baldysblog.co.uk

I am very fond of the US and the people who live there and having been living and working there during 2000/2001, I saw the fallout from the “Hanging Chards of Florida” at first hand. There are many things to admire about American Democracy and the vast majority of citizens do take it all very seriously.

Unlike the rather mealy mouthed General Election Campaigns that we have where our politicians hardly dare touch “the proletariat” let alone look them in the eye, the big set piece Rallies in the States are a wonder to behold. But to be frank, I’m glad it’s coming to an end, over 20 months of Campaigning ? Oh pleeease…

The Four Year Cycle

My connection with the States started in the UK with American service families stationed here, it was the 1950s and rationing still existed, their gentle and quite kindnesses remain with me to this day. It was my friend’s Dad who was in the American Navy who first explained the 4 year cycle – “Two years of Government followed by two years of campaigning !”

It is obviously up to the American electorate to pick their new POTUS which most likely will be Obama by some distance. However, with no ill will to either party, I would fall about laughing if McCain pipped him !

One Term President

In earlier blogs I expressed my preference for McCain because we are living through times of change and a one term President may well fit the bill and be focused on being the mid-wife to that change. To be honest I think that McCain even if he loses can be proud getting the race as close as he did given the unpopularity of Bush.

But having said that, I am starting to wonder if Obama too will only serve a single term.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

A child of the 1950s, a teenager in the 1960s and being very politically aware, supporting the Civil Rights Movement in the Deep South, Martin Luther King, the Kennedy brothers, sitting up to 3 in the morning to hear the “Cuban Missiles Speech” these were the “political backdrop” to those/my years.

But if we bridge those 50+ years and pose one simple question; “How important is a black President to the United States today ?” The truthful answer is probably not very important at all, the game has moved on and “The West Wing” script writers got the storyline absolutely right, the most significant background for a future POTUS will be Hispanic rather than Afro-American.

The primary reason being that like immigrants from SE Asia, they are more “aspirational” in terms of striving to improve their lifestyle within the “American Zeitgeist” but that is just my view.

The British Media

Whilst I agree that the US is still the most important country both economically and militarily and of course we along with the rest of the World, have a direct interest in who that will be, the reporting of the British Media with a few exceptions is its usual low standard – crap. Of course if Obama wins as expected, we shall be served with hyperbole gushing out from every orifice in the British Media, these people are just that boring – Oh Bummer !

It is odd given the deplorable state of the British Economy due entirely to the total incompetence of one man, Gordon Brown as both Chancellor and Prime Minister who needs to be turfed out of Office asap along with his disgraceful Cabinet. Forget burning crosses on the lawn in the Deep South of the US, we need a few in Drowning Street !

We in the UK need Change and Hope restored too rather than this idiot playing at Prime Minister – “The cream rises until it sours…” I guess that happened when he became Chancellor and its been downhill ever since.