Obama or McCain ? One to watch…
It’s odd how fixated we Brits are with American elections. I mean it’s so long-winded and complex. The state primaries and conventions seem endless !
In the UK, the Prime Minister can call and hold an election in a matter of months. In America it can take years from eager hopefuls declaring their candidacy to the actual winner taking office. Extraordinary ! But, strangely reassuring.
It’s good to see the most powerful person in the world selected by a long, open, very public process with plenty of room for debate, argument and upset. I’d rather the superpower chose it’s leader by an awkward, sometimes baffling, and very long-winded process than a totalitarian inner circle appointing one if its own.
Will America really elect a black man with the middle name Hussain ? I sincerely hope so.
George W. Bush was in London last week on the final European tour of his presidency and his motorcade was universally met by protest. You couldn’t imagine a more unpopular visitor. At the time, someone asked me whether I thought Iraq and the Bush presidency have terminally damaged America’s reputation around the world ? The media coverage of the Bush visit seemed to suggest that it had. Could America recover ?
Imagine a newly inaugurated President Obama sweeping into Downing Street for a press call with the PM or meeting the Queen at Windsor for a grand state banquet. He’d be cheered from the roof-tops. The bad old days of Bush, Cheney and the Iraq oil grab would fade pretty quickly. Obama would enjoy a genuine wave of good-will, abit like Bill Clinton did on winning in 92. I’d certainly turn out to see him…