshka, your blog is appreciated. Let's hope that this change will infect the world, in a good way.
Aloha from the 50th US State and home of Barack!
Some of us have been waiting for this moment our whole lives.
Please consider visiting my blog today; the post says it all; and yo know, it reads quite a lot like yours, Babooshka!
Today I am proud to be an American in such a moving way! YES WE DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks for the great comments, we in the US are totally dead chuffed1 (heard that in a Beatles video). They were dancing in the streets all over New York last night, and we all cried. maybe we have our country back.
And thank you for your own eloquence. Love the cartoon! The artist obviously is a gifted person!
hi there Babooshka.. How do you do.. Hope you always in great health and keep snapping the nice photos. and yeah, it's finally Obama and I can't to see if the US policy on many thing will change or not under Obama's administration.
bonne caricature ;o)) et vive Obama
Barker did a super job on that cartoon.
Gary's work, is - as always - brilliant! Thankyou Gary. And your comments are spot-on, Babooshka. I so agree that the Reverend Jesse Jackson's tears were so moving. Yes, indeed if only Rosa Parks had lived to see the day - not to mention Dr. King!
You'll see I featured Jesse Jackson in tears on Menton DP.
Thanks for a great post. I never thought it would happen in my life-time either until I saw Barack Obama speak at the Democratic conference a few years ago - it hit many of us, wham - here was a President one day and so it is. Fabulous!
From where I am it's a kind of bizarre to observe people's reaction to president election. I know, that's a great deal for US residents (and not only them) but nevertheless it amazes me exceedingly every tume I see it.
I wish Obama satisfied your expectations.
A Lot of tears were shed, even mine, at the outcome of this election. Most of us are sick of the politics we endured under Bush and his Karl Rove hatchet man and the likes of Dick Cheney. None of these men are held in high esteem. Their disappearance will be a blessing to a lot of people.
But one of the greatest problems America surely faces is that men like that who can such great damage to the country (both home and abroad), can gain power and hold on to it for so long.
Gary's work is great! And so's your post. I can only wish Obama much luck, and I hope he gets all the support that he's going to need. It won't be easy.
It's a historical moment that I certainly never expected to live to see either.
Gary's cartoon is brilliant.
I totally share my feelings with you, Babooshka!
I love Garys work and your commentary is right on the mark. Great post by both of you. Thanks.
I like the cartoon and more, if possible, your wonderful words. You have to be proud to be Americans.
Great post and cartoon! :)
Kudos to Gary for the cartoon and to you for your post. As an ex-pat, and one still affected by America's doings, I thank you. I hope and pray Obama will stay safe to carry out his plans.
Thanks for the well wishes & the great post Babooshka. What a beautiful illustration. I like how Gary put the O in the flag!
Great cartoon. Saw it on BBC yesterday. A hard road ahead. As someone said to me today, Obama thinks he was elected as President, the people think they have elected a saviour.
Thanks for thinking of us in the USA.
The Artist-Cartoonist and the Photographer-eloquent Speaker deserve a nice night out on the Island!!!
Great work!!
We were all so focused on the elections here, I forgot the rest of the world was watching!
My sentiments entirely.
Amen!!!! He has alot on his shoulders which he will inherit thanks to Geo. W & friends. But this change is for the better and a great leap to the road to recovery! How exciting everything is right now! I can't wait for things to come.
i love this post. it's really great!!
Miracle worker he is not. And it's rediculous to think great change will come rapidly. But just the immense HOPE he has instilled in this country so full of hate. That alone is something to be grateful for! Thank you America, indeed.
Baboosh & Gary,
Thank you. I could not have said it better myself.
perlanegra
san juan, pr
He's got a long, hard road in front of him, but if anyone can drag us out of the deep hole Bush and his cronies dug for us, President Elect Obama can do it.
Yes we can!
Thank you, Babooshka!
Fantastic cartoon.Congratulations,America.
I was never more proud than that evening when the results came in. It was a special evening seeing the joy on faces of all ages, races and gender. It's wonderful to see how people in other nations view it as well.
Quite honestly, Obama scares me. I really do hope that all of the good feelings are carried through Obama's next four years in office and he is able to truly make a positive and useful change in American's lives.
Time will tell.
Re. an earlier comment: I am keen to see your brother put a cartoon up now! ;)
Laughing Orca
Did Bush scare when he became President? Because he genuinely terrified me and boy was I was right to be afraid - after him just how scary can Obama be?
I loved your post! Well written. I was at a huge Victory party in my city and it was something I will never forget. It was loud and the excitement was electric. There weren't many dry eyes either. My husband came home and blasted Michael Buble several times the following day because I tell you what, it's a new day in America!
How wonderful to know the cartoonist! Nice cartoon! Well, we shall see how Obama does the next 4 years. I hope very very well.....he certainly can't hurt our image anymore than Bush has....
Hello: This was interesting for me to read. I am American and to hear it from your side was inspirational. Well put.
I am a blogger and I made this video about my election day experiences, it still gives me chills to listen to the speech at the end. If you are interested, here it is: http://www.vimeo.com/2166553
Yes, I'm sure that Rosa Parks is smiling down from heaven this week. Have you heard of the text message made the rounds right before the election --
"Rosa sat so that Martin could walk. Martin walked so that Barack could run. Barack is running so that our children can FLY!"
Super IMAGE!!! Great work on that!
I voted for Obama.
I never voted for Bush! Never, not him or his father.
I hope the country will stand behind him and not tire in the face of all that must be done to turn things around!
Good post!
I am thrilled to see that the excitement of our newly elected President is as wonderful to you as it is to me. I was brought to tears myself when he was proclaimed the new President-Elect Obama.
Don't forget, he's half white. That's what his appeal is. He can truly be part of everyone's world. Lets hope he does the right thing when he gets to take over. Of course, he sure can't do worse that what we have now! What a nightmare the past 8 years have been for us.
You can thank your liberal congress for the decline in the economy, not the Bush administration. The great thing about our government is the balance of power that forbids one man from screwing things up on his own. Do some research into Nancy Pelosi before you point the finger at the GOP and Bush. Many of these comments are offensive and ignorant, and 6 months from now when anyone with a job is being taxed and cheated in the name of wealth spreading and welfare, i will be here to say i told you so. Just remember the words of Thomas Jefferson who said "a government that is big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have."
There are still conservatives in America, and who are tired of being subjected to constant ridicule and vicious criticism from the Left who preaches tolerance and political correctness. Just take your isle of man pictures and leave the politics for someone elses blog.
Real brave to throw rocks from behind a wall, annonymous!
And no, I won't leave MY identity so you can call me names too. YOU are rude!
Hi,
I just stumbled across your blog, and I noticed your post about President-elect Obama.
Believe me, as a American and a Democrat, I was praying for Obama to win with all of my heart. I'm a southerner, and most people in my state of Tennessee are staunch conservatives and Mccain supporters, so my opinion was not a popular one!
Like you, I got choked up when the cameras showed Jesse Jackson weeping, and all the other people crying with joy and excitement.
Your reaction to Obama's victory is so amazing to me; I've never seen a candidate's victory cause so much celebration, not just in America, but all over the world.
People were literally dancing in the streets in jubilation, and I know Obama will mend those broken fences with the rest of the world, and that's not an easy task after Bush's foreign policies have made America into nothing more than a bully.
Conversely, his victory has also opened the floodgates for ignorant vitriolic hate to come pouring out of conservative nut-jobs everywhere: the usual accusations of Obama being a socialist and communist, and I actually heard one person say he was afraid black people would now begin the process of taking over the world.
But most of us are happy; I think he will be a great president, but God knows, he has the unenviable task of cleaning up after the republican administration's galactic mess of a deficit, a war, and a shattered and bleak economy.
But I think he's up to the challenge!
Miranda G.
Knoxville,TN
I am at liberty, as I too live in a democracy, to take "my Isle Of Man" pics and discuss politics. You anonymous, are free to have your say too. We obviously disagree, but then that is what living in a democracy is all about freedom of speecch. As far as the image used was concerned, it was created by my partner for the BBC, as he is their Political Cartoonist in the Isle Of Man.
gOOD ON yOU, bABOOSHKA!
You stand up for yourself, as the second "annonymous" did
If as the first anonymous says there are conservatives who are fed up of being ridiculed then they should stop being so dumb themselves and stop promoting the idea that intelligence is something to be scorned and ridiculed. The world hasn't been laughing at America - just George W Bush, peopole in his party and the people who voted for him. I know to Republicans freedom of speech is ok just so long as you agree with them, but here's some news - you don't get to tell anyone how to run their blogs and you don't get to control what they say. Now I know this might be a difficult concept for you to grasp but you and yours to grasp but you screwed up and you lost - live with it.
Keep up the great work Babooshka and ignore anyone who tries to destroy freedom of speech.
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