Features
- Policy on Iran will shape perceptions of president-elect12 Nov 2008Debate has intensified about how - and when - Iran should be approached by the incoming regime, writes Ruadhán Mac Cormaic in New York
- Keeping the first family together11 Nov 2008GIVE ME A BREAK: FOR THE FIRST time in their young lives, my children feel proud to be US citizens.
- Messages to president recall Robert Kennedy11 Nov 2008The writing is on the wall for US president-elect Barack Obama, but in a spirit of hope and trust, writes Mark Hennessy in Washington
- CON TEXT11 Nov 2008Today Con Text looks at Pews
- Republicans must tack back towards the centre10 Nov 2008The GOP must learn to connect with the new issues which concern the middle classes, writes RICH LOWRY
- Gun-toting classes fear return of restrictions10 Nov 2008The National Rifle Association and its supporters do not believe Barack Obama's assurances on gun control, writes MARK HENNESSY in Chantilly, Virginia
- How Obama captured our hearts8 Nov 2008The election of Barack Obama has healed something that has its roots in the worst moments of US history, and bears the hallmarks of a country living up to its own ideals, writes Colm Tóibín
- This could be the last round-up for Arizona's Sheriff Arpaio8 Nov 2008AMERICA: The power of the Hispanic vote, critical in increasing numbers of states, grows apace, writes Mark Hennessy
- 'In the kitchen, the folks have always been black'8 Nov 2008Gene Allen poured drinks for US presidents for 35 years, watching from close up as blacks moved closer to the centre of power, writes Wil Haygood in Washington
- Ideals of America's founders have finally found us7 Nov 2008The voting in of a black man to the White House symbolises a resurrection of hope, writes Michael Eric Dyson
- Techies double-click with net-savvy Obama7 Nov 2008NET RESULTS: A president comfortable with technology is less likely to take a knee-jerk approach to privacy, spectrum use, net taxes and copyright
- Irish economy braced for Obama effect7 Nov 2008The conditions under which US firms can inflate their profits by moving operations to Ireland could well change under Barack Obama, writes Arthur Beesley , Senior Business Correspondent
- 'We're about to come of age as a country'6 Nov 2008When the swing state of Pennsylvania went for Obama, Americans abroad watching the results in Dublin became ecstatic, writes Carl O'Brien
- Former Obama adviser to deliver lecture6 Nov 2008IRISH-BORN Prof Samantha Power, former foreign policy adviser to US president-elect Barack Obama, will, together with her husband Prof Cass Sunstein, deliver their inaugural lecture as Adjunct Professors of Law at UCC this evening.
- The Irish connection: Obama's family tree6 Nov 2008The story of Barack Obama’s Irish roots begins with Moneygall shoemaker Fulmouth Kearney, who emigrated to the United States in 1850.
- Village rejoices in presidential status with more verses of 'Barack Obama'6 Nov 2008The first Obama tourists have already arrived in the tiny Offaly village, writes Ronan McGreevy in Moneygall
- A palpable sense of history being made, says Cowen6 Nov 2008POLITICAL REACTION: TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen yesterday led Irish tributes to the election of Barack Obama talking of a "palpable sense of history" being made with the election of the first African-American president.
- TV networks march in step to call Obama's historic moment6 Nov 2008America's TV networks called the outcome of this year's election in unison - at precisely 11 pm New York time (4 am Irish time).
- First priority at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, a new basketball court6 Nov 2008The first priority for the new president, naturally, will be the court. Not the supreme court, but the basketball court.
- Fox continues to go on about Black Panthers6 Nov 2008MEDIAWATCH: Fox did us a favour by showing the bitter faces of those who are determined that Obama will not succeed, writes Kevin Cullen
- Democrats boost appeal to all groups bar over-65s6 Nov 2008EXIT POLLS: Obama did significantly better among white voters than previous Democratic candidates, writes Mary Fitzgerald Foreign Affairs Correspondent
- Woman voter born just a generation after slavery makes history6 Nov 2008A 106-YEAR-OLD wheelchair-bound Atlanta resident was at the centre of world media attention yesterday when she was mentioned prominently in Barack Obama's acceptance speech.
- Lifted voices and tears of joy complete a momentous day for African-Americans6 Nov 2008BLACK AMERICA: Spontaneous singing and street parties erupt in the US capital, writes Mary Fitzgerald in Washington DC
- It's Lincoln 'delivering emancipation' for Kenyan half-brother6 Nov 2008KENYAN ROOTS: Obama's image is solid in a country where politics is a byword for corruption, writes Rob Crilly , in Kogelo
- Easy-going youth who put passion into politics6 Nov 2008PROFILE: Barack Obama's mother instilled in her son a sense of pride in his mixed heritage, writes Denis Staunton
- First battle is to vanquish the great American delusion6 Nov 2008OPINION: Obama represents a new sobriety after the drunken delusions of the Bush years. The voters, by saying that he speaks for the America they know, rather than the one they are supposed to inhabit, have transformed America's self-image profoundly, writes FINTAN O'TOOLE
- Barackmania fails to lift Dail above the mundane6 Nov 2008The spirit of Barack flooded the Dáil chamber yesterday, easing the fevered brows of those who stayed up late watching the election results from America and filling deputies with a renewed sense of purpose and optimism.
- Chance to share feeling of being at one with total strangers6 Nov 2008BARACK OBAMA'S election night party had ended hours earlier and the police sergeant was determined to clear Chicago's Michigan Avenue of the revellers who were still milling around.
- 'Every day I pray for him . . . I am so thankful I'm still here to see this'5 Nov 2008Many African-Americans who have campaigned for Obama lived through some of the worst eras of racism, writes Keith Alexander from Washington
- High hopes for native son amid Chicago's decay5 Nov 2008The enthusiasm for Barack Obama was most intense yesterday in the city's south side where he had worked as a community organiser, writes Denis Staunton in Chicago
- Battleground states that will decide the presidency4 Nov 2008Foreign Editor, Paddy Smyth , provides a guide to watching the results come in
- How America's electoral college system operates4 Nov 2008US PRESIDENTS and vice- presidents are not elected directly by the people but by an electoral college made up of representatives directly elected in each state. This indirect system reflects the federal underpinning of the US constitution in which the states remain the key building blocks and sources of authority of the federal government.
- Hard times in the Lone Star state, but Republicans are sticking to their guns4 Nov 2008In Liberty Hill, Bush is a 'good president', Palin 'knows how it is' - and Obama hasn't a chance
- Red, white and blue bloods on a battle footing for McCain3 Nov 2008Mark Hennessy hears invocations of Vietnam and patriotism during a McCain 'surge' in Springfield, Virginia
- Michelle Obama has evolved into one of her husband's most effective advocates3 Nov 2008IF BARACK Obama wins the presidential election tomorrow, the world will doubtless marvel at the racial threshold the US has crossed. Perhaps even more striking, however, will be the prospect of the country's first black first lady moving into the White House with her two young daughters.
- Inside the Kennedy presidency1 Nov 2008Ted Sorensen, John F Kennedy's main aide and adviser, recalls the president's visit to Ireland in 1963 and explains why he wants Barack Obama to be president
- Will Florida hold the key?1 Nov 2008Eight years after the 'hanging chad' election wrangle put Florida - and the US - in the Republican camp, Barack Obama's efforts to get the support of the Sunshine State's hugely diverse electorate on Tuesday could prove decisive
- Where Joe the Plumber is an inspiration1 Nov 2008AMERICA: IN THE late 1700s, George Washington, struggling to pay for the costs of the American Revolution, sought to impose taxes on whiskey on farmers in Pennsylvania and was forced to don his military uniform for the first time since the British were ejected to quell the disturbance.
- End of era as candidates can appeal less and less to Catholic bloc of voters31 Oct 2008Once a defining voice in presidential polls, the Catholic vote is now so large it pretty much looks like the rest of America, writes Tim Rutten
- Democrats seek young voters to topple old guard31 Oct 2008The battle for America's 44 million eligible voters aged under 30 is reaching new heights, writes Mark Hennessy in Arlington, Virginia
- Democrats looking to do well - but maybe not too well30 Oct 2008With Democrats looking strong in the polls, their target now is to reach a filibuster-proof 60 seats in the Senate, writes Mark Hennessy in Washington
- Vast differences in plans to revive America's ailing healthcare system30 Oct 2008Big changes loom for medical insurance in the US, whoever wins the presidential election, writes Denis Staunton , Washington Correspondent
- Republicans' friends on the airwaves reduced to powerless spluttering30 Oct 2008The McCain campaign is now relying on Joe the Plumber and conspiracy theories, writes Kevin Cullen
- Political deluge in Pennsylvania as McCain identifies state as last hope of confounding polls29 Oct 2008Obama's 10-point lead in the northeastern state has not deterred his rival from making a last stand, writes Denis Staunton in Chester, Pennsylvania
- Kenyans celebrate one of their own28 Oct 2008VIEW FROM AFAR . . . KISUMU, KENYA: ONE FACE is more obvious than any other in the Kenyan city of Kisumu, in the far west of the country on the shores of Lake Victoria, writes Rob Crilly
- For many evangelicals, it will be the end of the world if Obama wins28 Oct 2008The evangelical movement is fearful on many fronts, Mark Hennessy discovers in Colorado Springs
- Rocky Mountain low signals wider doom for McCain27 Oct 2008Foreclosures, economic woes and Hillary Clinton are helping Obama take on a Republican bastion, writes Mark Hennessy
- Will race be election wild card?25 Oct 2008Early polls put Barack Obama in a strong position but there are fears he could fall victim to the 'Wilder effect' as race persists as a central election issue, writes Denis Staunton
- Guilt over race may play role in French Obamania25 Oct 2008VIEW FROM AFAR .. FRANCE: IN WHAT may be the world record for Obamania, 93 per cent of French people polled at the beginning of this month said they would vote for Democratic candidate Barack Obama if they could. This compares to a European average of 69 per cent, writes Lara Marlowe
- Republican's 'anti-American' attack backfires24 Oct 2008An obscure candidate is riding high after a rival's ill-considered remarks, writes PJ Huffstutter in Blaine, Minnesota
- FACE FACTS: beautifying of candidates a costly affair24 Oct 2008JOHN McCAIN'S make-up is right out of American Idol . Running mate Sarah Palin's is so So You Think You Can Dance - and so much more expensive.
- Democrats find fertile ground in must-win Ohio23 Oct 2008A grim local economy appears to aid Obama in this crucial state, writes Denis Staunton in Columbus, Ohio
- If Europeans could vote in US election, Obama would win, but then what?23 Oct 2008THE VIEW FROM AFAR . . . BRUSSELS: THE DESIRE for change has been pinpointed by pollsters as the key theme of the US presidential election as public dissatisfaction with George Bush reaches record levels.
- Obama bounce makes black vote receptive to Democratic challengers22 Oct 2008African Americans are energised to vote as never before, writes Lyndsey Layton in Fayetteville, North Carolina
- Beijing hopes for stability after US election22 Oct 2008THE VIEW FROM AFAR . . . CHINA: CHINA IS keeping a watchful eye on the US election, and while young people in the country are keen for Democrat Barack Obama to steal a march on Republican John McCain, the Communist Party wants only stable relations with Washington, whoever wins.
- Property greed comes back to bite22 Oct 2008More than 3,500 houses in Nevada's gambling city were seized in September, writes Mark Hennessy in Las Vegas
- McCain on stump now sharper and punchier20 Oct 2008TERRENCE BROTHERTON had been waiting for almost two hours for John McCain, and as he looked up at a brooding, grey cloud above the crowd, the retired air force officer was worried it might rain on his hero's open-air rally.
- Golden era of abuse makes this US campaign seem clean17 Oct 2008The Obama and McCain camps can't match the political mudslingers of yesteryear, writes Libby Copeland in Washington
- Barack's cool poise a testament to American heart and humour16 Oct 2008THE SCRIPTURE reading in church on Sunday gave me a jolt - Exodus 32 , which refers to the Chosen People wearing earrings, men as well as women, and I twitched when the lector read it. Yikes! Moses got his ears pierced? What else didn't we know???
- Senate seat races throwing up some surprises14 Oct 2008Democrats look like taking many more Senate seats than they had originally thought they could, writes Denis Staunton in Atlanta
- Weighty matters11 Oct 2008I know why Barack is concentrating on his triceps – legend has it that John McCain can’t lift his arms above his head. Who’s going to save the world if the nuclear codes are stored above shoulder height?
- Democrats' online fundraising attracts record number of donors11 Oct 2008More than one-third of the $458 million raised has come from supporters who donated $200 or less, write Dan Morain and Doug Smith in Los Angeles
- Barack Obama's right-hand man10 Oct 2008THE FRIDAY INTERVIEW: BRIAN COWEN'S super-sized guarantee for the Irish banking system angered some of his European counterparts but the policy finds a staunch friend in Robert Shapiro, an economic adviser to Barack Obama's campaign and a former US under-secretary for commerce.
- Holding up a mirror to US as reality darkens American dream10 Oct 2008BOOK OF THE DAY: The American Future: A History Simon Schama Bodley Head; 375 pp, £20, reviewed by Conor O'Clery.
- Republicans in little town of Bethlehem get down and dirty10 Oct 2008The crowd at the Republican rally was carrying a whole lot of anger over Barack Obama, writes Dana Milbank in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Remember the clueless Palin was McCain's first major decision as nominee9 Oct 2008OPINION: WE ARE a stalwart and stouthearted people, and never more so than in hard times. People weep in the dark and arise in the morning and go to work, writes Garrison Keillor
- Away from her friends on Fox, Palin folds like a cheap suit9 Oct 2008MEDIAWATCH: MIDWAY THROUGH her debate with Joe Biden, Sarah Palin began dropping her Gs and channelling Marge Gunderson, the plain-speakin', pistol-packin' pregnant police chief in Fargo.
- Aim of negative campaigns: to show 'you are not of our tribe'8 Oct 2008Some say the recent attacks on Obama have racial overtones, but others argue that it is simply hardcore campaigning, writes Denis Staunton in Nashville
- How Palin and I could be related7 Oct 2008Give Me A Break/Kate Holmquist: EVER SINCE I expressed the view that Sarah Palin is a savvy politician who is pioneering a new way of leadership, some of my colleagues have been worried about my judgment. They want me to repent. Some big-name columnist on Salon.com was humble enough to write an apology, so why can't I?
- The cutting edge of satire4 Oct 2008PROFILE SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: 'Saturday Night Live' is a cultural institution in the US and its parody of Sarah Palin, courtesy of Tina Fey, has seen its ratings rocket
- The woman at the helm of 'the Huff'4 Oct 2008Arianna Huffington is the dynamic power behind the Huffington Post - a website that has grown to become one of the most influential media organs in the US
- Hollywood hustings3 Oct 2008Hollywood may be liberal, but movies about the US electoral process tend to lampoon both Democrats and Republicans. Donald Clarke assesses past, present and future election films
- Who will play Sarah Palin?3 Oct 2008We hope that some bright director will get his claws into this year’s extraordinary election. Some of the more surreal turns suggest that David Lynch might be the man for the job, but I fancy the Coen Brothers would manage the right balance between absurdity and import. They would certainly have great fun encouraging Frances McDormand to lose defiantly as Hillary Clinton in a brief prologue.
- Crunching the language30 Sep 2008It's hard sometimes to find words to make sense of a crisis as serious and complex as the current banking meltdown. But several striking phrases have become common as the global financial crisis has spread
- Bursting of the bankers' bubble27 Sep 2008Senior Business Correspondent in New YorkAccustomed to huge rewards and minimal interference, Wall Street’s bankers are retreating to their luxury upstate homes this weekend to ponder a greatly changed and uncertain future
- How parties made capital out of White House talks27 Sep 2008WHEN US president George Bush sat down in the White House at 4pm on Thursday with congressional leaders and the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, it appeared that agreement on his $700 billion financial bailout was imminent.
- Hard haggling over $700bn rescue deal26 Sep 2008Despite agreement on the parameters of the bailout, doubts remain over how it will actually work
- McCain backing regulation is like Casanova extolling chastity25 Sep 2008OPINION: IT’S JUST human nature that some calamities register in the brain and others don’t. The train engineer texting at the throttle (“HOW R U? C U L8R”) and missing the red light and 25 people die in the crash – oh God, that is way too real – everyone has had a moment of supreme stupidity that came close to killing somebody. Even atheists say a little prayer now and then: “Dear God, I am an idiot, thank you for protecting my children.”
- The Palin family: what's in a name?20 Sep 2008Could the names Sarah Palin chose for her children keep her out of the White House?
- Moose on the loose in Palin country18 Sep 2008I SAW two moose on a bike trail in Anchorage last week and did not kill either one of them, neither the cow nor her calf, though under the Bush Doctrine I certainly had a right to since the cow could have charged and pinned me to a tree and danced me to death.
- Republicans' rewriting of history could work a treat for all of us11 Sep 2008SO THE Republicans have decided to run against themselves. The bums have tiptoed out the back door and circled around to the front and started yelling: "Throw the bums out!"
- Deflecting attention from war profiteering is name of game4 Sep 2008THE REPUBLICANS, writes GARRISON KEILLOR , are meeting down the hill from my house, helicopters are pounding the air, and there are more suits on the streets and big black SUVs and a brownish cloud venting from the hockey arena where the convention is being held.
- Straight-shooting Palin hits the target2 Sep 2008GIVE ME A BREAK: Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has life skills we need in the White House - from her experience in the parent teacher association to the beauty pageant
- Americans are over being manipulated by Republican pedlars of fear28 Aug 2008OPINION: CALIFORNIA IS another country. You wake up in the morning and New York is already on its first coffee, and the first scandal has broken in Washington, one more Republican crony caught with his hand in the honey pot. It all feels very far away, writes Garrison Keillor.
- CON TEXT15 Jul 2008Kevin Courtney sheds some light on the meaning of Baracknaphobia.
