Obama Tops Forbes World's Most Powerful List

Funny how this is the first year they've put out this list.

President Barack Obama is the most powerful person in the world, according to Forbes magazine.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Vladimir Putin, the prime minister of Russia, are No. 2 and 3, respectively.

The magazine's first-ever rankings of the "World's Most Powerful People" assessed power using four criteria: the number of people one influences; one's ability to project power beyond one's immediate sphere of influence; control of or access to significant financial resources; and how actively one wields power. There are 67 people on the list, one for every 100 million people on the planet.

Obama tops the list for a number of reasons, Forbes said. As head-of-state over the world's sole superpower, Obama presides over the largest, most dynamic and most innovative economy in the world, is commander-in-chief of the richest and deadliest military, his political party has the majority in Congress and he was recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, "apparently for general awesomeness," Forbes said.

The top 10 are:
-- President Barack Obama, United States
-- President Hu Jintao, China
-- Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Russia
-- Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve chairman
-- Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Google founders
-- Carlos Slim Helu, Telmex chief executive
-- Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. chairman
-- Michael T. Duke, Wal-Mart chief executive
-- Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabia
-- Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Rahmrod

By GottaLaff

(via)

Main Entry:

¹ram·rod

Pronunciation:

\ˈram-ˌräd\

1 : a rod for ramming home the charge in a muzzle-loading firearm 2 : a cleaning rod for small arms 3 : boss , overseer

There's power in having the first and last word, even if it's not as some gasbag on the radio:

The New York Times runs a must-read profile of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

"Mr. Emanuel is arguably the second most powerful man in the country and, just a few days into his tenure, already one of the highest-profile chiefs of staff in recent memory... In recent months, he has played a critical role in the selection and courtship of nearly every cabinet member and key White House staff member."

"He has exerted influence on countless decisions; in meetings, administration officials say, Mr. Obama often allows him to speak first and last."

The picture of "a powerful, eloquent, impassioned ticket"

By GottaLaff

Joe Biden made his debut Saturday as the Democratic vice presidential candidate.

"For months, I've searched for a leader to finish this journey alongside me and join me in making Washington work for the American people. I searched for a leader who understood the rising costs confronting working people and will always put their dreams first," Obama said.

"Today, I've come back to Springfield to tell you I've found that leader," he said.

They make a great team. Per Greg Craig, "a powerful, eloquent, impassioned ticket":

Biden, the senior U.S. senator from Delaware, invoked Abraham Lincoln in the 16th U.S. president's home state.

"President Lincoln once instructed us to be sure to put your feet in the right place and then stand firm," said Biden, a native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, whose working-class roots and foreign policy experience Democrats hope will help Obama. "Today in Springfield I know my feet are in the right place and I'm proud to stand firm with the next president of the United States of America, Barack Obama."

We are too.