11-01-2008, 03:33 PM
Ted -- I think the reason he hasn't played that up is because of the confounding nationalism in some segments of the U.S. -- in other words, some people here could care less about how we're viewed around the world, or worse, have taken "patriotism" to mean "we're #1" (it doesn't, one can hold one's country dear while still being aware that we may not be so much better than everywhere else). That is to say, his popularity worldwide could have been a detractor for him, rather than being viewed as a positive thing.
A big problem is that I'm not convinced he will win by a resounding (>10% popular vote) margin, which means that about half the country is against him. That itself will be a huge hurdle for him to overcome during his administration.
As for him being a transformative figure -- I do think we are witnessing history here. I would love for our country and the world to take another step closer to the 22nd century ... get us into the 21st, at the very least. Occasionally I do think the future as portrayed in Star Trek (a united planet, races working together, egalitarianism, solving of many of the planet's problems) does actually have a chance of happening.
A big problem is that I'm not convinced he will win by a resounding (>10% popular vote) margin, which means that about half the country is against him. That itself will be a huge hurdle for him to overcome during his administration.
As for him being a transformative figure -- I do think we are witnessing history here. I would love for our country and the world to take another step closer to the 22nd century ... get us into the 21st, at the very least. Occasionally I do think the future as portrayed in Star Trek (a united planet, races working together, egalitarianism, solving of many of the planet's problems) does actually have a chance of happening.