My parents started a business out of the living room of our home and 30-plus years later it was a multimillion dollar company. So President Obama with all due respect don't tell me that my parents didn't build their business.

I want to say with the utmost of sincerity not as a Republican but as an American that I have great respect for Senator Obama's historic achievement to become his party's nominee not because of his color but with indifference to it.

I think we need to significantly reduce the regulatory burden on the private sector. The Obama administration is doing the opposite. They're loading on more and more regulation on the private respect to how the economy functions.

Facts matter. Science matters. Reason matters. Mitt Romney has shown an inability to respect any of the three. President Barack Obama not only respects them he relies on them. He is an overwhelming and unquestioned choice to continue as president.

Think about all the great leaders. Think about Obama. Think about Clinton. Think about Nelson Mandela. Think about all the people that we know who are very successful in business in politics and religion. What are they? They tell purposeful stories. They move people to action by aiming at the heart.

Attacks on a politician's identity - questioning Romney's religion say or Obama's birthplace - tend to come when an opponent is desperate and can't sell himself.

You know I think that President Obama is a person who has a great relationship with a number of people. Colin Powell does too. I think Colin Powell is a fine American a great leader and sees things in President Obama that he agrees with. He's entitled to have his opinion.

Since the beginning of the 21st century thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides China-U.S. relationship has on the whole enjoyed steady growth. Since President Obama took office we have maintained close contact through exchange of visits meetings telephone conversations and letters.

The relationship of black Americans to Obama is sociologically riveting.

People who supported Obama felt like they formed a relationship that they were being spoken to. The way that campaign worked and the way he's worked during his first term is to make people feel like he's grasping their hand whether it's by tweeting or email moments after an event sometimes during an event. It makes people relate to him.

There is much to dislike about President Obama's approach to the financial crisis. But opposition it seems will have to come from somewhere other than conservatism. The party out of power is also a party out of touch.

Given the daunting challenges that we face it's important that president elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one.

And the biggest coldest power play of all in Obamacare came at the expense of the elderly.

President Obama has basically avoided or not done any attempt to intervene in any positive way in the housing market. I think in the financial crisis that's been a shame.

Clinton and Obama practice this politics known quaintly as the Richard Speck strategy: if you cannot take on everyone in the room at once take them out of the room one at a time.

We need to dig deep and give people a reason to be optimistic just as Obama is doing in America. Because in the same way that outcome of the U.S. elections will change the course of events there and around the world so too do politics here in Britain.

For sure the 'Obamania' that's fast taking hold reflects an incredible thirst for change in global politics and dare I say a wave of optimism that things can be different.