object.__init__() doesn't actually do anything but the super() call should be included even when a class only has object as a superclass.
One big problem with 'super' is that it sounds like it will cause the
superclass's copy of the method to be called. This is simply not the
case, it causes the next method in the MRO to be called (...) People
omit calls to super(...).init if the only superclass is 'object',
as, after all, object.init doesn't do anything! However, this is
very incorrect. Doing so will cause other classes' init methods to
not be called.
http://fuhm.net/super-harmful/
