O(bama) Canada!

As an Alaskan, developments in Canada often directly impact me and my fellow citizens, so, as most of you know, I follow Canadian developments rather closely.

During the past week, as momentum towards the Obama swearing-in has grown, I've been awe-struck by the amount of attention the "O" factor has played in our neighbor to the north (unless you're an Alaskan, that is, and then it's a southern neighbor.)

To watch or listen to Canadian media over the past few days, you might be forgiven for thinking Obama had just been elected President of Canada.
In some ways, maybe he has.

When polled over the weekend, the CBC reports that overwhelming numbers of Canadians approved more of Obama's economic recovery plans than they do of those of Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

When asked if they approved of the way Obama has handled himself in the days leading up to his inauguration, the numbers were staggering. They even exceed recent polls of Americans in the favorable way they view the President-Elect.

A minuscule 4% said they thought Obama had done a poor job so far.
Who ARE those people?
Tories, to be sure.

When asked if they were happier with the choices they were given in their most-recent elections in October or with the American choices in the U.S. in November, 47-percent preferred the American slate of choices compared to just 22% for choices in Canada.

So happy are most Canadians with the future American President, news story after news story features busloads and plane-loads and train-loads of Canucks flying to Washington D.C. to be part of the action.

Those who can't get there in person are expected to watch live CBC coverage in record numbers.

Handily, the Canadian embassy lies directly in line between the Capitol building and the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, and it's from there the CBC will be broadcasting.

If you didn't know better, you might think Obama had just won both the American election and a "Canadian Idol" contest. It's about time, too. After relations were strained over economic policies, foreign policy debacles and disputes over borders and definitions of International Waters, we need to strike a new and more-harmonious tone between the trading partners, neighbours and friends.

(I spelled "neighbors" the Canadian way, did you notice? ; )

Obama hopes to bring some national unity to America, but even before he's taken over the Oval Office, he's brought significant harmony to our northern border.

Wow.