Next Blog, Next President, Next Please...

Do you ever press the ‘Next Blog’ button at the start of the page? It’s a bit like StumbleUpon but primarily (not exclusively) takes you to amateur Blogs. You can usually see at a glance whether it is going to be worth reading (or readable – I only have three languages, English, French and Latin and there aren’t many Latin ones!).


The last couple of days I’ve been to a few blogs that way and the sad thing is how many are by young Americans who voted for Barack Obama. All of them are looking forward to real change in the next four years and feel as though there has been a major shift in the way the world (i.e. the USA) will be organised. Like Emily Bennett from Columbia College Chicago - "I think that is pretty freaking awesome! I got a nice button that says "I WAS THERE" because I totally was. I went to Grant Park and watched the election results and then the speech right there with the rest of Chicago and it was amazing. I'm so excited for the next four years." There seems to be a perception, for example, that racial attitudes have changed overnight. As if...


I’m not suggesting that Obama’s election is a Bad Thing but I’ve been around long enough to know that in twenty years time this will just be a minor footnote in the record books. Massive change accomplished by one man – I think not.