George Galloway before US Senate

[GrassIsGreener]

Wow! What a testimony!! I loved it even though I am not a lefty Democrat!! Awesome passion! If US democrats had one tenth of this guy's fire, George Bush would have been crushed.

He made Levin and Coleman look like buffoons and practionaers of legalese rather than stewards of public policy.

[Joseph27]

I watched the highlights this morning - man he kicked ass.  Sensational viewing and you are right - if the dems had 1/10 his passion they would have never elected a dud like Kerry and would occupy the whitehouse.  

[God himself]

The guy is a tosser, but he made an even bigger bunch of tossers look like schoolboys who hadn't prepared for the debate.

[T2K]

It is great to see someone giving it back.  These guys are very used to having their asses kissed.

However, he's just a drop-in, so it's easy for him to drop a bunch of sarcastic bombshells.

If the democrats tried that kind of game in a US domestic context, it would probably backfire.

[GrassIsGreener]

T2K,
Yes, if all you seek is a career in politics. Successful guys who can take or leave the insanity of public service, can be brutally honest with little cost.

As you may know, a higher percentage of incumbents get re-elected in the US than did in the old Soviet Union.

So even if this guy is a Tosser in the UK, Americans have been badly in need of such a naked rebuke.

I loved it!!

[T2K]

Yes, American politics can be pretty staid and dull most of the time.  Someone running for office that "tells it like it is", or at least as he/she sees it, wouldn't be able to maintain the centrist position necessary to get the most votes.  

[tweek]

Howard Dean tried it to a degree in the last primary election. Initially, he got a lot of good response but as time went on and he got more vocal and irate at times and he started to look like a bit of a nut. And, as T2K pointed out he wasn't able to get to the centrist position necessary to get the most votes.

[Joseph27]

What amazes me is that in a country of so many brilliant people - the two who contended the top job are Kerry who had been a senator for so long he forgot was he doing there in the first place - not to mention a very average senate record, and Bush (nothing to add).  

So many choices and the best that come up are two duds.  

As for George Galloway - he returned to a cheerful welcome but at the end of the day it doesnt necessarily say he is innocent.  I would await the British report first before saying anything further about his position.   It was fun though - saying the things many of us would like to say - going on the offensive and kicking butt.  

[T2K]

It's Colin Powell syndrome.  Would YOU want to run for President of the US?  Most people wouldn't want to drag themselves and their families through having every detail of their entire life turned into political campaign ads.

Therefore, we usually aren't drawing from out best people.  Or, our best people that are willing to run aren't willing to do what it takes to win - see above, taking the "centrist" position.

No candidate that I would fully endorse and be 100% comfortable with could ever win.  Many Americans are the same.