American Elections

Eight years ago the American presidential elections were of no interest to me personally or most of my fellow Brits. The election had no significant following in the mainstream media except for an acknowledgement that they were happening and brief synopsis of the campaign highlights. Of course there was the Florida voting scandal which was discussed in our serious media at great length and made some of us wonder if the "great American democracy" was simply a well marketed myth.

So why am I so interested when I previously really couldn't care? The reason, without a doubt is that it has become very apparent how a manipulative, corrupt and incompetent American presidential administration can affect not just the United States but the whole world in such a detrimental way. Being part of the rest of the world my country has been adversely affected in many ways and therefore I care deeply who wins the election.

This year we have been able to follow closely the party conventions and presidential / vice presidential debates live on our own news channels and there has been serious and interesting debate and in depth analysis. I suspect that maybe this is because that there are many people who feel the same about the Bush administration and crave for a change and follow this election like no previous American one. There are other reasons that this particular election is of significant interest. One being the potential for historic change in the new president being black or vice president being a woman or earlier this year the potential for a woman president.

Here is where I have to own up to my less serious nature and admit that I am taking perverse joy from seeing the republican candidates go looking for banana skins to fall over at every opportunity. Furthermore I can not count the amount of times I have laughed at the shallowness of Sarah Palin hiding behind pre-planned catch phrases and rehearsed diatribe so that she can avoid answering questions. As far as I am concerned it is a shame she is avoiding open contact with the general media and rationing her own brand of humour. As for "that one" McCain, he makes me laugh and shudder at the same time. Without having known how this man had suffered under horrific conditions in a North Vietnamese prison camp I would have eventually come to the conclusion that he is an unstable psychotic small man with a large chip on his shoulder. Having learnt of his tribulations in prison I thought that this was a possibility some time ago. I would at this point love to be even handed and criticise Obama and Biden but compared to their republican opposition these two, perhaps ordinary, men look like political heavywieghts.

I really do wish my thoughts and ideas on this subject were not so one sided but they are what they are. Being so biased and looking from the outside I can't understand why there are still so many Americans intending to vote for McCain/Palin. Perhaps that is because I am not on the inside and can see the wood from the trees. If I were brought up on a farm in deepest Idaho or a white baptist ex military man from Alabama maybe I would agree with what that man and his inflatable doll were telling me. Despite the fact that they are not necessarily full of substance and sometimes incoherent and inconsistant, maybe I would be sucked in by the awful plug words and empty rhetoric. Our cultures are different and although I have worked in many parts of the states I still don't appreciate what drives the ordinary American person politically.

At this point I must break off and say a prayer of thanks that I am not that Idaho farmer even though I am sure he is happy in his cocoon of illusion.

Danny H 9th Oct 08