Simon Schama on the night of the 2008 US Election

[horsie111]

People thought the nominee would be Hillary because Obama was a nobody and had achieved nothing. Amusingly, he's still a non-entity and has still achieved nothing... Hillary lost because the media actually picked the First Black President over The Ultimate Achievement For Feminism as the bigger story. In the end, Obama had all the balls bounce in his favour and only won, as Bolton points out, by a few million votes in terms of popular vote. Hopefully the choices for 2012 will be more convincing!

[doIsoundlikeicare]

To help our Sharma in his response to Bolton's final question on whether America's viewed as less racist:

It's not clear what Obama will do with the power. But I wonder whether the historical election of the first black president will signal to anyone on our pale blue dot a shift in the breadth and depth of American racism.

[aloz71]

If Simon Schama has something to say it's almost always worth listening to. This is a snippet of a wider debate, so please don't rush to judge on it alone. Very few modern day commentators can comment on the state of US (or UK) politics as eruditely as he can.

[grizzle100]

Bolton is thick, it is a major change in the world's most important country

[arranle]

Bolton is a frustrating guy however he is right on this issue.

[kowloon89]

nice to see Schama retains his crazy dancing bobbly headed presentation style in an indoor, sit yourself down debate. I was sure he was gonna nut John boy at least once!

[TomatoNanny]

Saying 'America is a racist nation' is prejudiced itself. There are certain groups in America that are racist, but then there are lots of others that aren't.

People think the US is inherently racist because it's a country born out of the genocide of the Native American. What you've got to remember is that many nations are born out of genocidal revolution, and as the US grows older, the revolutionary mindset will wear off.

[nottinghamization]

Bolton hates anyone who's not American born and bred!

[p1nkAcid]

lol schama likes rolling around in his chair hes had an e or something

[p1nkAcid]

lol schama likes rolling around in his chair

[marcostar57]

How ironic Bolton's words ... but it was his own Rethug party that kept up the racist criticisms & innuindos of Obama himself! Typical hypocrites. 

[luckyjamal]

Barack obama is not full black , he is mixed race [ fact ] .

His father was black and his mother was white , therefore he is mixed race.

He is the first mixed race president of america [ black & white ] .

[coodaytah1]

Hey look everybody, check out the white-hating jew Schama arguing with the neo-con cunt Bolton.

[shatchett0]

I like Simon. I like Bolton. I'm totally fucking insane.

[jimsottile]

America will continue to be an inclusive and racists nations by design in perpetuity.

[Strefanash]

really, 18 months later, it made no difference. Obama is Bush lite, he continues the criminal policies of Bush. He has not restored habeas corpus, he continues the criminal wars of the US elite, refuses to prosecute the torturers of the Bush regime and breaks US law in the process.

So Obama's election is irrelevant because in point of fact the colour of a man's skin is irrelevant

[Doc418]

John Bolton is a fucking idiot.

[GlengarryGlennBeck]

Simon Schama shuffles around haplessly like a teenager who forgot to take medication for ADD and/or tourettes, and talks like one too.

[naoip]

@GlengarryGlennBeck zzzzzzzzzzz, come back when you've written 10 or so world class history books

[Ignozi]

Schama looks quite anxious with all that fidgeting and sudden movement. lol

[fataslin]

@Ignozi nah he's always like that at least infront of the camera

[iainrc23]

Incidentally i respect him as an historian and an academic I just think his posture neeeds work and he's drank

[iainrc23]

IS schama fucking drunk? Sit up straight you overpaid oxbridge fossymann

[castlecolten]

My Goddess!  John Bolton is an embarrassment to the US!.......I agree with GayGeisha--Schama is God. I would not want to debate him, I'd lose....... Can Bolton just retire to Florida and stop making all Americans look bad????

[iainrc23]

@castlecolten

If Schama's God does that mean he's giving your Godess the shaft?

[GayGeisha]

Can you imagine getting into a debate againt Simon Schama? The idea itself is like suicide. I mean, the man is God. Who the hell does this Bolton think he is? Bloody little creep.

[Rascasseman]

Bolton's reacting badly to the outcome of the night, very much like when I did when Liverpool lost badly to Arsenal a few years ago. Clearly irked and pissed off big time.

[myloverisbillmurray]

schama for president i think, then we might get some decent policies..prehaps some of that free wine hes obviously such an advocate of. love you simon x

[EmperorHarold]

Simon Schama gets very close to that republican when he asks him a question, looks a bit drunk if you ask me.

[archstan8]

girl shame-a got crushed by bolton. what a liberal crybaby. stop squirming in your seat lil baby girl shame-a.

[HumanDichotomy]

I love the stunned expression on Bolton's face when Schama tears down his argument. And Schama's tone when he's like...'Well of course it won't *stop*.'

He's awesome.

[boombarass]

Did you love 5 days ago when the Republicans won pretty much all the races, thereby proving Schama's argument wrong?

No, I'm sure you forgot about that already.

[BiffaTW]

id love for that not to have been stopped, i would love to see a debate with John Bolton vs Schama.

[Berialavrenti]

i cant believe one can sit next to john bolton without wanting to and indeed stabbing a fork in his eyes.

[Asiosky211]

schama owns but must say he does look pissed xD

but he owned all

[tavokoti]

simon looks like gandalf lol

[L0K3]

Bolton's face is priceless and his rhetoric is worthless

[Radomu]

go schama, but stay still on the seat

[psweep]

Ha yeah he is all over the place how come he isn't like this in his programs such as History of Britain lol

[tom02021988]

If u squint your eyes when looking at Bolton it looks like he has a milk moustache also seeing Simon Schama pissed is a great site

[HumanDichotomy]

Very true. Lol.

[BritishBlue1]

I find it ironic that Mr. Bolton acts like a victim bemoaning the world labellling the US as a racist country when the most vociferous criticisms come from within America itself.

[pvuf431]

Thats a bit harsh.

[Estragon17]

@BritishBlue1

Well, America IS and always has been a racist nation. Obama becoming president doesn't change that.  The end of rampant often institutionalized racism in America would change that.. nothing else.

[fnchrstphr]

@Estragon17 I don't know if America is anymore racist than Britain or Japan. Obama is a lousy president and he's done nothing to warrant a second term. At least Obama's supporters can always believe he's a failure because of racism.

[Azurju]

Lol, go Simon!

[Bighairyfart]

Bolton can't seem to focus on the matter on hand, stay on the point not on point john

[bonard]

I love how Schama gets in his face.

[AfghansWorld]

Bolton is a fucking OXYGEN thief, if i was boss in NASA i would have deported him to the furthest space for preventing him of inhaling our oxygen....

his face is so fucking unhuman and repulsive and his accent is so fucktraded too

[Vortuse]

@bonard ~ I know!! lol

He is practically on his lapp!! hjaha

[dezmundo1251]

@bonard yeah gets right in his grill. awesome

[Wolverhampton1]

Bolton is a Republican cock!

[profnc]

Simon Schama is a freak, I mean... just look at him.

[tocqueville01]

Bolton is actually a very intelligent man. He uses traditional concepts of balance of power and national interest, and attaches them to american exceptionalism. This has only ever been done by Harry Truman and Richard Nixon.

G W Bush tried to do it. The execution, however, was poor.

[superiourcowies]

and is he pissed?

[superiourcowies]

schamas power rangers of art

[acepeeter]

he's called john bolton

[jim0203]

Indeed he is - I think Roger Bolton is a news broadcaster in the UK. Thanks for spotting my mistake; I've changed it (weirdly enough I got his name right in the tags, just not in the info).

[speedyvespa]

Bolton is something else. Has it ever occurred to him to wonder why everyone thinks he's a complete cock?

[oldboldcold]

Bolton is a loser.

A dolt, a creep, a boob, a turkey butt face.

Why does anyone care about his opinion?

[profnc]

back at yah ;)

[Wisdomwalker]

I hate Captian Kangeroo