Barack Aitch Obama!

The man with the sonorous tones announced the entry onto the world stage of the President-elect. "Barack Aitch Obama!", he said, with the most manly voice an American audience could hear. For BBC viewers, Huw Edwards mumbled something about the name Hussein being "controversial in America" and then went on to say that he would have to have it known when he, Obama, took the oath of office. Can't think why Edwards would think to say that. After all, hundreds of Americans have odd names, at least to the WASP community!

That all got me thinking. "Aitch" - what would it be for if not Hussein? Would it be happy, or hope, or heavenly? These are probably words that would sit well with the assembled masses, and what a lot of masses there were! It wouldn't be hell, or hopelessness, or handicapped. Those are words that should be for yesterday's politics.

It was hell for the victims and families of 9/11. It was hell for those caught up in the hurricane that was Katrina. There has been the hopelessness of seeing greedy people play Monopoly with other peoples money and not to be able to change it. And we have been handicapped by the credit crunch, the lack of transparency and such. We hope now to get away from that and to be happy. Is that so much to ask?

President Obama will no doubt have a few setbacks but if we all work together, as he rightly said, Americans and all around the world can overcome the setbacks and move on.