Michelle Obama for U.S. Senate?

Is it possible that Michelle Obama would run for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2016? The next time the people of the state of Illinois have to choose a senator is in 2016 when the incumbent Mark Kirk (R) faces reelection. Perhaps the first lady wants to run for that office and follow in the footsteps of Hillary Clinton?

Why she is going to run:

• She is popular, not only in the USA, but especially in her home state of Illinois.
• Everybody knows her, especially in Illinois – and for good things.
• The USA loves political dynasties, look at the Bushes, the Clintons and the Kennedys.

Why she is NOT going to run:

• She would have to spend the last year of her husband’s presidency campaigning. (However, Hillary Clinton did that in 2000).
• Unlike Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama has never taken a position on anything that is controversial.
• If her husband, President Obama’s popularity decreases, her own popularity might decrease as well.
• In 2016, her daughters would be teenagers and they have never seemed happy with campaign life.
• She has stated several times that she is not interested in politics…

Nobody knows until December 2015, when candidates have to file entry papers :-)

Book recommendation NO.1: "Prague Winter", by Madeleine Albright

I have just finished reading ”Prague Winter”. It is highly recommendable.


My book review: Former US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright tells about her early childhood in Prague, Czechoslovakia during the turmoil of Nazi occupation; her life in London, UK during World War II and the onset of the Cold War, when she lived in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. The book is very personal and a combination of an autobiography and a drama. A serious work of history, where Albright traces her family’s history and touches upon the fact that she was raised Catholic and learned about her Jewish heritage as a 59-yearold – one month before she took office as Secretary of State. The reader learns that Albright lost several family members at Theresienstadt and Auschwitz. Finally, she also gives a thorough insight in the cultural and political history of the region and of the multilingual, blended heritage of Czechs, Slovaks, Germans, Hungarians and others.

Details: "Prague Winter: A personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948". Author: Madeleine Albright. Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2013.

Why Aston Martin is classy

Not much of a fan of cars, but I surrender to Aston Martin. We have rented an Aston Martin DB9 while on holiday in Provence and this car is high quality, exhilarating to drive, has a stylish design and Aston Martin is also featured in many of the James Bond movies.

Trivia: 0-97 km/h (60 mph) time of 4.1 seconds. Top speed 295 km/h (183 mph). Engine V12. In 1982, Aston Martin was granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment by the Prince of Wales. The company holds the warrant to this day.

Gibraltar dispute and the Falkland islands

Flag of Gibraltar

Regarding the dispute over the British overseas territory, Gibraltar, Spain now escalates the conflict. Spain wants to include Argentina in a “united front” against the United Kingdom and take the matter to the UN Security Council. Argentina is right now a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council – making it easier to  put the matters of Gibraltar on the agenda. And of course, the Falklands.


Flag of the Falklands

My opinion? I think it is a disgrace that those countries (Spain and Argentina) want to opens discussions about the sovereignty of Gibraltar and the Falklands. Gibraltar and the Falkland islands are British Overseas Territories and are therefore under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom. But what is most crucial is the fact that the population of Gibraltar and the Falklands several times has voted in favor of the status quo. Actually, in 2002, 98,4 % of the people of Gibraltar voted to remain a British territory and in 2013, 99,8 % of the Falkland Islanders voted the same.

A Margaret Thatcher comment on the Falklands war: I’m standing up for the right of self-determination. I’m standing up for our people. I’m standing up for international law. I’m standing up for all territories – those small territories and peoples the world over – who, if someone doesn’t stand up and say to an invader ´enough, stop´, would be at risk”.

Hillary Clinton for President?

picture: www.policymic.com

I think (and hope) that Hillary will run for the office of President of the United States in 2016. Why? Well, there are numerous reason why she should. Here are some of my views:

Popularity. Naturally, it is essential that you are liked if you want to run for President. More and more Democrats publicly state that they will endorse Hillary if she decides to run. More importantly, recent polls indicate that a vast majority of Americans are in favour of Hillary in the White House.

Experience. Hillary knows her way around D.C. because of her being former First Lady, US Senator and lately Secretary of State.

Continuity. Securing the health care, immigration and civil rights expansions of the Obama era.

 

I cannot see any reason why she should not run – other than the fact that she perhaps simply does not want to :-)